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What are some easy fixes in the neighborhood?
11/18/2014 8:34 AM by John M
If you could get any one or three small things fixed in your area, what would that be?
Suppose you had a direct line to City Hall, what would you ask to have done on your block first?
What are some of the low-hanging fruit that could be easily taken care of that would make living in the neighborhood better or easier?
TAGGED: question
A trash can next to the bus stop on the 3100 block of Marshall. Someone’s nice enough to hang a trash bag on the fence next to it, but that area’s always covered in litter.
I’ll throw out a couple to get this started 🙂
I’d like to see some of the crosswalks repainted. At 26th and M, an area with a good amount of both vehicle and pedestrian traffic, you can see where there used to be a set of crosswalks but they’ve been completely worn or paved over. The new traffic circles on M Street need pedestrian spaces marked, too.
I’d love love love to see the city get serious about making Jefferson Avenue more bike/pedestrian friendly. Those 5-way intersections are ridiculous.
That busted backboard at Chimborazo Playground needs to be fixed.
Speed bumps and or cross walks on E broad between 36th and 32nd street. Much needed for the safety of people who walk to the park from the neighborhood.
Garbage cleanup. Both street litter and bulk,
The police must enforce the parking restrictions at intersections. We have many fender benders at the intersection of 22nd and Marshall Sts. because people park right up to the edge of the intersections, which limits visibility of oncoming traffic. There was a bad accident there the other day. If the police can’t limit parking there, then we need a stop sign on Marshall, which I would hate to see, and the buses would, too. The same problem is recurring at the intersection of 22nd and Jefferson, with people parking to go to Alamo.
Clean up the weed forests that have sprouted up in a lot of the tree wells. The 2800 block of E. Broad has a couple of these eyesores, including one right by Anthony’s.
Alley garbage ,dumped furniture,there is a serial dumper in the 700 block between 21st and 22nd. Been going on for 10 years. Such a bummer. And backside of Jefferson park all the way up cedar st.
Trash can at Marshall/35th Street Bus Stop and maybe a speed bump or make 35th and Clay a 4 way stop. People fly through there and it’s dangerous.
* Brick sidewalk repairs near 2904 East Leigh and 500 North 29th Street. Water lines have created two large sink holes in the sidewalk. Traffic cones mark the edge of the sinkholes for the last 18 months.
* Install street trees on M Street between 28th and 31st Street
*Better pedestrian crossings along all of M Street & Jefferson Avenue
I’d love to see a series of rumble strips or speed bumps on E. Marshall between 23rd and the traffic circle at 29th. If you hit a greenlight at 25th, it’s possible to pick up quite a bit of speed–and people do!
Would also love to see some more public art that really stands out as a “Church Hill” thing. Like those small paintings sometimes on the street signs? Those always make me smile.
I think it would be a great to recognize neighbors who do a great job on their house, beyond the oft applauded (and deserved!!) renovations. Like the people who have really great mini-gardens or lovely holiday decor!
I think continued “meet a cop” at a coffee shop event would be helpful, along with more foot and bike patrols through the neighborhood.
Cameras on the streets.
Hey guys you know a lot of these suggestions–clearing grass, planting trees, cleaning up trash, repainting cross-walks–we can do ourselves. Granted, some of them require permits but when it comes to things like trees, it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission. We should save the City card for cost-/red-tape-intensive needs like infrastructure repairs and trash collection but we don’t always have to wait for the system. Just saying…
Swapping trash and recycling schedules, as in most countries in Europe where recycling pick up is weekly and non-recycling rubbish is every other week. It reinforces recycling.
Real tree stewardship. Not hack-it-apart-until-it-dies and falls on someone’s car (like mine)
I would like parking on Marshall Street from 18th to 20th to only be allowed on one side of the street, OR, even have that section be one way. It gets very hairs if more than a compact car comes across each other at that section due to an extremely narrow street.
Stop signs on Marshall! Traffic flies between 25th and 29th and folks use Marshall vs. Broad for exactly that reason. Trash cans at all the bus stops. Quit hacking the trees to death in the guise of protecting overhead utility lines – that can be accomplished in a much more tree friendly manner.
Having the recycling truck coming the same route through the alleys as the regular garbage pickup. Many residents could maintain then one collection spot without moving the bin’s back and forth each pickup day. Also agree with #15, more frequent recycling pick up.
1) Repair the backboard at the Chimbo Playground, of course!
2) Repair the tree wells that are in poor condition, plant or replace trees.
3) Traffic circles on E Marshall and E Broad.
More frequent recycling pickup for sure!
I would like to echo what #5 Bill said, particularly as it relates to the new roundabouts on M St and the existing ones on Marshall. Cars parked too close to the intersection cause trouble for the buses that run these routes as well as people trying to access these streets from the N/S axis streets. While I agree with pretty much everything mentioned here, it seems like this would be one of the easiest things for the city to accomplish in the interest of pedestrian and vehicular safety.
