Transportation in Richmond, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Transportation in Richmond, Virginia and its immediate surroundings include land, sea and air modes. This article includes the independent city
and portions of the contiguous counties of Henrico
and Chesterfield
. While almost all of Henrico County would be considered part of the Richmond area, southern and eastern portions of Chesterfield adjoin the three smaller independent cities of Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights, collectively commonly called the Tri-Cities area
. A largely rural section of southwestern Chesterfield may be considered not a portion of either suburb
an area.
Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area is considered by many criteria to include the Tri-Cities area and many more surrounding counties
, incorporated town
s, and unincorporated communities
. (For information on this larger area, see Richmond-Petersburg
MSA).
, established at Jamestown
in 1607, was dependent upon the waterways as avenues of commerce. Along the river, the James River plantations
such as John Rolfe
's Varina Farms
had their own wharf
s on the river
s. Located east of the fall line
, they were soon shipping tobacco
and other export
crops abroad.
The two cities which became the modern City of Richmond were first established as port
s on the north and south banks of the James River
due to their location at the head of navigation on the fall line. The ports at the head of navigation became transfer points, and Richmond, on the north bank of the river, and its former neighbor Manchester
, along the south bank, became points for canal
s which were built to bypass the falls and rapids and connect with navigable waters upstream. Transfer to and from watercraft was also undertaken as land transportation developed in the form of turnpike
s and railroad
s.
The first stagecoach
lines to Richmond were established during the War of 1812
, and the first regular steamboat
service began on the James River in 1815. Early the 19th century, the Virginia Board of Public Works
began funding transportation infrastructure improvements, stimulating such private enterprises as the James River and Kanawha Canal
, the Chesterfield Railroad
, and numerous turnpikes
.
By 1855, Richmond had railroads extending in many directions. Long championed in the Virginia General Assembly
by Whitmell P. Tunstall
, the Richmond and Danville Railroad
to the southwest was completed in 1854. Others included the Virginia Central Railroad
, to the west, and the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
to the south, initially from Manchester. The predecessor to the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
was complete north to Potomac Creek
, where it connected with steamship service via the Chesapeake Bay
to Alexandria
, Baltimore, and beyond.
, when Richmond served as the capital of the Confederate States of America
, Richmond's railroads and connections to the other southern states were crucial to its support. Defenses at Drewry's Bluff blocked the Union Navy
from access to Richmond (and its sister city Manchester) via the river. The rail connections through Petersburg
were the key links which Union General Ulysses S. Grant
sought to sever during the Siege of Petersburg
in 1864-65. The fall of Petersburg in April 1865 necessitated the evacuation of Richmond by Jefferson Davis
and the Confederate cabinet. The Civil War effectively ended with the surrender during General Robert E. Lee
's retreat a week later.
After the Civil War, Richmond's (and Manchester's) transportation infrastructure was quickly rebuilt, and improvements and expansion resumed. Virginia State Engineer Claudius Crozet
's innovative tunnel
s under the Blue Ridge Mountains
became a key portion of Collis P. Huntington
's Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad linking eastern Virginia to the Ohio River Valley
which was completed in1873. By 1881, Pocahontas coal
was riding the rails from the mountains eastbound for export via the C&O through Richmond to coal pier
s at Newport News
on the harbor of Hampton Roads
. The James River and Kanawha Canal was conveyed to Major James H. Dooley
's Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
by a deed dated March 4, 1880. Railroad construction workers promptly started laying tracks on the towpath creating a new water-level rail route which was soon purchased by the C&O.
Richmond had the first successful electrically powered street railway system in the United States. Designed by electric power pioneer, Frank J. Sprague
, the trolley system opened its first line in January, 1888. Richmond's hills, long a transportation obstacle, were considered an ideal proving ground. The new technology soon replaced horsecar
s.
As part of a national trend, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the electrically powered street railway systems accelerated Richmond's expansion. To generate traffic and fuel sales of property, amusement park
s were created at the end of the lines at Lakeside Park, Westhampton Park (now University of Richmond
), and Forest Hill Park. Rails of interurban streetcar services formed a suburban network from Richmond extending north to Ashland
and south to Chester
, Colonial Heights
, Petersburg and Hopewell
. Another interurban route ran east along the Nine Mile Road
and terminated at the National Cemetery at Seven Pines
at the end of the Nine Mile Road, where many Union Civil War dead were interred. The area's streetcar suburb
s included Highland Park
, Barton Heights, Ginter Park
, Woodland Heights
, and Highland Springs
.
s over the James River. In 1910, Manchester agreed to a political consolidation with the much larger independent city of Richmond. Richmond's better-known name was used for both areas as it contained the location of Virginia's state capital. Key features of the consolidation agreement were requirements that a "free bridge" across the James River be maintained indefinitely. Instead of barrier between neighboring cities, under the consolidation, the James River became the centerpiece of the expanded Richmond. Supplementing the two free bridges near the downtown area (Mayo and Ninth Street Bridges), several additional toll bridges were constructed to the west, notably the Westham Bridge
in 1911, the Boulevard Bridge
in 1927, and the four-lane Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge
in 1934.
Two new union railroad station
s opened in Richmond during the first two decades of the 20th century. The only railroad continuing its own passenger station became the Southern Railway
, with its Hull Street Station
in Manchester. In 1901, Richmond's Main Street Station was built by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. It was designed by the Philadelphia firm of Wilson, Harris, and Richards in the French Renaissance
style. A new Broad Street Station
was built in 1917 by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
. Broad Street Station has a huge facility, serving several railroads, notably the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
. Designed in the neoclassical
style by the architect John Russell Pope
, passenger service to the station ceased in 1975. The station then became the home of the Science Museum of Virginia
, which remains in the substantially remodeled and expanded building. Hull Street Station is also a museum
in modern-times, but after being idle and in other uses for many years, Main Street Station saw Amtrak
service restored in 2003.
In 1927, the dedication of Richard Evelyn Byrd Flying Field (later known as Byrd Airport, and now Richmond International Airport) included a visit by aviator Charles Lindbergh
. The airport was named after Richard E. Byrd, the famous American polar explorer born in Virginia, who was the brother of Virginia Governor Harry F. Byrd
.
(VDOT), was formed. By World War II
, a network of highways linked Richmond and the surrounding region with other communities and other states.
