Friends of the Fall Line Quarterly Meeting – July 2026

Meeting Highlights

• Funding and overall project status
• Funding remains largely unchanged since the previous meeting.
• The most recent major funding update occurred in February 2026, involving the Longdale trail section and the Central Virginia Transportation Authority.
• Design-Build 1 is open.
• Design-Build 2, covering Petersburg to Chester, remains on schedule for construction to begin in fall 2026.
• Construction is underway in Bryan Park and portions of Henrico County.
• Wayfinding signage has been installed on the Hanover section.
• Bryan Park section
• Most of the trail has been constructed with a gravel base, extending nearly to Bellevue Avenue and beyond the soccer fields.
• Approximately 50% to 60% of the gravel section has been paved.
• Drainage infrastructure, textured crossings, and paving near the park bathhouse have been installed.
• The project remains on schedule for completion on August 21, 2026, with most paving expected to be completed by the end of July.
• A ribbon-cutting date has not yet been determined.
• Design-Build 2: Petersburg to Chester
• All five bridges are nearing final design, although the Skiffes Creek Reservoir bridge is progressing more slowly because of its complexity.
• Trail and roadway plans are nearing completion and are close to being ready for construction.
• Environmental reassessment coordination has reached a major milestone.
• Nearly all parcels are expected to be cleared soon for right-of-way acquisition.
• Environmental permits are nearing completion.
• Construction is expected to begin October 1, 2026, following seasonal tree-clearing restrictions related to protected bats.
• An invitation-only groundbreaking is tentatively planned for September 8, 2026, near Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights, with a rain date approximately eight days later.
• Henrico County updates
• The Villa Park segment, running approximately one mile from Lakeside Avenue to East Parham Road, is expected to enter construction soon.
• Sagres Construction has been awarded the Villa Park contract.
• The start was delayed by material lead times and final permitting.
• All Lakeside segments between Bryan Park and Villa Park have been advertised for bids.
• These projects total approximately 2.3 miles and include boardwalks, bridges, a road diet on Hilliard Road, and pedestrian hybrid beacon crossings at Dumbarton and Hilliard roads.
• Bidding closes in late July or early August, with contract awards and construction anticipated in fall 2026.
• The Longdale section is targeted for advertisement in the fourth quarter of 2026, pending property acquisition and utility relocation.
• Chesterfield County updates
• Chesterfield administers just over nine miles of the Fall Line Trail between Design-Build 2 and the Richmond city line at Walmsley Boulevard.
• Approximately six miles remain unfunded, including the major segment between Route 10 and Route 1.
• A small portion will be built through a separate roundabout project.
• Just over three miles are funded, with about 1.5 miles completed or under construction.
• Another 1.5 miles are funded for construction through 2028.
• Chesterfield is updating its bikeways and trails plan as the Active Transportation Plan, with the Fall Line Trail serving as a major network spine.
• The plan also incorporates trail spurs identified in an earlier Fall Line study.
• Planning Commission review is expected in fall 2026, followed by a possible Board of Supervisors vote in December.
• Two pedestrian hybrid beacons have been funded along Route 1 near a trail segment currently under construction.
• Trail-use counter data
• Permanent Eco-Counter devices have been installed near Gwathmey Church Road and Woodman Road.
• The Gwathmey Church Road location recorded approximately 40,000 users from January 1 through July 7.
• Average daily use at Gwathmey Church Road was approximately 239 users, with a peak day of 632 users.
• The Woodman Road location recorded approximately 37,300 users, averaging nearly 200 users per day, with a peak day near 600 users.
• Bicycle and pedestrian use was close to an even split, although the Woodman Road location had slightly more bicycle traffic.
• Saturdays and Sundays were the busiest days, particularly during the morning.
• Additional permanent counters will be installed as new trail segments open.
• Officials expect weekday and transportation-oriented use to increase as the trail network becomes more connected.
