Pedestrian Safety at VCU
Last update: February 20, 2026
VCU, VCU Health and the City of Richmond are committed to making our campuses as safe as possible for all travelers – regardless of how they go about their paths. Everyone who walks, drives, bikes or scoots around VCU has a responsibility to be alert as they travel. VCU’s setting in thriving downtown Richmond creates unique challenges to those who utilize public roadways. Distractions – no matter the modality of travel – only amplify the possibility of a roadway interaction turning dangerous.
To further enhance pedestrian and traffic safety initiatives at VCU, in 2023 VCU completed a pedestrian safety study, in partnership with the City of Richmond Department of Public Works, that identified and prioritized pedestrian safety improvements on the VCU Monroe Park and MCV campuses and in downtown Richmond.
VCU contracted with Kimley-Horn, engineering planning and design consultants with experience in the Richmond area, to conduct the study and has been working with the city to implement improvements to existing infrastructure within city-owned right-of-way, encourage collaborative enforcement and community outreach, and ultimately support a safer campus community.
View the final VCU Pedestrian Safety Study.
Read more about the study here.
For information about pedestrian and traffic safety tips, visit the VCU Police website.
Contact us
Contact policedept@vcu.edu for questions or concerns related to pedestrian safety at VCU.
Completed pedestrian safety projects
Completed pedestrian safety projects
VCU
- Left turn hardening: An engineering technique designed to force drivers to slow down and "square" their turns when moving left through an intersection; essentially a physical reminder for drivers to stop cutting corners
- Implemented four left turn hardening locations at the intersections of Franklin St. and Laurel St., Franklin St. and Belvidere St., Marshall St. and 11th St., and Marshall St. and 13th St.
- Speed survey: Determines the need for speed tables (i.e., speed hump) or other speed-reducing measures
- Completed a speed survey for Harrison St.
- Pedestrian crossing signs: Designed to alert drivers to high-activity pedestrian intersections.
- Installed two new pedestrian crossing signs at the intersections of Cary St. and Madison St. as well as Main St. and Monroe St.
- Installed pedestrian crossing signs on both 11th St. and Clay St. at the intersection of 11th St. and Clay St.
- Replaced pedestrian crossing sign on Floyd Ave. between the Student Commons and Cabell Library
- Pedestrian safety signs: “Heads Up! Phones Down!” signage designed to alert pedestrians
- Installed approximately 150 pedestrian safety signs on main exits from VCU buildings and crosswalks across the Monroe Park and MCV campuses
- Front doors: Identifiable campus markers that provide a clear sense of arrival to campus (i.e., big VCU signs); considered a traffic-calming measure
- Installed seven new front doors
- Crossing times: Allows pedestrians time to cross the street; prevents jaywalking
- Worked with the City of Richmond to extend pedestrian crossing times by 20 seconds at times of high pedestrian traffic at Main St. and Linden St.
- Enforcement: Significant increase in enforcement, particularly at high-incident areas, to reduce dangerous driving behaviors and increase compliance with traffic laws
- Increased VCU Police enforcement: 1,774 traffic summons issued in 2024-25 academic year (8/1/24 to 7/31/25)
- Education and outreach: VCU Police launched HEADS UP, RAMS!, a comprehensive communications and outreach initiative designed to change behaviors and improve pedestrian and traffic safety
- How VCU and the city of Richmond are working together to keep pedestrians safe
- VCU Police hosted a license/administrative checkpoint within the 700 block of W. Main St. in August 2025. The initiative, which focuses on license and registration checks, was part of the federal ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign.
- Presented at the Society for College and University Planning Mid-Atlantic regional conference in May 2025 to discuss the effective university-community collaboration model
- VCU pedestrian safety in the news:
- Conducted outreach and education efforts, including a VCU Police awareness campaign events
- Parking relocation: Reduces pedestrian–vehicle conflict risk for individuals walking from parking areas to the MCV Campus
- Closed the A Lot on December 1, 2025, and moved parking customers to the deck at 14th St. and Cary St.