As roads improved in the early 20th century, streetcars were unable to compete with automobile
s and bus
es. The Richmond-Petersburg area's interurban streetcar services were gone by 1939, replaced by buses. The last streetcars ran in 1949 on the Highland Park line when they were also replaced by buses.
After World War II, with only four traffic lanes and long stretches of undivided roadway, the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway became a major area of traffic congestion, as well as the site of occasional spectacular and deadly head-on collisions. In 1955, prior to the creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System
, the Virginia General Assembly created the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Authority as a state agency to administer the new Turnpike of the same name. The new toll road was planned with only 15 exits, and most of these were well away from the highly developed commercial areas along parallel U.S. 301. The Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike opened in 1958, and soon was granted the Interstate 95 designation through Richmond. Local automobile commuters could buy booklets of toll tickets that cost about 8 cents per toll plaza. The full (non-commuter) rate was 25 cents per mainline toll plaza, increased to 50 cents in March 1989, with lower amounts at some exits. In 1989, the exit toll plazas in the City of Richmond at the I-95/I-64/I-195 Bryan Park interchange and at VA-161 Boulevard were removed, thereby making toll-free the I-95 portion of the Turnpike north of Boulevard. The former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike became completely toll-free on July 1, 1992.
The Richmond Metropolitan Authority was formed in 1966 by the General Assembly. The RMA was "a small state agency that was empowered to design, acquire right-of-way, construct, operate, collect tolls, and maintain the Richmond Expressway System." Eventually, the RMA built and opened the Powhite Parkway in 1973, and the Downtown Expressway in 1976 as toll roads. The RMA also acquired the Boulevard Bridge. In addition to operating and maintaining three of Richmond's toll roads and bridges, the RMA also built a downtown parking deck, operated commuter buses for a time, and owns The Diamond, a sports stadium. VDOT
built the Powhite Extension (State Route 76) located in Chesterfield County as a separate toll road which opened in 1988.
The public bus systems which had replaced the local and interurban streetcars were operated by public service companies
, and were dependent upon passenger fares. As ridership plummeted in the second half of the century, urban-suburban bus lines began to fail financially. By the early 1970s, only a few suburban lines were left, notably including Bon Air Transit Company extending to the suburb of Bon Air
in Chesterfield County and Fairfield Transit Company, extending to Seven Pines
in eastern Henrico County. The inner city company, Virginia Transit Company, was converted to become the government-owned Greater Richmond Transit (GRTC) in 1972. Privately owned commuter operators gradually discontinued services; the last privately owned suburban public route service was the Mechanicsville Bus Line route, which ended in June 2004.
Greyhound Lines
and the National Trailways Bus System consolidated services formerly in downtown Richmond at a new terminal near the Boulevard exit of I-95
and I-64 in the 1980s. Early in the 21st century, the trend of route reductions which began in the 1950s was continuing.
(RMA) introduced toll tokens for use on the Powhite Parkway and the Downtown Expressway.
In 1994, The RMA and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) conducted surveys to determine if patrons of the Downtown Expressway, the Powhite Parkway, the Powhite Parkway Extension would support Electronic Toll Collection
(ETC). In late 1996, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation requesting the RMA and VDOT to expedite the implementation of an ETC system. In studying the costs associated with ETC, RMA management determined that a toll increase would be necessary to cover the installation and higher operating expenses. The RMA, along with VDOT, implemented the ETC system -- Smart Tag
-- on July 1, 1999. The system became interoperable with the E-ZPass
toll collection system on October 27, 2004, although Richmond Metropolitan Authority owned toll roads—Boulevard Bridge, the Downtown Expressway, and the Powhite Parkway (excluding the extension) did not begin accepting E-ZPass until August 3, 2005; E-ZPass integration had been delayed due to damages from Tropical Storm Gaston.
Today, the following toll roads exist in the Richmond area, and their tolls can all be paid for using Smart Tag/EZ Pass.
Sources for this section:
The major east-west route is Interstate 64
(I-64), and the major north-south route is Interstate 95
(I-95).
Three-digit Interstates are Interstate 195
(I-195, Beltline Expressway) and Interstate 295
(I-295).
Another planned route, Interstate 895 (I-895) is currently signed as State Route 895 and operated as toll road under an innovative public-private partnership. It is also known as the Pocahontas Parkway.
The Richmond Metropolitan Authority operates the Downtown Expressway and the Powhite Parkway which are toll roads. State Route 76, a toll road known as the Powhite Parkway Extension, reaches southwest into Chesterfield County between Chippenham Parkway (State Route 150) and State Route 288, the World War II Veterans Memorial Highway.
.
However, it has several roads which effectively form major portions of a beltway. Although they do not completely encircle Richmond, these roadways aid in providing alternative routing to circumvent the downtown area for much through traffic as well as offering similar suburb-to-suburb pathways for more local travelers in the greater Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area.
These highways are:
A full outer beltway loop, approximately 70 miles long, could be designated by combining the preceding major sections with:
The only tolls along such a "virtual beltway" of Richmond would be on the State Route 895 portion, which includes the modern and costly to build high-rise Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge over the shipping channel of the navigable portion of the James River below the Port of Richmond
.
A partial listing of Virginia State Highways include:
From the west, the bridges across the James River in the Greater Richmond area are:
(GRTC) is a publicly owned public service company
providing public bus service within the Greater Richmond area. It receives principal funding from the Federal Transit Administration
, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
, and local municipalities. However, GRTC is managed, staffed, and operated by a private transit management company; GRTC Transit Services, Inc., the operating company, is a subsidiary of American Transportation Enterprises, and has managed GRTC since 1962.
Public transportation in Greater Richmond is limited, with GRTC bus routes available only within the city limits and in bordering areas of Henrico
and Chesterfield
counties. Henrico service runs only on weekdays; service in Chesterfield is limited to two state-funded rush-hour express services only. Hanover County and parts of northern, eastern, and western Henrico have no transit service. GRTC operates a free "Lunchtime Express" shuttle downtown.
GRTC also provides express bus service to Petersburg
, which connects to Petersburg Area Transit
which serves the Tri-Cities area
.
GRTC's paratransit
service in Richmond and Henrico County is provided by the CARE service, which is operated under contract by Laidlaw Transit, Inc. Other private companies offer wheelchair-accessible paratransit service to individuals and small groups.
operators, mostly operated as small businesses. A contractor, Groome Transportation, provides limousine service for individuals and groups between the airport and points in the Richmond area and beyond, including other major airports.
