The Fairfield Court Community will house the city’s newest addition to the RVA Bikeshare network – a station designed to serve residents of the historically undeserved neighborhood. The new station is a part of the Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility’s (OETM) pilot program to expand Richmond’s existing bikeshare system in an impactful way.

In addition to increasing access with the new station, the pilot addresses cost. The program will be completely free to Fairfield community residents. They will be able to apply for an access pass that will allow them to use the Fairfield Court station and the entire RVA Bikeshare network.

OETM and RRHA are excited to see the positive effects this program will have in the Fairfield Court community. If this program is proven successful, the city plans to continue to partner with RRHA to introduce the bikeshare to other housing communities. 

History of the Effort:

After analysis of the existing RVA Bikeshare network, OETM found that the system conspicuously avoided some of the lowest income areas of in Richmond. Even more striking is that these areas have among the lowest rates of car ownership in the city. It was quickly determined that these areas may have the most to gain from the city’s continued investment in bicycle infrastructure.

The City felt that partnering with the Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority (RRHA) offered a unique opportunity to better serve these areas. OETM worked hand in hand with RRHA to design the program and to pick Fairfield Court as the pilot site.

Neighborhood Feedback:

In order to ensure there was community buy-in, OETM conducted surveys that demonstrated significant enthusiasm. The survey found that 68% of respondents primarily travel by either public transportation (36%), biking (12%), walking (14%) or ridesharing (6%). Only 28% primarily use personal vehicles. The survey also showed that 75% of trips were between zero and 30 minutes, and 53% of commutes from home to work were between zero and 10 miles. In short, public feedback demonstrated that the community has both the appetite and the need for multi-modal transportation.

“Building Communities. Changing Lives.” is the vision of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority.  RRHA is Virginia’s largest public housing authority serving over 10,000 residents and managing nearly 4,000 units through the public housing program. RRHA provides subsidized housing assistance to more than 3,000 families and is a catalyst for quality affordable housing and community revitalization. For more information about RRHA programs and objectives, visit rrha.com, Facebook, ,  Twitter, Linkedin, or Instagram.

##