City of Richmond
- Scramble: Provides a dedicated “all-walk” crossing phase at intersections to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and turning vehicles
- Converted Laurel St. and Cathedral Pl. intersection to a pedestrian scramble (Barnes Dance)
- Curb extensions: A “bump-out” traffic calming measure that extends the sidewalk into the parking lane of a street – narrowing the roadway, reducing vehicular speed and increasing visibility
- Installed curb extensions on Cary St. and Main St., including two on the VCU campus at Cary St. and Pine St. as well as Main St. and Pine St.
- “No turn on red” signs: Prohibits drivers from making a right turn (or a left turn from a one-way street onto another one-way street) while the traffic signal is red; increases pedestrian visibility and reduce crash risk
- Installed 14 “no turn on red” signs at nine intersections on the Monroe Park Campus
- Corner clearance markings: Supports safer turns and crosswalk access by preventing parking too close to intersections
- Installed seven corner clearance markings on the Monroe Park Campus
- Speed tables (i.e., speed humps): Raised sections of roadway that reduce vehicle speeds and lower crash risk
- Installed 19 speed tables
- Leading pedestrian intervals: Reduces turning-vehicle conflicts by giving pedestrians a head start before green lights
- Implemented leading pedestrian intervals at 40 intersections on the Monroe Park and MCV campuses
- Signal retiming: Discourages vehicles from accelerating through consecutive signalized intersections; promotes more consistent driving behavior
- Implemented Richmond-wide signal retiming to prevent vehicles from speeding through consecutive, signaled intersections
- Signal backplates: Dark, reflective panels mounted behind traffic lights to improve signal contrast and visibility
- Installed high-visibility signal backplates across the city, including VCU’s campus, at high-traffic intersections
- Signal louvers: Shield-like attachments (i.e., horizontal blinds) over a traffic signal that narrow its visibility; improves signal clarity and discourages vehicles from accelerating through consecutive signalized intersections
- Installed signal louvers on the eastbound approach of the intersection of Cary St. and Belvidere St.
- Crosswalk markings: High-visibility striping that enhances driver awareness of pedestrian crossings
- Installed longitudinal crosswalk markings at 12th St. and Marshall St.
Planned or underway pedestrian safety projects
Planned or underway pedestrian safety projects
VCU
- Crossing time extensions at key intersections
- Extend pedestrian crossing times by 20 seconds at times of high pedestrian traffic (at Harrison St. and Grace. St., Harrison St. and Franklin St., Laurel St. and Main St., and Laurel St. and Franklin St.)
- Speed feedback signs: Electronic displays that show motorists their real-time speed and prompt slowing
- Installing two speed feedback signs on Broad St. and Belvidere St.
- Curb extensions: A “bump-out” traffic calming measure that extends the sidewalk into the parking lane of a street – narrowing the roadway, reducing vehicular speed and increasing visibility
- Construct eight new curb extensions at the intersections of Cary St. and Harrison St., Cary St. and Belvidere St., Main St. and Laurel St., Main St. and Harrison St., Harrison St. and Grace St., and Harrison St. and Broad St.
City of Richmond
- Red light camera enforcement: An automated system designed to capture images or video of vehicles that enter an intersection after the signal has turned red
- Implement red light camera enforcement at two locations on VCU's campus
- Bike lane extension: Dedicated lane for bikes that provide more predictable paths for bikers and drivers
- Extend the existing Franklin St. bike lane from Belvidere St. to Lombardy St.
- Biotech Phase III: Leigh Street Streetscape Project
- Roadway improvements on E. Leigh St. from intersection of N. 4th St. and extending to the edge of the Martin Luther King Bridge (east of 12th St.), which will include signal improvements at intersections, sidewalk installation, shared use of path for bicycle and pedestrian, and streetscape throughout the project limits
- Improve sightlines at key intersections
- Partner with Venture Richmond to remove the large planters on Broad St. to improve driver and pedestrian sight lines, starting at 10th St. and Broad St.