. Each station receives regular service from north of Richmond from Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York
. The suburban Staples Mill Road Station
is located on a major north-south freight line and receives all service to and from all points south including, Raleigh
, Durham
, Savannah
, Newport News
, Williamsburg
and Florida
. Richmond's only railway station located within the city limits, the historic Main Street Station
, was renovated in 2004. As of 2010, the station can only receives trains headed to and from Newport News
and Williamsburg
due to track layout. As a result, the Staples Mill Road station receives more trains and serves more passengers overall.
The Department of Rail and Public Transportation of the State of Virginia has studies underway for introducing improved passenger rail service to the Virginia Peninsula
and South Hampton Roads
areas. The Transdominion Express
would serve a large portion of the south central regions of the state. There are plans to create high-speed rail corridors through the state connecting to both the Northeast Corridor
and the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
.
s, Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX. The city is also served by the Buckingham Branch Railroad
, the state's largest short line railroad. Rail yard
s in Richmond include NS's Ship Yard
and CSX's Fulton Yard
.
and several smaller general aviation
facilities. Richmond is served by the Richmond International Airport
, located in nearby Sandston
, seven miles southeast of Richmond and within an hour drive of historic Williamsburg, Virginia
, RIC airport is served by seven airlines with non-stop flights to 21 destinations and connecting flights to destinations worldwide. In 2004, the airport served approximately 2.5 million passengers; this count is expected to increase significantly in 2006 due to the presence of low-cost carriers AirTran Airways and JetBlue Airways.
Richmond International Airport is not served by public transit, other than a little-used GRTC bus route from downtown that runs only five times per day, during the morning and afternoon rush hour Monday through Friday. As is the case everywhere in Richmond, driving to the airport (either by taxicab or private car) is by far the fastest mode of transportation. RIC is approximately a $15 taxi fare from downtown Richmond. Parking is available in long-term lots for $6 per day, the close-in daily garage for $10 per day, and the hourly garage for $2 per hour (first 60 minutes free).
General Aviation service is available at Richmond International and Chesterfield County Airport, located near the intersection of State Routes 10 and 288 near Chesterfield Court House, Virginia
, and Hanover County Airport near Ashland.
. Shipping to other points on the Chesapeake Bay is also possible.
The extant canals of Richmond are no longer used for shipping. However, several portions downtown are used as part of the Canal Walk
, and upstream, portions are used as part of the water systems of the city and counties. A set of locks is located in a small park just east of the downtown area near Tobacco Row
.
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
and portions of the contiguous counties of Henrico
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Chesterfield
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. In 2010, its population was estimated to be 316,236. Chesterfield County is now the fourth-largest municipality in Virginia . Its county seat is Chesterfield...
. While almost all of Henrico County would be considered part of the Richmond area, southern and eastern portions of Chesterfield adjoin the three smaller independent cities of Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights, collectively commonly called the Tri-Cities area
Tri-Cities, Virginia
The Tri-Cities of Virginia is an area in the Greater Richmond Region which includes the three independent cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell and portions of the adjoining counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Prince George in south-central Virginia...
. A largely rural section of southwestern Chesterfield may be considered not a portion of either suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an area.
Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area is considered by many criteria to include the Tri-Cities area and many more surrounding counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
, incorporated town
Incorporated town
-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
s, and unincorporated communities
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
. (For information on this larger area, see Richmond-Petersburg
Richmond-Petersburg
The Greater Richmond Region is a region located in a central part of the state of Virginia in the United States. As of 2010, it had a population of 1,258,251, making it the 43rd largest MSA in the country...
MSA).
Antebellum
Richmond's transportation history dates to the early 17th century. The Virginia ColonyColony and Dominion of Virginia
The Colony of Virginia was the English colony in North America that existed briefly during the 16th century, and then continuously from 1607 until the American Revolution...
, established at Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
in 1607, was dependent upon the waterways as avenues of commerce. Along the river, the James River plantations
James River plantations
James River plantations were established in the Virginia Colony along the James River between the mouth at Hampton Roads and the head of navigation at the fall line where Richmond is today.- History :...
such as John Rolfe
John Rolfe
John Rolfe was one of the early English settlers of North America. He is credited with the first successful cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in the Colony of Virginia and is known as the husband of Pocahontas, daughter of the chief of the Powhatan Confederacy.In 1961, the Jamestown...
's Varina Farms
Varina, Virginia
Varina is a former unincorporated town and current magisterial district in the easternmost portion of Henrico County, Virginia, United States....
had their own wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
s on the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s. Located east of the fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
, they were soon shipping tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and other export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
crops abroad.
The two cities which became the modern City of Richmond were first established as port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
s on the north and south banks of the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
due to their location at the head of navigation on the fall line. The ports at the head of navigation became transfer points, and Richmond, on the north bank of the river, and its former neighbor Manchester
Manchester, Virginia
Manchester, Virginia is a former independent city in Virginia in the United States. Prior to receiving independent status, it served as the county seat of Chesterfield County, between 1870 and 1876...
, along the south bank, became points for canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s which were built to bypass the falls and rapids and connect with navigable waters upstream. Transfer to and from watercraft was also undertaken as land transportation developed in the form of turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
s and railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
s.
The first stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
lines to Richmond were established during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, and the first regular steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
service began on the James River in 1815. Early the 19th century, the Virginia Board of Public Works
Virginia Board of Public Works
The Virginia Board of Public Works was a governmental agency which oversaw and helped finance the development of Virginia's internal transportation improvements during the 19th century. In that era, it was customary to invest public funds in private companies, which were the forerunners of the...
began funding transportation infrastructure improvements, stimulating such private enterprises as the James River and Kanawha Canal
James River and Kanawha Canal
The James River and Kanawha Canal was a canal in Virginia, which was built to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast....
, the Chesterfield Railroad
Chesterfield Railroad
The Chesterfield Railroad was located in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was a 13-mile long mule-and-gravity powered line that connected the Midlothian coal mines with wharves that were located at the head of navigation on the James River just below the fall line at Manchester...
, and numerous turnpikes
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
.
By 1855, Richmond had railroads extending in many directions. Long championed in the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
by Whitmell P. Tunstall
Whitmell P. Tunstall
Whitmell Pugh Tunstall was a lawyer and state legislator in Chatham, Virginia. He was the long-time advocate most responsible for the creation of the Richmond and Danville Railroad which was completed in 1856....
