VCU news

By Corey Byers

The VCU Police Department will be closing roadways around the Monroe Park Campus for the VCU Broad Street Mile on Saturday, Sept. 24. The annual fall street festival and road race is part of a series of events launching the Make It Real Campaign for VCU. The event is expected to draw an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people, including 1,500 runners.

Broad Street Mile participants can compete in a series of 1-mile fun runs and a 5K to raise money for local organizations. Seventy-six organizations will participate in this year’s event, which takes place on Broad Street between Belvidere Street and Hermitage Road from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

VCU Police officers and Richmond Police Department officers will be stationed throughout the area. The starting line for running events is at the intersection of Broad and Shafer streets.

Street closures start at 5 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, with the following roads closed by the start of the event at 10 a.m. Roads will start reopening at 1 p.m. and are expected to be fully open to traffic by 2:30 p.m.

“No Parking” signs will be posted and vehicles will be towed from restricted areas. Road closures include:

• Broad Street between Belvidere and Meadow streets
• Lombardy Street between Broad and Franklin streets
• Franklin Street between Lombardy and Laurel streets
• Laurel Street between Franklin Street and Main streets
• Cathedral Place and Park Avenue between Laurel Street and Harrison Road
• Harrison Street between Floyd and Park avenues (northbound lane only; southbound traffic will be open)
• Floyd Avenue between Harrison and Laurel streets
  
  

Block-level closures

• 700 to 1700 blocks of West Broad Street (between Belvidere and Allen streets)
• 600 to 1600 blocks of West Franklin Street (Belvidere and Lombardy streets)
• 900 block of Park Avenue (from Harrison Street, through the VCU Compass to Laurel Street)
• 1000 block of Grove Avenue (between Harrison and Linden streets)
• 800 Cathedral Place (between Laurel Street and the VCU Compass)
• 900 to 1000 block of Floyd Avenue (between Harrison and Laurel street)
• 400 block of Munford Street (between Marshall and Broad streets)
• 300 block of Gilmer Street (between Marshall and Broad streets)
• 300 Hancock Street (between Marshall and Broad streets)
• 600 Bowe Street (between Marshall and Broad streets)
• 100 and 200 blocks of Pine Street (between Franklin and Broad streets)
• 00 - 300 block of N. Laurel Street (between Main and Broad streets)
• 00 block of Cherry Street (between Main Street and Floyd Avenue)
• 300 – 400 block of Shafer Street (between Franklin and Broad streets)
• 100 – 200 block of Linden Street (between Grove Avenue, Park Avenue and Floyd Avenue)
• 500 – 600 block of Ryland Street (between Franklin and Broad streets)
• 500 – 700 block of N. Lombardy Street (between Stuart Circle and Kroger/Lowes lot entrance)
• 400 block of Birch Street (between Franklin Street and West Avenue)
• 300 block of Boyd Street (between Franklin Street and West Avenue)
  
  

There will be two vehicular crossings along the course for motorists:

• Intersection of Grace and Lombardy streets
• Intersection of Harrison and Franklin streets
  
  

Given the road closures and increase in pedestrian traffic, drivers are encouraged to give themselves extra time for travel downtown.