- Paving
- Pave the road around VCU Health System upon request by VCU due to poor road conditions
Under discussion
Under discussion
VCU has shared the following recommendations/requests with the City of Richmond:
- Push buttons: Devices that allow pedestrians to request a walk signal; improves crossing control and signal responsiveness.
- Examining intersections where pedestrian push buttons would be effective
- Flashing beacons: Flashing lights that warn drivers of a potential hazard, helps increase driver awareness and encourages speed reduction at high-risk ramp and roadway transition areas
- Collaborate with the City of Richmond to coordinate with VDOT to implement flashing beacons and/or rumble strips at the I-95 off-ramp onto Broad St.
- “Yield to pedestrians” signage: Reinforces pedestrian right-of-way and increases driver awareness at crosswalk approaches to reduce pedestrian–vehicle conflicts at high-traffic gateway corridors
- Add "Yield to Pedestrians" for northbound approach at the intersection of Ryland St. and Broad St.
- School zone status: This would allow for additional speed enforcement, such as speed cameras, similar to that of K-12 public schools
- Pursue legislation at the General Assembly that extends school zone status to VCU; work with the City of Richmond to request the state to modify the reckless driving code in school zones to include 10 MPH over posted speed
- Two-way traffic conversion: Enhance traffic flow and safer access for patient arrivals, departures and valet services associated with the future VCU School of Dentistry building opening
- Convert segments of N. 9th St. and Turpin St. between N. 10th St. and Leigh St. to two-way traffic as part of the proposed VCU School of Dentistry project
- Partial street closures: Closing parts of a street to vehicular traffic
- Implement a pilot for partial closure of Floyd Ave. during times of high pedestrian traffic (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) (Harrison to Cathedral streets–including Linden St.)
- Implement a pilot for closing for portions of Grace St. to serve as a campus pedestrian main street (Harrison to Laurel St.)
- New technologies
- Audible flashing crosswalk signals: (“talking” beacons) that provide voice prompts for pedestrians while increasing driver awareness at high-risk crossings
- Advanced pedestrian detection: Explore the feasibility of piloting Advanced Pedestrian Radar Detection technology (i.e.,: Iteris Vantage PedSafe) – a sensor-based system that detects pedestrians in real time and adjusts signal timing
- Additional signal retiming
- Coordinate signal timing with increase of pedestrians based on VCU class schedule data, allowing more pedestrian cross time during peak period
- Additional scramble intersections
- Replace traffic signal controllers to allow pedestrian scramble – allows for red lights in all directions and enables pedestrians to cross diagonally at:
- Monroe Park Campus:
- Laurel and Franklin St.
- Laurel and Main Street St.
- Grace/Shafer St.
- MCV Campus:
- 11th and Marshall St.
- 10th and Leigh St.
- Monroe Park Campus:
- Replace traffic signal controllers to allow pedestrian scramble – allows for red lights in all directions and enables pedestrians to cross diagonally at:
- Speed limits: Lower speed limits to increase driver reaction time
- Decrease speed limit to 20 MPH in core campus geography, excluding Broad, Belvidere and Leigh Streets
- Temporary curb extensions: Short-term, curb-like roadway treatments that extend the sidewalk area into the street at an intersection
- Install temporary curb extensions at Cary St. and Harrison St. and Main St. and Laurel St. to eliminate illegal corner parking to enhance pedestrian visibility
- Install temporary curb extensions while permanent curb extensions are being planned
- 13th St. between entrances/exits to D-Deck and the Visitor Parking Deck
- Cary St. and Linden St.
- Cary St. and Laurel St.
- Harrison St. and Franklin St.
- 11th St. and Clay St.
- Cary St. and Cherry St.
- Main St. and Belvidere St.
- Main St. and Cherry St.