, the Richmond and Danville Railroad
Richmond and Danville Railroad
The Richmond and Danville Railroad was chartered in Virginia in the United States in 1847. The portion between Richmond and Danville, Virginia was completed in 1856...
to the southwest was completed in 1854. Others included the Virginia Central Railroad
Virginia Central Railroad
Virginia Central Railroad was chartered as the Louisa Railroad in 1836 by the Virginia Board of Public Works and had its name changed to Virginia Central Railroad in 1850. It connected Richmond with the Orange and Alexandria Railroad at Gordonsville in 1854, and had expanded westward past the Blue...
, to the west, and the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
Richmond and Petersburg Railroad was a regional railroad serving east-central Virginia. It was strategically important to the Confederacy during the American Civil War, when it provided a vital supply and transportation route in late 1864 and early 1865 for Robert E...
to the south, initially from Manchester. The predecessor to the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. It is now a portion of the CSX Transportation system....
was complete north to Potomac Creek
Potomac Creek
Potomac Creek is a tidal tributary of the Potomac River in King George and Stafford counties, Virginia. Potomac Creek's source lies between the communities of Glendie and Paynes Corner in Stafford County. It empties into the Potomac River at Marlboro Point...
, where it connected with steamship service via the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
to Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Baltimore, and beyond.
Civil War, Reconstruction, streetcars
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, when Richmond served as the capital of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, Richmond's railroads and connections to the other southern states were crucial to its support. Defenses at Drewry's Bluff blocked the Union Navy
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
from access to Richmond (and its sister city Manchester) via the river. The rail connections through Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
were the key links which Union General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
sought to sever during the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
in 1864-65. The fall of Petersburg in April 1865 necessitated the evacuation of Richmond by Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
and the Confederate cabinet. The Civil War effectively ended with the surrender during General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's retreat a week later.
After the Civil War, Richmond's (and Manchester's) transportation infrastructure was quickly rebuilt, and improvements and expansion resumed. Virginia State Engineer Claudius Crozet
Claudius Crozet
Benoit Claudius Crozet was an educator and civil engineer.Crozet was born in France. After serving in the French military, in 1816, he immigrated to the United States. He taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and helped found the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington,...
's innovative tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s under the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
became a key portion of Collis P. Huntington
Collis P. Huntington
Collis Potter Huntington was one of the Big Four of western railroading who built the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad...
's Chesapeake and Ohio
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
railroad linking eastern Virginia to the Ohio River Valley
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
which was completed in1873. By 1881, Pocahontas coal
Bituminous coal
Bituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than Anthracite...
was riding the rails from the mountains eastbound for export via the C&O through Richmond to coal pier
Coal pier
A coal pier is a transloading facility designed for the transfer of coal between rail and ship.The typical facility for loading ships consists of a holding area and a system of conveyors for transferring the coal to dockside and loading it into the ship's cargo holds...
s at Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
on the harbor of Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
. The James River and Kanawha Canal was conveyed to Major James H. Dooley
James H. Dooley
James Henry Dooley was a Virginia lawyer, business leader, and philanthropist based in Richmond during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age.-Biography:...
's Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
The Richmond and Alleghany Railroad was built along the James River along the route of the James River and Kanawha Canal from Richmond on the fall line at the head of navigation to a point west of Lynchburg near Buchanan, Virginia, and combined with the Buchanan and Clifton Forge Railway Company to...
by a deed dated March 4, 1880. Railroad construction workers promptly started laying tracks on the towpath creating a new water-level rail route which was soon purchased by the C&O.
Richmond had the first successful electrically powered street railway system in the United States. Designed by electric power pioneer, Frank J. Sprague
Frank J. Sprague
Frank Julian Sprague was an American naval officer and inventor who contributed to the development of the electric motor, electric railways, and electric elevators...
, the trolley system opened its first line in January, 1888. Richmond's hills, long a transportation obstacle, were considered an ideal proving ground. The new technology soon replaced horsecar
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
s.
As part of a national trend, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the electrically powered street railway systems accelerated Richmond's expansion. To generate traffic and fuel sales of property, amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
s were created at the end of the lines at Lakeside Park, Westhampton Park (now University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
), and Forest Hill Park. Rails of interurban streetcar services formed a suburban network from Richmond extending north to Ashland
Ashland, Virginia
Originally known as Slash Cottage, Ashland is located on the Old Washington Highway U.S. Route One and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a busy north-south route now owned by CSX Transportation...
and south to Chester
Chester, Virginia
Chester is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 20,987 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Colonial Heights
Colonial Heights, Virginia
Colonial Heights is an independent city in Virginia, United States. The population was 17,411 as of 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Colonial Heights with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes...
, Petersburg and Hopewell
Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Another interurban route ran east along the Nine Mile Road
Nine Mile Road
Nine Mile Road is a historic highway located in Henrico County and the independent city of Richmond, Virginia, USA. It was named for its length between a junction with the Williamsburg-Richmond Stage Road Nine Mile Road is a historic highway located in Henrico County and the independent city of...
and terminated at the National Cemetery at Seven Pines
Seven Pines
Seven Pines are located in the unincorporated town of Sandston in Henrico County, Virginia. Cemetery records state the name is derived from for a group of seven pine trees planted within the national cemetery in 1869 near the intersection of the old Williamsburg-Richmond Stage Road and the Nine...
at the end of the Nine Mile Road, where many Union Civil War dead were interred. The area's streetcar suburb
Streetcar suburb
A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Early suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 19th century cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing...
s included Highland Park
Highland Park (Richmond)
Highland Park is a neighborhood located to the north of downtown Richmond, Virginia. Over time, various boundaries have served to split the neighborhood into sections traditionally labeled East Highland Park, North Highland Park, and South Highland Park...
, Barton Heights, Ginter Park
Ginter Park
Ginter Park is a suburb neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia built on land owned and developed by Lewis Ginter. The neighborhood's first well known resident was newspaperman Joseph Bryan, who lived in Laburnum, first built in 1883 and later rebuilt . In 1895, many acres of land north of Richmond were...
, Woodland Heights
Woodland Heights, Virginia
Woodland Heights, VA is a neighborhood in the city of Richmond, Virginia. It began as a trolleycar neighborhood in the early 1900s and was built up along the James River beside Forest Hill Park...
