VCU news

By Corey Byers

The Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department expects heavy traffic in downtown Richmond in June during local high school graduation ceremonies at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

Twenty-three high schools from Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and New Kent counties, along with St. Gertrude and ECPI, are hosting ceremonies between June 6 and June 17. Attendance for the ceremonies is projected to range from 2,500 to more than 6,000.

While construction continues on the GRTC Pulse: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Broad Street, VCU Police have collaborated with VCU Parking & Transportation, the City of Richmond, the Richmond Police Department, the Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Transportation to develop a comprehensive, regional traffic plan to mitigate traffic impacts. (GRTC has issued a service alert ahead of graduations.)

VCU Police, the Richmond Police Department and the Virginia State Police will have additional staffing to direct traffic at more than a dozen intersections, including those near Exit No. 76B (Belvidere Street) off Interstate 95 and along Belvidere and Broad streets west to Hermitage Road. Digital signage in the area will encourage local drivers to take alternate routes during peak travel times.

In addition, police will use traditional parking lanes along Broad Street, between Belvidere and Hermitage Road, as vehicular travel lanes from 6 a.m. on June 6 through midnight on June 17. No parking signs and towing enforcement will go into effect the morning of June 6.

Police will make accommodations for local businesses in the Broad Street corridor that need deliveries outside peak travel times for graduations. (Business owners and managers needing accommodations from police can contact VCU Police Officer Gregory Felton at GFelton@vcu.edu.)

VCU Parking & Transportation will be temporarily relocating VCU parking subscribers in the West Broad Street and Bowe Street decks between June 6 and June 15.

Police advise graduating students and their guests to give themselves extra time for travel and parking. Pedestrians near the Siegel Center will have to use crosswalks, managed by police, as VCU will place safety fencing along Broad Street and side streets. Drivers can drop off guests with mobility impairments in front of the Siegel Center on Broad Street, near the intersection of Broad and North Harrison streets.

“This year we have made adjustments to the regional traffic plan to accommodate construction and to maintain guests’ safety throughout each ceremony,” said VCU Police Lt. Jonathan Siok. “Keeping traffic moving efficiently and making sure pedestrians are safe are the primary goals.”  

Doors at the Siegel Center will open one hour prior to the start of each ceremony. The Siegel Center is located at 1200 W. Broad St.

Blue, red, green and yellow parking passes, issued by area schools, are required for guest parking in assigned parking decks at VCU:

The West Broad Street Deck is located at 1111 W. Broad Street. Graduation guests with a blue parking pass should use this deck.   

Police have established the following routes for arrivals to the Broad Street Deck:

• Guests who are traveling along Belvidere Street onto Broad Street (westbound) will remain in the left travel lane. They will turn left onto Shafer or Harrison streets to enter the parking deck. 
• Guests who are traveling along Lombardy Street onto Broad Street (eastbound) will remain in the right travel lane. They will turn right onto Harrison or Shafer streets to enter the parking deck. 
• Guests who are traveling along Main Street onto Harrison Street (northbound) can enter on the Harrison Street side of the parking deck. (Please note that the northbound lane of Harrison Street will close at Grace Street while unloading from previous ceremonies.) 

Police have established the following routes for departures from the Broad Street Deck:

• Guests departing from the Harrison Street side of the deck will be directed both south and north on Harrison Street. Southbound traffic will have the option of turning east or west on Grace Street or to continue south on Harrison Street. Northbound traffic can turn east or west on West Broad Street.
• Guests departing from the Shafer Street side will be directed north on Shafer and then east on Broad Street. 

The Bowe Street Deck is located at 609 Bowe St. Graduation guests with red or green parking passes should use this deck. 

Police have established the following routes for arrivals to the Bowe Street Deck:

• Guests who are traveling along Belvidere Street onto Broad Street (westbound) will remain in the right travel lane. Guests will turn right onto Bowe Street to enter the parking deck. 
• Guests who are traveling along Lombardy onto Broad Street (eastbound) will remain in the left lane. Guests will turn left onto Bowe Street to enter the parking deck. 

Police have established the following routes for departures from the Bowe Street Deck:

• Guests will travel northbound on Bowe Street towards Leigh Street and can turn east or west on Leigh Street.

The UU Lot is located at 1200 W. Broad Street. Graduation guests with a yellow parking pass should use this lot.   

• Guests traveling to the UU Lot will only be able to access the lot by traveling west on Broad Street and will exit onto Marshall Street.

For additional questions about traffic, parking and access, please call the VCU Police non-emergency line at (804) 828-1196. LiveSafe users can also submit questions through the app. Police dispatchers monitor the non-emergency line and LiveSafe messages 24/7.

2017 SIEGEL CENTER GRADUATION SCHEDULE