RICHMOND, Va. – Mayor Levar M. Stoney today kicked off the next phase of the Department of Public Works Pulse BRT Red Pavement Project – the painting of Pulse BRT bus lanes red.  This project is starting sooner than expected, thanks to the completion of the asphalt paving portion of the project ahead of schedule.

This phase of Pulse BRT Red Pavement project will install red-colored pavement marking in the dedicated bus-only lanes from I-195 to 1st Street. The $2 million project is funded through a Department of Rail and Public Transit grant and is intended to improve driver and pedestrian awareness of the dedicated bus-only lanes, reduce unauthorized use of the bus-only lanes, and improve bus operations.

Weather permitting, the project is expected to be completed in late August. Below is the order in which sections of the Pulse lanes will be completed:

Pulse BRT Red Pavement:

BACKGROUND:

• The GRTC PULSE runs, 14 buses, along the Broad Street corridor, almost one hundred times every single day, merging in and out of bus-only lanes from Downtown Broad Street between 4th and 14th Street. 

• The red lane painting involves the use of a red dye, “Methyl Methacrylate (MMA)” material onto the bus-only lanes.   Once completed, drivers using the right turn lane, onto a side street, will now see hatched red paint to signal them they are allowed use those lanes.  This will better guide vehicles to not cut in front of Pulse buses, but rather to merge into the curbside bus-only lane behind the Pulse bus.  Citizens are still asked to remain alert for pedestrians with the right-of-way crossing the street as you turn right.

• This project is a result of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation two-year demonstration program developed to produce research on the potential benefits of red-colored pavement on travel time, enforcement and other implications, to include improved safety. 

For more information and weekly updates, go to https://www.rva.gov/public-works/broad-street-project or email questions to AskPublicWorks@rva.gov.

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The City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is one of only 195 currently accredited public works agencies in the United States. DPW’s portfolio comprises a wide array of services to include leaf collection; street, sidewalk and alley maintenance; trash collection; recycling; grass cutting;  graffiti removal; parking enforcement; urban forestry; street signs; traffic signals and pavement markings and civil engineering. In addition, DPW maintains upkeep on most city buildings; issues permits for working in the city’s right-of-way; manages the RVA Bike Share program and maintains the fleet of city vehicles. DPW’s operating budget comes from the general fund of the City of Richmond.  For more information about DPW services, click here or call 3-1-1.