, and Highland Springs
Highland Springs, Virginia
Highland Springs is a census-designated place in Henrico County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,137 at the 2000 census.- History :...
.
Early 20th century: Union stations, consolidation, bridges
A major issue for Manchester and Richmond residents in the 19th and early 20th century were the toll bridgeToll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
s over the James River. In 1910, Manchester agreed to a political consolidation with the much larger independent city of Richmond. Richmond's better-known name was used for both areas as it contained the location of Virginia's state capital. Key features of the consolidation agreement were requirements that a "free bridge" across the James River be maintained indefinitely. Instead of barrier between neighboring cities, under the consolidation, the James River became the centerpiece of the expanded Richmond. Supplementing the two free bridges near the downtown area (Mayo and Ninth Street Bridges), several additional toll bridges were constructed to the west, notably the Westham Bridge
Westham Bridge
Westham Bridge crossed the James River between Henrico County and Chesterfield County. The bridge was located between Bosher Dam and Williams Island Dam just west of the 7 miles of rapids and falls which constitute the fall line of the James River at Richmond, Virginia.Built as a toll bridge in...
in 1911, the Boulevard Bridge
Boulevard Bridge
-External links:*...
in 1927, and the four-lane Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge
Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge
The Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge in Richmond, Virginia carries U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 301 across the James River at the fall line.The city acquired the original bridge from Richmond Bridge Corp in 1933, and it was named the James River Bridge but was later renamed for the Confederate general....
in 1934.
Union station
A union station is the term used for a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them...
s opened in Richmond during the first two decades of the 20th century. The only railroad continuing its own passenger station became the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
, with its Hull Street Station
Hull Street Station
Hull Street Station was a railroad station in the City of Manchester and later the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It was built by the Southern Railway to replace Mill Street Station across the river in Richmond...
in Manchester. In 1901, Richmond's Main Street Station was built by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...
and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. It was designed by the Philadelphia firm of Wilson, Harris, and Richards in the French Renaissance
French Renaissance
French Renaissance is a recent term used to describe a cultural and artistic movement in France from the late 15th century to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that many cultural historians believe originated in northern Italy in the fourteenth century...
style. A new Broad Street Station
Broad Street Station (Richmond)
Broad Street Station was a union railroad station in Richmond, Virginia, USA, across Broad Street from the Fan district....
was built in 1917 by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. It is now a portion of the CSX Transportation system....
. Broad Street Station has a huge facility, serving several railroads, notably the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
. Designed in the neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style by the architect John Russell Pope
John Russell Pope
John Russell Pope was an architect most known for his designs of the National Archives and Records Administration building , the Jefferson Memorial and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.-Biography:Pope was born in New York in 1874, the son of a successful...
, passenger service to the station ceased in 1975. The station then became the home of the Science Museum of Virginia
Science Museum of Virginia
The Science Museum of Virginia is a science museum located in Richmond, Virginia.-History:In 1906, the Virginia General Assembly approved funds for the construction of a simple "exhibits center" to display mineral and timber exhibits being assembled for the Jamestown Exposition of 1907. After the...
, which remains in the substantially remodeled and expanded building. Hull Street Station is also a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in modern-times, but after being idle and in other uses for many years, Main Street Station saw Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
service restored in 2003.
In 1927, the dedication of Richard Evelyn Byrd Flying Field (later known as Byrd Airport, and now Richmond International Airport) included a visit by aviator Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
. The airport was named after Richard E. Byrd, the famous American polar explorer born in Virginia, who was the brother of Virginia Governor Harry F. Byrd
Harry F. Byrd
Harry Flood Byrd, Sr. of Berryville in Clarke County, Virginia, was an American newspaper publisher, farmer and politician. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia...
.
Rise of the automobile: highways and expressways
Also in 1927, Virginia's State Highway Department, the predecessor of the Virginia Department of TransportationVirginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
(VDOT), was formed. By World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a network of highways linked Richmond and the surrounding region with other communities and other states.
As roads improved in the early 20th century, streetcars were unable to compete with automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s and bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es. The Richmond-Petersburg area's interurban streetcar services were gone by 1939, replaced by buses. The last streetcars ran in 1949 on the Highland Park line when they were also replaced by buses.
After World War II, with only four traffic lanes and long stretches of undivided roadway, the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway became a major area of traffic congestion, as well as the site of occasional spectacular and deadly head-on collisions. In 1955, prior to the creation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, the Virginia General Assembly created the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike
The Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was a toll road located in the Richmond-Petersburg region of central Virginia, USA.After World War II, major traffic congestion occurred in the area around Richmond and Petersburg along U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 301...
Authority as a state agency to administer the new Turnpike of the same name. The new toll road was planned with only 15 exits, and most of these were well away from the highly developed commercial areas along parallel U.S. 301. The Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike opened in 1958, and soon was granted the Interstate 95 designation through Richmond. Local automobile commuters could buy booklets of toll tickets that cost about 8 cents per toll plaza. The full (non-commuter) rate was 25 cents per mainline toll plaza, increased to 50 cents in March 1989, with lower amounts at some exits. In 1989, the exit toll plazas in the City of Richmond at the I-95/I-64/I-195 Bryan Park interchange and at VA-161 Boulevard were removed, thereby making toll-free the I-95 portion of the Turnpike north of Boulevard. The former Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike became completely toll-free on July 1, 1992.
The Richmond Metropolitan Authority was formed in 1966 by the General Assembly. The RMA was "a small state agency that was empowered to design, acquire right-of-way, construct, operate, collect tolls, and maintain the Richmond Expressway System." Eventually, the RMA built and opened the Powhite Parkway in 1973, and the Downtown Expressway in 1976 as toll roads. The RMA also acquired the Boulevard Bridge. In addition to operating and maintaining three of Richmond's toll roads and bridges, the RMA also built a downtown parking deck, operated commuter buses for a time, and owns The Diamond, a sports stadium. VDOT
Virginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
built the Powhite Extension (State Route 76) located in Chesterfield County as a separate toll road which opened in 1988.
The public bus systems which had replaced the local and interurban streetcars were operated by public service companies
Public service company
A public service company is a corporation or other non-governmental business entity which delivers public services - certain services considered essential to the public interest...