- Harrison St. and Grove Ave.
- Floyd Ave. and Student Commons crosswalk
- Stop signs at key intersections
- Install a stop sign at 11th St. and Clay St. due to high volume pedestrian traffic
- “No Turn on Red” signs at all campus intersections
- Implement “No Turn on Red” signs at all of the remaining 25 intersections in the core campus geography
- Locations identified in the 2025 Pedestrian Safety Study:
- Broad St. and Harrison St. (NBR)
- Broad St. and Shafer St. (EBR)
- Broad St. and Laurel St. (EBR)
- Broad St. and Belvidere St. (EBR)
- Broad St. and Belvidere St. (WBR)
- Broad St. and Belvidere St. (NBR)
- Broad St. and Belvidere St. (SBR)
- Grace St. and Belvidere St. (EBR)
- Grace St. and Belvidere St. (WBR)
- Grace St. and Belvidere St. (SBR)
- Franklin St. and Harrison St. (NBR)
- Franklin St. and Harrison St. (EBR)
- Franklin St. and Belvidere St. (NBR)
- Park Ave. and Harrison St. (SBR)
- Cathedral Pl. and Laurel St. (SBR)
- Grove Ave. and Harrison St. (NBR)
- Grove Ave. and Harrison St. (SBR)
- Main St. and Harrison St. (SBR)
- Main St. and Laurel St. (SBR)
- Main St. and Belvidere St. (SBR)
- Cary St. and Linden St. (NBR)
- Cary St. and Linden St. (EBR)
- Cary St. and Cherry St. (NBR)
- Cary St. and Linden St. (EB-L)
- Cary St. and Laurel St. (EBR)
- Additional proposed locations:
- MCV Campus:
- 10th St. and Marshall St.
- 12th St. and Marshall St.
- 10th St. and Leigh St.
- Broad St. and 10th St.
- Broad St. and 9th St.
- All of Broad St. going east to west
- Monroe Park Campus:
- Cherry St. and Main St.
- Harrison St. and Floyd St.
- Cary St. and Jefferson St.
- Main St. and Jefferson St.
- Grace St. and Laurel St.
- Grace St. and Ryland St.
- Grace St. and Harrison St.
- Franklin St. and Belvidere St.
- MCV Campus:
- Locations identified in the 2025 Pedestrian Safety Study:
- Implement “No Turn on Red” signs at all of the remaining 25 intersections in the core campus geography
- Red light running cameras: Automated enforcement devices that detect and document vehicles entering intersections after the signal turns red; at high-risk campus locations, these reduce red-light violations and improve intersection safety
- Install red light cameras at additional intersections on campus
- Crosswalk reconstruction: Tactics including high-visibility crosswalk markings
- Prioritize the Belvidere St. crosswalk reconstruction to include longitudinal crosswalk markings and/or median extensions
- Stop bar: Pavement markings that indicate where vehicles must stop before the intersection to reduce conflicts with pedestrians and improve driver stopping compliance
- Add a stop bar to the northbound approach at the intersection of Cary St. and Cherry St.
- Additional “Yield to Pedestrian” signage
- Add signage to the northbound approach at the intersection of Ryland St. and Broad St.
- Additional flashing beacons and rumble strips
- Coordinate with VDOT to implement flashing beacons and/or rumble strips at the I-95 off-ramp onto Broad St.
- Additional speed tables (i.e., speed humps)
- Harrison St. between the intersections with Main St. and Floyd Ave.
- Cherry St. between the intersections of Cary St. and Main St.
- Cherry St. between the intersections of Main St. and Floyd Ave.
- Between 12th and 13th St. (justified by VCUHS visitor deck closure)
- Increase enforcement, education and outreach
- Significantly increase city and VCU enforcement and educational campaigns, evaluate effectiveness, and make iterative improvements based on updated annual evidence
- Additional leading pedestrian intervals
- Add leading pedestrian intervals at all signaled intersections on VCU campuses