• Southside sustainability capstone presentation
• Sarah Ericson presented a VCU urban and regional planning capstone focused on the Fall Line Trail between Blackwell and Davee Gardens.
• The study examined how Richmond’s Sustainable Design Standards could improve resilience, equity, environmental quality, and neighborhood connections.
• The Southside study area faces high unemployment, low vehicle ownership, limited internet access, lower health-insurance coverage, greater disability prevalence, and a life expectancy approximately 20 years shorter than Richmond’s West End.
• Commerce Road was identified as a significant heat and air-pollution corridor, particularly near tractor-trailer traffic and Interstate 95.
• Green spaces were found to have lower heat and air-pollution levels.
• Stormwater problems include flooding, standing water, erosion, polluted runoff, buried waterways, inaccessible sidewalks, and reduced access to Broad Rock Creek Park.
• Recommendations included daylighting buried waterways, restoring wetlands, installing rain gardens and bioswales, retaining trees, planting native vegetation, using reflective materials, and reducing impervious surfaces.
• Community organizations expressed enthusiasm but also concern that the trail might primarily help people travel through Southside rather than serve local residents.
• Many stakeholders preferred a western alignment with park-like features and stronger connections to neighborhood assets.
• The plan proposed three goals:
  • Collaboration: Formalize partnerships among city departments and community organizations.
  • Connection: Reconnect neighborhoods, parks, community resources, waterways, and natural areas.
  • Community: Strengthen resilience, identity, visibility, and equitable investment in Southside.
• Suggested community projects included murals, tree planting, invasive-species removal, green buffers, creek restoration, youth job training, and a possible amphitheater designed as a stormwater-retention basin.
• Bollards and trail-access barriers
• Richmond continues to encounter unauthorized vehicles on trails, including drivers using trails as shortcuts or dumping trash.
• Trail designs must balance vehicle deterrence with safe access for cyclists, pedestrians, maintenance crews, and emergency personnel.
• Options discussed included removable bollards, painted buffers, raised islands, flexible bollards, gates, and natural boulders.
• Flexible bollards provide visibility and lower collision risk but may not stop determined drivers.
• Fixed metal bollards, gates, and boulders offer stronger deterrence but can create hazards for trail users.
• Current design guidance recommends no bollards by default, using them only as a last resort when other measures cannot address a demonstrated need.
• When bollards are necessary, they should be highly visible and positioned to avoid forcing users into conflicts.
• Cameras and enforcement may address intentional misuse more effectively than barriers that inconvenience or endanger legitimate users.
• Bentonville and Razorback Greenway lessons
• Bentonville, Arkansas, was presented as a national model for trail-oriented recreation, development, and placemaking.
• Northwest Arkansas has more than 200 miles of paved trails, 400 miles of dirt trails, and approximately 700 miles of gravel roads.
• The Razorback Greenway incorporates parallel dirt routes, mountain-bike features, public art, parks, playgrounds, splash pads, businesses, offices, housing, and cultural attractions.
• Bridges, tunnels, and other grade-separated crossings reduce conflicts with busy roads and highways.
• Presenters emphasized identifying dangerous Fall Line Trail crossings now, even when major improvements may need to be added later.
• Jersey barriers can provide semi-permanent protection along constrained roadway corridors.
• Trail-oriented businesses and destinations encourage users to linger rather than simply pass through.
• High-quality signs, pavement markings, municipal boundary markers, and frequent mileage indicators improve navigation and reinforce community identity.
• Different jurisdictions along the Fall Line Trail could use distinctive art, crossings, and placemaking elements while maintaining consistent regional standards.
• The Razorback experience shows that a successful main trail can generate demand for additional loops, recreational routes, neighborhood connections, and supporting development.
• Additional announcements
• The Fall Line Trail website has recently been redesigned.
• The Fall Line Vision Plan remains available through the website.
• Future engagement opportunities will continue as construction and planning advance.