, and were dependent upon passenger fares. As ridership plummeted in the second half of the century, urban-suburban bus lines began to fail financially. By the early 1970s, only a few suburban lines were left, notably including Bon Air Transit Company extending to the suburb of Bon Air
Bon Air, Virginia
Bon Air is a census-designated place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. The population was 16,366 at the 2010 census. The community is considered a suburb of the independent city of Richmond in the Richmond-Petersburg region, and shares a post office with Richmond...
in Chesterfield County and Fairfield Transit Company, extending to Seven Pines
Seven Pines
Seven Pines are located in the unincorporated town of Sandston in Henrico County, Virginia. Cemetery records state the name is derived from for a group of seven pine trees planted within the national cemetery in 1869 near the intersection of the old Williamsburg-Richmond Stage Road and the Nine...
in eastern Henrico County. The inner city company, Virginia Transit Company, was converted to become the government-owned Greater Richmond Transit (GRTC) in 1972. Privately owned commuter operators gradually discontinued services; the last privately owned suburban public route service was the Mechanicsville Bus Line route, which ended in June 2004.
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
and the National Trailways Bus System consolidated services formerly in downtown Richmond at a new terminal near the Boulevard exit of I-95
Interstate 95 in Virginia
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg. Though Interstate 95 was originally planned to go straight through Washington, D.C., it was instead...
and I-64 in the 1980s. Early in the 21st century, the trend of route reductions which began in the 1950s was continuing.
Toll roads and Smart Tags
The Boulevard Bridge introduced commuter passes to Richmond in the form of annual permits. These initially took the form of special "topper" (add-on) license plate strips; windshield decals were used later. As stated above, much of I-95 was built as the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike, a toll road. Commuters could purchase (much) lower cost passage, leading to local humor to the effect that through traffic from out-of-state was paying for the road, a position founded in some truth. On June 1, 1987, the Richmond Metropolitan AuthorityRichmond Metropolitan Authority
The Richmond Metropolitan Authority is an independent authority and political subdivision which serves the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area. Created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in 1966, the RMA was originally tasked with building and maintaining a toll expressway system for the...
(RMA) introduced toll tokens for use on the Powhite Parkway and the Downtown Expressway.
In 1994, The RMA and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) conducted surveys to determine if patrons of the Downtown Expressway, the Powhite Parkway, the Powhite Parkway Extension would support Electronic Toll Collection
Electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection , an adaptation of military "identification friend or foe" technology, aims to eliminate the delay on toll roads by collecting tolls electronically. It is thus a technological implementation of a road pricing concept...
(ETC). In late 1996, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation requesting the RMA and VDOT to expedite the implementation of an ETC system. In studying the costs associated with ETC, RMA management determined that a toll increase would be necessary to cover the installation and higher operating expenses. The RMA, along with VDOT, implemented the ETC system -- Smart Tag
Smart Tag
Smart Tag is the former name of a transponder-based electronic toll collection system implemented by the Virginia Department of Transportation . It was launched as Fastoll on April 15, 1996...
-- on July 1, 1999. The system became interoperable with the E-ZPass
E-ZPass
E-ZPass is an electronic toll-collection system used on most tolled roads, bridges, and tunnels in the northeastern US, south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the . All member agencies use the same technology,...
toll collection system on October 27, 2004, although Richmond Metropolitan Authority owned toll roads—Boulevard Bridge, the Downtown Expressway, and the Powhite Parkway (excluding the extension) did not begin accepting E-ZPass until August 3, 2005; E-ZPass integration had been delayed due to damages from Tropical Storm Gaston.
Today, the following toll roads exist in the Richmond area, and their tolls can all be paid for using Smart Tag/EZ Pass.
- Downtown Expressway in RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. - Powhite Parkway and Powhite Parkway Extension in Richmond and Chesterfield County.
- Boulevard Bridge (the "Nickel Bridge", though it costs 35 cents now) in Richmond
- Pocahontas Parkway in Chesterfield and Henrico County.
Sources for this section:
Highways and bridges
Interstate highways, expressways
Richmond has an extensive network of Interstate Highways, expressways, and state highways which were built to interstate highway standards.The major east-west route is Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
(I-64), and the major north-south route is Interstate 95
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...
(I-95).
Three-digit Interstates are Interstate 195
Interstate 195 (Virginia)
Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as the Beltline Expressway, the highway runs from Virginia State Route 195 , a toll road that continues south into Downtown Richmond, north to I-64 and I-95 on the northern edge of Richmond. I-195 passes through the West...
(I-195, Beltline Expressway) and Interstate 295
Interstate 295 (Virginia)
Interstate 295 is an eastern and northern bypass of the cities of Richmond and Petersburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. The southern terminus is a junction with Interstate 95 southeast of Petersburg...
(I-295).
Another planned route, Interstate 895 (I-895) is currently signed as State Route 895 and operated as toll road under an innovative public-private partnership. It is also known as the Pocahontas Parkway.
The Richmond Metropolitan Authority operates the Downtown Expressway and the Powhite Parkway which are toll roads. State Route 76, a toll road known as the Powhite Parkway Extension, reaches southwest into Chesterfield County between Chippenham Parkway (State Route 150) and State Route 288, the World War II Veterans Memorial Highway.
Outer Beltway: a virtual roadway only
The Richmond area does not formally have an outer "beltway", at least no combinations of routing so designated, as some of the other major metropolitan areas nearby do, such as Hampton Roads, and Northern VirginiaNorthern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
.
However, it has several roads which effectively form major portions of a beltway. Although they do not completely encircle Richmond, these roadways aid in providing alternative routing to circumvent the downtown area for much through traffic as well as offering similar suburb-to-suburb pathways for more local travelers in the greater Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area.
These highways are:
- Interstate 295 from I-64 west of Richmond southeasterly to State Route 895 east of Richmond (25 miles)
- State Route 288 in the southwest and western areas, between I-95 south of Richmond and I-64 west of the city. (30.7 miles)
A full outer beltway loop, approximately 70 miles long, could be designated by combining the preceding major sections with:
- State Route 895Virginia State Route 895State Route 895, also known as the Pocahontas Parkway and Pocahontas 895, is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It connects the junction of Interstate 95 and State Route 150 in Chesterfield County with Interstate 295 near Richmond International Airport in Henrico County, forming...
