Two meetings on bringing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to Broad Street have been called for the end of February:

Join us to improve transit service and traffic congestion on Broad Street. This important roadway and transit route serves many commercial and residential areas and averages more than 700 bus trips daily. The study will focus on the most congested section – a 7-mile length from Rocketts Landing to Willow Lawn.

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President Obama announced today that USDOT is awarding $8 billion to states to invest in high speed rail. Of that, Virginia will share $620,000,000 with North Carolina to develop high speed rail between Charlotte-Raleigh-Richmond-Washington, D.C.. In the current plan Richmond is listed as having “projects laying foundation for high-speed passenger rail.”

View the plan here.

The Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will offer guided walks on Richmond’s Slave Trail each Saturday during February, Black History Month. This emotional walk, led by James River Park Manager Ralph White, will take you from the stone docks at Ancarrow’s Landing on the river through the forest to the site of the slave jails.

The walks will be scheduled for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. based on demand. There is a $5 per person fee. Please register in advance by calling the James River Park at 804-646-8911.

Former Richmond City Councilman Sa’ad El-Amin filed a lawsuit this morning against Virginia Department of Historic Resources Director Kathleen Kilpatrick.

From the RTD:

The suit seeks to order the department to conduct an archaeological dig of a Virginia Commonwealth University parking lot at 1541 E. Broad St. to determine the true boundaries of a cemetery for African-American slaves.

The suit challenges an historic resources report that found that boundaries of the burial grounds extend 50 feet into the parking lot. [via]

As GRTC continues to push for a bus transfer station at Main Street Station, the RTD reports that Mayor Jones is cautious that it might interfere with high speed rail. 

“I believe that GRTC probably has a Plan B. I don’t want to speak for them, however,” Jones said in an interview when asked about the proposed transfer center. “But from my perspective, only so many things can go in Shockoe Bottom.” [via]

Many community organizations have come out against the most recent proposal for a transfer station at Main Street Station, including the Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood Association, The Historic Shockoe Partnership, and The Slave Trail Commission. Today’s article highlights a new group formed specifically to fight the transfer station, the Better Station Coalition.

With the smoking ban now in effect, there are few restaurants that accommodate smokers. Havana 59 has opened their upstairs area to allow smoking, and Richbrau is considering allowing smoking on their second floor. Where else can you smoke? [via]

To continue the implementation of the Richmond Downtown Plan, the City of Richmond has set a Public Meeting for a potential rezoning of the Manchester Area for Thursday, November 19, from 5PM-6:30PM Open at the Sacred Heart Center (1400 Perry Street). The purpose of the meeting is to review the rezoning proposal, ask questions, and provide additional input on the future of development and land use in the Manchester Area. If you are unable to attend this meeting and would like to be added to our mailing list, please call or e-mail the Department of Community Development at 646-6310 or askcommunitydevelopment@richmondgov.com

The RTD has an update on the city project to address flooding in Shockoe Bottom.

A contractor for the city removed about 25,000 cubic yards of sediment from the basin near Hospital Street in Shockoe Valley. The basin can hold almost 20 million gallons of water when the drainage system in the Bottom is overwhelmed.

All that’s left of the Shockoe Bottom project are the finishing touches on an underground chamber that will allow the Bottom to drain and upstream floodwaters to be released into the James River at the same time. [via]

Richmond City Council Reporter and Telegraph has video of the Slavery  Museum being presented to City Council’s Land Use, Housing, and Transportation Committee on October 20, 2009.

Land Use, Housing, & Transportation – Oct. 20, 2009 from Silver Persinger on Vimeo.

The Virginia Holocaust Museum honors Senator Henry L. Marsh, III, on Sunday, October 18, at the 2009 Neilson J. November Award Dinner (PDF).

The RTD reports that the city is going to issue a request for revitalization proposals for Shockoe Bottom.

The project’s scope of work calls for a site plan, a market assessment of development issues, and opportunities and implementation strategies that would include “destination-anchor projects,” reuse and redevelopment of property, expansion of retail, “market-rate and mixed-income residences,” tourism, and public and private financing.

The city says they are interested in consultants with experience in revitalizing historic downtown areas.The project will be funded by $125,000 set aside by city council this spring. [via]

Councilwoman Robertson will be holding a public forum on Tuesday, September 15 from 10-noon to solicit input and support of a proposed new law (PDF) which seeks to offer tax incentives for development in specific areas.  [via]

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Per a press release from City Council sent out this morning:

Richmond City Council members Doug Conner, South Central 9th District,: Marty Jewell, Central 5th District; Chris Hilbert, Northside 3rd District; Reva Trammell, Southside 8thDistrict; and, Bruce Tyler, West End 1st District will attend a media conference called by Paul Goldman regarding the idea of having a medical complex in Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond. The conference will include presentation of a draft Resolution proposing setting up a commission, membership and details will be part of the event.

The press conference will take place at City Hall at 11:00 am.

Using stimulus money, the city is hoping to invest $600,000 in enclosing the 17th Street Farmer’s Market, allowing it to be open year round. The Richmond Economic Development Director believes a year round market will expand opporunities for vendors and members of the community. A farmer’s market in historic Charleston is the model for the potential project. City leaders say the project can be funded even if Richmond does not receive the federal stimulus money.[via]

Would you like to see the Farmer’s Market open year round?

Construction on Richmond’s section of the Capital Trail began this week. While the project has awesome potential, part of the Richmond development will run into some obstacles at Great Shiplock Park. An article in today’s RTD describes the problems the projects will face: the proposed Echo Harbor development and the Ripp Family purchase option on the Richmond Intermediate Terminal. Read the article here.