Make the traffic circles on Marshall 2 way stops. I’d never in my life seen a 4 way yield until I moved to Church Hill. The worst of all possible intersection ideas.
Another vote for weekly recycling pick up!
Also – the trees on the walking path next to Chimborazo park are getting over grown and could use a trimming back. Same goes for some of the tree plots along the sidewalks a judicious pruning would go a long way for overall curb appeal throughout the neighborhood.
Enforcement of people taking their super cans off the city sidewalks after trash pick up. People seem to think that their super cans belong on the sidewalk all week and I believe it’s a city code violation.
Enforcement of building codes on rehabs — I’m appalled at some of the shoddy work I see, work that could never get approved by a competent inspector and that is guaranteed to fall apart within a few years and leave a house in not better shape that it started out.
Bill, I am with you about enforcing the parking near intersections – possibly paint the curbs to indicate where NOT to park and enforce it? (There is a 20 or 25 foot distance by city code you are not supposed to park from the corners)… Speed enforcement along Marshall.
The rest involves the city to fix dead branches on trees falling on parked cars, sidewalk bricks, potholes, street lights, etc…
Sidewalk maintenance. The overflow of grass and weeds taking over brick sidewalks. This may require encouraging property owners in participating.
Litter flowing through the streets beside the community corner stores. If the store sells the items which ends up being the street trash outside their location, they should be responsible for cleaning it up.
To enforce the 20-25 ft law from corners….its actually a hard fix, most places in the city have “no parking” signs with arrows pointing to the corner. VCU has them everywhere. Makes it obvious. Only probem is those signs are PRICEY.
Enforce the 20 ft. no parking from corners please. I almost got wiped out twice today, couldn’t see a thing around vehicles at corners. And I agree with whoever said to do something about parking on Marshall from 21st west – it’s way too crowded down there. if they prohibit parking on one side, though, all those people will have to park elsewhere, and I’m not sure where they’d go, but I still think something needs to be done.
A large part of the community uses Chimborazo Park and not one crosswalk or stop sign from 32nd-36th st. Excessive speed with vehicles that do not yield to pedestrians is a tragedy waiting to happen. Simple fix.
I can pull weeds, kill grass and clean up litter.
-Cameras on the streets for playback when crime happens
-More frequent recycle
-Pick up for recycle in alley
-Fix the darn roads (potholes) – car is shot
-Repair Chimborazo blvd road
-Trashcans Trashcans Trashcans – tired of all of the trash on my street and on my property – especially needed for Chimbo market traffic on the corners of clay and Leigh and chimo
Agree with much of the above, especially the enforcement of no parking 20 feet from corners and intersections. It’s a problem everywhere in the city, to be sure. I always feel like I’m playing Russian Roulette turning off of 32nd-36th streets onto Broad St., because visibility is nil. Please do not park your SUVs right up onto the corner, people!!
@Clay Street
Stop the SUVs from parking close to the intersections, but all others are ok? Why the distinction?
Anyway, I turn onto Broad every morning, and the vehicles blocking my view are rarely SUVs.
Roundabouts added to a neighborhood without clear information about roundabout etiquette was a terrible idea. The roundabouts themselves are much too small. They don’t force a yield, and I can’t count how many times people have just sped through them in front of me.
STOP USING AN INTERSECTION (without a roundabout) AS A U-TURN. I had never seen it until I moved to RVA.
Yes, it is city code and you should get a ticket if police enforce the parking within 20-feet of an intersection. Here is what is on the city’s website:
$40 Fine
Parking in any location in violation of section 102-222, to include the following places:
On a sidewalk
In front of a public or private driveway
Within an intersection
Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
On a crosswalk
Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection
On the roadway side of any vehicle parked at the edge or curb of a street
At any place where official signs prohibit parking, or during street cleaning
At any place where an order, rule, or regulation issued prohibits or restricts parking
Parking in any lane marked and designated as a “fire lane,” within or adjacent to a parking area or parking lot that is open to the public and which is designed to accommodate 50 or more vehicles
Parking so as to block an alley or to block a driveway into an alley
As far as trash super cans left on sidewalks, yes… there is a $50 per day fine if the can has been tagged.
City Ordinance, No. 2007-230-275, which was approved by City Council in November of 2007, allows receptacles to be placed on City property or in the public right-of-way no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day prior to collection and requires the receptacles be removed by 7:00 a.m. the day after collection.
The city of Richmond will issue warnings for refuse and recycling receptacles left in the public right of way outside of specified collection times. The trash and recycling receptacles used by Richmond residents and businesses will be subject to these warnings. The City’s Department of Public Works will place yellow warning stickers on receptacles that must be removed.