(Pocahontas Parkway) toll road (8.8 mi) - an existing 5 mile section of I-95 south of Richmond
- an existing 2-mile section of I-64 west of Richmond
The only tolls along such a "virtual beltway" of Richmond would be on the State Route 895 portion, which includes the modern and costly to build high-rise Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge over the shipping channel of the navigable portion of the James River below the Port of Richmond
Port of Richmond
Also known as the Richmond Deepwater Terminal, the Port of Richmond is located on the James River in Richmond, Virginia, 100 miles from Cape Henry and approximately 78 miles north of Newport News, Virginia. It is located at 77° 25' west latitude and 37° 27' north longitude and lies adjacent to...
.
U.S. highways
Major U.S. highways in the Richmond area:- US-1U.S. Route 1 in VirginiaU.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of Virginia runs north–south through South Hill, Petersburg, Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria on its way from North Carolina to the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia...
north portion is Washington Highway; south portion is Jefferson Davis HighwayJefferson Davis HighwayThe Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway was a planned transcontinental highway in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s that began in Washington, D.C. and extended south and west to San Diego, California; it was named for Jefferson Davis, who, in addition to being the first and only President of...
(multiplexed with US-301) - US-33
- US-60 east of Richmond called Williamsburg Road; west of Richmond the road is known as Midlothian Turnpike
- US-250 Broad Street and Broad Street Road
- US-301U.S. Route 301 in VirginiaU.S. Route 301 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Sarasota, Florida to Glasgow, Delaware. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the North Carolina state line near Skippers north to the Maryland state line at the Potomac River near Dahlgren. US 301 forms the local complement...
north portion is Chamberlayne Ave and Chamberlyane Road; south portion is Jefferson Davis Highway (multiplexed with US-1) - US-360 east of Richmond called Mechanicsville Turnpike; west of Richmond it is known as Hull Street and Hull Street Road
State highways
The Richmond area has state highways and secondary routes, some of which are state-designated Virginia byways.A partial listing of Virginia State Highways include:
- State Route 2 (multiplexed with US-301 in Henrico)
- State Route 5 (a National Scenic BywayNational Scenic BywayA National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for its archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and/or scenic qualities. The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation's scenic but often...
) - State Route 6 (Patterson Avenue)
- State Route 10 (Broad Rock Road)
- State Route 33 (Nine Mile Road)
- State Route 73 (Parham Road)
- State Route 76 (Powhite Parkway Extension toll road)
- State Route 147 (Cary Street Road, Huguenot road)
- State Route 150 (Chippenham Parkway)
- State Route 161 (south portion also known as Belt Boulevard)
- State Route 195 (short connector)
- State Route 197 (Malvern, Westwood, and Laburnum Avenues)
- State Route 288 (World War II Veterans Memorial Highway)
- State Route 895 (Pocahontas Parkway toll road)
Major bridges
The James River bisects the metropolitan area. It enters from the west, but turns due south at downtown Richmond for about 8 miles, before it turns east again.From the west, the bridges across the James River in the Greater Richmond area are:
- World War II Veterans Memorial Bridge (VA-288)
- Edward E. Willey BridgeEdward E. Willey BridgeEdward E. Willey Bridge is a highway bridge which crosses the upper James River in the western portion of Henrico County, Virginia. It carries Chippenham Parkway between Parham Road in Henrico and the southwestern portion of the independent city of Richmond. It was named in honor of Edward E...
(VA-150) - Huguenot Memorial BridgeHuguenot Memorial BridgeHuguenot Memorial Bridge is located in Henrico County and the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It carries State Route 147 across the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , the James River and Kanawha Canal, and the James River in the fall line region above the head of navigation at...
(VA-147) - Powhite Parkway BridgePowhite Parkway BridgePowhite Parkway Bridge crosses the James River in the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It carries the Powhite Parkway, also known as Virginia State Route 76. The bridge is owned and maintained by the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, and was funded with revenue bonds which are repaid from...
(Powhite Parkway and VA-76) (toll bridge) - CSX A-line railroad bridge (formerly Atlantic Coast Line Railroad)
- Boulevard Bridge (VA-161) (toll bridge, restricted weights)
- Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge (US-1 and US-301)
- Manchester Bridge (US-60)
- Norfolk Southern Railway bridge (formerly Southern Railway)
- Mayo Bridge (US-360)
- CSX S-line railroad bridge (formerly Seaboard Air Line Railroad)
- Interstate 95 James River Bridge (I-95)
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge (Pocahontas Parkway and VA-895) (toll bridge)
- Varina-Enon Bridge (I-295)
Bus and paratransit systems
Greater Richmond Transit CompanyGreater Richmond Transit Company
The Greater Richmond Transit Company, known locally as GRTC, is a local government-owned public service company which operates an urban-suburban bus line based in Richmond, Virginia, USA....
(GRTC) is a publicly owned public service company
Public service company
A public service company is a corporation or other non-governmental business entity which delivers public services - certain services considered essential to the public interest...
providing public bus service within the Greater Richmond area. It receives principal funding from the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
, Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States.According to its web site, the state agency's mission is "to improve the mobility of people and goods while expanding transportation choices in the Commonwealth."The three...
, and local municipalities. However, GRTC is managed, staffed, and operated by a private transit management company; GRTC Transit Services, Inc., the operating company, is a subsidiary of American Transportation Enterprises, and has managed GRTC since 1962.
Public transportation in Greater Richmond is limited, with GRTC bus routes available only within the city limits and in bordering areas of Henrico
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Chesterfield
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. In 2010, its population was estimated to be 316,236. Chesterfield County is now the fourth-largest municipality in Virginia . Its county seat is Chesterfield...
counties. Henrico service runs only on weekdays; service in Chesterfield is limited to two state-funded rush-hour express services only. Hanover County and parts of northern, eastern, and western Henrico have no transit service. GRTC operates a free "Lunchtime Express" shuttle downtown.
GRTC also provides express bus service to Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, which connects to Petersburg Area Transit
Petersburg Area Transit
Petersburg Area Transit is a bus system for the Petersburg Tri-cities Area. There are twelve color coded routes that extend to such destinations as Virginia State University, Southpark Mall, and Fort Lee....
which serves the Tri-Cities area
Tri-Cities, Virginia
The Tri-Cities of Virginia is an area in the Greater Richmond Region which includes the three independent cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell and portions of the adjoining counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Prince George in south-central Virginia...
.
GRTC's paratransit
Paratransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
service in Richmond and Henrico County is provided by the CARE service, which is operated under contract by Laidlaw Transit, Inc. Other private companies offer wheelchair-accessible paratransit service to individuals and small groups.
