Traffic Calming, an Audit, and Trail Clarification
Cheers RVA!
Today will be cloudy with a slight chance of rain, with a high of 79 and a low of 61 in the evening. Tomorrow is looking sunny.
the pulp:
A Virginia Department of Health audit of the Office of Emergency Medical Services has revealed $33 million in unpaid debt and $4 million in fraudulent charges, via channel 8
per the Fed “In light of the progress on inflation and the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point to 4-3/4 to 5 percent.” Watch a five-minute video, without a single mention of the presidential election, about what that means here from the WSJ.
A City Council committee is moving forward with a proposal putting four-way stops at multiple intersections along Cutshaw Avenue, which runs parallel to Broad on the opposite side of Scott’s Addition, via the Richmonder. The decision is at odds with the Department of Public Works, which has said evaluations of the corridor suggest most drivers do not speed and four way stops are not the best tools for slowing drivers. All three members of the committee voted to forward the proposal to City Council for final consideration.
the dive:
The executive director of the Friends of James River, Josh Stutz, provides a recent update on exactly what is going on with the pipeline trail.
He begins noting the complexities of ownership of trails along the river:
Like parts of the James River Park System, ownership of and responsibility for that specific piece of land is not a simple matter. The railroads and Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) are the Park’s largest neighbors. Large swaths of the Park are immediately adjacent to railroad property, and many trails cut right through land owned by the City but managed by DPU or DPW. JRPS users often take advantage of access to trails that leave the boundaries of JRPS without even realizing it.
He answers questions regarding some of the confusion with the future of the trail.
Yes, the trail is officially closed, and the Department of Public Utilities is continuing to install physical barriers. Walking on the catwalk or the beaches would be considered trespassing, but according to Stutz, this lack of enforcement of a technicality has been the case for decades.
Contrary to popular belief, the area has never been an official park or part of the James River Park System.
The parcel of land is technically owned by CSX:
CSX is the property owner and holds a maintenance easement with DPU for the space under their tracks. The public has enjoyed this access for decades without the official designation of a recreational trail. Recently, DPU secured access to the Pipeline for the safety of their workers, and the general public. They have that right as the easement holders.
Stutz notes the challenges ahead:
My biggest concern is what happens to the space now that it is closed. We are not going to take volunteers there to pick up litter if doing so requires us to trespass. It is already one of the least well-kept places along the river by the people who go there to party, and without volunteer cleanups, I am worried it is going to turn into a dump. All of that trash is going to end up in the river as water levels change, and I have not heard anything about a maintenance plan for the space now that it is closed to the public.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun.
Have a grinning day RVA!
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