I agree with #31 re: crosswalks around Chimborazo Park. I cross at 32nd and Broad and there is a 4 way stop at that intersection but no one should step out in front of a car coming up to or at that stop sign. Drivers aren’t looking for pedestrians at all. I’m usually walking 2 50 lb. dogs so I really shouldn’t be that hard to spot. Also need to add trash cans to my list.
I would LOVE to see the enforcement of trash cans left out on the sidewalk. The alley entrance at Clay Street between Chimborazo and 35th has no less than 5 trash cans on it at all times. After trash is picked up, they are usually left on the street or completely in the way of the alley and sidewalk. Some have addresseson them, some don’t. How would I go about getting it enforced here?
I would also love to see crosswalks on Broad street to Chimborazo Park coming from Chimborazo Blvd.
– crosswalks to Union Market
– crosswalks to Chimborazo park
regarding Round-abouts: I think round-abouts are awesome – they save gas, time, and reduce accidents if used correctly. And it’s really simple: Yield to cars already in the round-about. Spread the word.
Not sure if I’m asking to be put on some list now, but the intersection of 25th and O, where all the police cars are parked, is also a really bad one with regards to parking within 20 feet of the intersection rule.
Sorry, meant 26th and O
@ fpichel. I like *properly designed* roundabouts. The one at 25th and Jefferson is pretty good – but kind of needs a stop sign for cars headed up 25th towards nine mile. The problem is that the circles work much better if people are forced to go around them. As they are, it is too easy to drive straight past. Coming from any other direction than the one previously mentioned at 25th/Jefferson/M, you have to actually turn/drive around the circle, not just past it.
I think the city has decided to make smaller circles because of A) cost and B) difficulties getting a bus around an intermediate sized circle. But they’ve taken a lot of the inherent utility out of a more typical traffic circle design.
Perhaps, if the city redesigned the corners of intersections with traffic circles, they might be more effective. Remove sidewalks on a 45 degree angled to accommodate a longer path of travel for cars, have a larger center island, and route the crosswalks through the island in an X pattern. If done carefully, this seems like a possible option where there is limited space for a full roundabout.
I’m still not sure how to address the issues with the busses…
Round about signs, like they have at whiteoak!
@fpichel, you are exactly right, no one around here knows what to do at a roundabout.
L… a 45-degree angle? That is “cutting corners” literally and it burns me up when I come to an intersection and someone is forcing me to stop from hitting them as they do that across my bow. I would love to ram them! It is not making a proper 90-degree turn from the intersection. But the issue is people parking too close to corners and forcing people in low-riding cars to pull out as far as in the middle of the intersection to see around the parked vehicle – especially SUV’s. It is an accident waiting to happen and definitely not neighborly. Nor is taking up 2 parking spaced on the street when you can pull back closer to a car in front or behind you. Don’t even get me started! 🙂
Another thing that irks me and not directly related is what we use to call “Carolina turns” meaning someone will drift into the left lane to make a right turn.
As far as the SuperCans go and getting someone to enforce it, start here:
contact the Department of Public Works Customer Care Center at (804)646-0999.
I agree with the parking to close to the intersection. Instead of the signs that may be expensive as one person mentioned, why not paint the curbs yellow to indicate that one cannot park there.
Good idea for the fix will yellow curbs neighbor, but I’m sure the historical correctness societies would not allow that…..
Although it does seem the city can do what they want in the historic districts (butcher trees, fix sidewalks and historic streets w blacktop patches, butcher the parks) so it might just work.
– Sidewalk repair, specifically 26,27, 28,29th Broad to M; really everywhere in CH.
– Start ticketing for speeding on Leigh and M streets, the round-a-bouts only slowed them down a bit, still not safe for walkers, strollers and bikes.
– I was not aware of some of the ordinances mentioned here – so thanks for the education.
– more recycle receptacles throughout neighborhood like the One in front of SunTrust at 25th and Broad
– Did I mention SidEwALkS? They are atrocious and unsafe in many area’s
– add lids to the public/sidewalk permanent trash cans on Marshall
@LlynLlyn, U-turns in intersections are legal (my husband is RPD and I was curious after reading your post.) It is the only place they are – you can’t make a U-turn in the middle of the street but you can in an intersection.
People, repairing or replacing a sidewalk is not an easy fix. Lots of time resources and money. Currently they are backed up like… 4 years…? (incase you were unware)
Easy fixes are things like trash cans, crosswalks, speed bumps, getting the group of problematic kids in the neighborhood (the one white kid with more than one black kid in their late teens to early 20s) group off the street and in jail.
Some people mentioned having the recycling trucks pickup bins in the alleys. It looks like that is in the works:
http://www.timesdispatch.com/local/city-of-richmond/richmond-plans-to-convert-recycling-system-from-bins-to-larger/article_3231829d-0b5f-526b-b0dc-09580aff0440.html