Rail mass transit
Although no rail mass transit services are currently operational, Richmond has been considering plans for a small streetcar system in the downtown area for several years.Taxi and airport limousine service
Richmond has numerous taxicabTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
operators, mostly operated as small businesses. A contractor, Groome Transportation, provides limousine service for individuals and groups between the airport and points in the Richmond area and beyond, including other major airports.
Intercity bus services
Intercity bus service is provided by the following carriers, with its terminal at 2910 N Boulevard:- Greyhound LinesGreyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
- multiple destinations http://www.greyhound.com/ - New Century Travel - to New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, WashingtonWashington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Philadelphia http://www.ntbus.com/ - Todays Bus - to New York http://www.todaysbus.com/
- Eastern ShuttleEastern Shuttle (bus company)Eastern Shuttle is a provider of intercity bus service in the I-95 corridor between New York City and Richmond, Virginia, and is one of a number of companies that compete in the Chinatown bus market out of NYC's Chinatown.- History :...
- to New York http://www.easternshuttle.com/ - Apex - to New York (stop located in Henrico CountyHenrico County, VirginiaHenrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
) http://www.apexbus.com/
Passenger rail
The Richmond area has two railroad stations served by AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
. Each station receives regular service from north of Richmond from Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The suburban Staples Mill Road Station
Richmond Staples Mill Road (Amtrak station)
The Richmond Staples Mill Road Amtrak station lies about 5 miles north of downtown Richmond, Virginia, located in Henrico County. The station designed by David Volkert and Associates, and was built in 1975 as a replacement for Main Street Station, which had sustained damage from floods....
is located on a major north-south freight line and receives all service to and from all points south including, Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
, Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Richmond's only railway station located within the city limits, the historic Main Street Station
Main Street Station (Richmond)
Richmond Main Street Station is a historic railroad station and office building in Richmond, Virginia. Originally built in 1901, it is currently served by Amtrak, and is planned in the future to become the northern terminus of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor as well as an intermodal station...
, was renovated in 2004. As of 2010, the station can only receives trains headed to and from Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
and Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
due to track layout. As a result, the Staples Mill Road station receives more trains and serves more passengers overall.
The Department of Rail and Public Transportation of the State of Virginia has studies underway for introducing improved passenger rail service to the Virginia Peninsula
Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
and South Hampton Roads
South Hampton Roads
South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States, and is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA with a population about 1.7 million....
areas. The Transdominion Express
Transdominion Express
thumb|450px|right|Map of proposed stations and routes of Virginia Transdominion ExpressThe Transdominion Express is a proposed passenger rail transportation project in Virginia in the United States....
would serve a large portion of the south central regions of the state. There are plans to create high-speed rail corridors through the state connecting to both the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
and the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor
The Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor is a passenger rail transportation project in the United States to extend high speed passenger rail services from Washington, DC south through Richmond and Petersburg in Virginia through Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina and connect with the existing...
.
Freight railroads
Richmond is served by two major Class I railroadClass I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
s, Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX. The city is also served by the Buckingham Branch Railroad
Buckingham Branch Railroad
Buckingham Branch Railroad is a Class III short-line railroad operating over 200 miles of historic and strategic trackage in Central Virginia...
, the state's largest short line railroad. Rail yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
s in Richmond include NS's Ship Yard
Ship Yard
Ship Yard is a rail yard on the Richmond District in Richmond, Virginia. It is just east of Triple Crossing. Ship Yard is not often used for putting together trains, but is more for storing empty cars, especially boxcars....
and CSX's Fulton Yard
Fulton Yard
Fulton Yard is a rail yard on CSX Transportation's Peninsula Subdivision in Richmond, Virginia. It has 13 tracks....
.
Air
Richmond is served by a major commercial airportAirport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
and several smaller general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
facilities. Richmond is served by the Richmond International Airport
Richmond International Airport
- Accidents and incidents :*In 1996, Eastwind Airlines Flight 517 from Trenton experienced loss of rudder control while on approach to Richmond, however rudder control was regained shortly after and the aircraft landed normally. There was one minor injury....
, located in nearby Sandston
Sandston, Virginia
Sandston is a census-designated place in Henrico County, Virginia, United States, near the state capital of Richmond. The population as of the 2010 Census was 7,571. Sandston is adjacent to the Richmond International Airport.-History:...
, seven miles southeast of Richmond and within an hour drive of historic Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, RIC airport is served by seven airlines with non-stop flights to 21 destinations and connecting flights to destinations worldwide. In 2004, the airport served approximately 2.5 million passengers; this count is expected to increase significantly in 2006 due to the presence of low-cost carriers AirTran Airways and JetBlue Airways.
Richmond International Airport is not served by public transit, other than a little-used GRTC bus route from downtown that runs only five times per day, during the morning and afternoon rush hour Monday through Friday. As is the case everywhere in Richmond, driving to the airport (either by taxicab or private car) is by far the fastest mode of transportation. RIC is approximately a $15 taxi fare from downtown Richmond. Parking is available in long-term lots for $6 per day, the close-in daily garage for $10 per day, and the hourly garage for $2 per hour (first 60 minutes free).
General Aviation service is available at Richmond International and Chesterfield County Airport, located near the intersection of State Routes 10 and 288 near Chesterfield Court House, Virginia
Chesterfield Court House, Virginia
Chesterfield Court House is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of .-Demographics:...
, and Hanover County Airport near Ashland.
Ports and waterways
The Port of Richmond (locally known as Deepwater Terminal) offers deep water connections on the navigable portion for the James River east to Hampton Roads, known as the "world's greatest natural harbor", which is located only 18 miles from the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Shipping to other points on the Chesapeake Bay is also possible.
The extant canals of Richmond are no longer used for shipping. However, several portions downtown are used as part of the Canal Walk
Canal Walk
Canal Walk is a shopping centre in Cape Town, South Africa, that opened in 2000 and was built around a series of canals. It has a total retail area of...
, and upstream, portions are used as part of the water systems of the city and counties. A set of locks is located in a small park just east of the downtown area near Tobacco Row
Tobacco Row
Tobacco Row is a collection of tobacco warehouses and cigarette factories in Richmond, Virginia adjacent to the James River and Kanawha Canal near its eastern terminus at the head of navigation of the James River.-History:...
.