On Thursday, January 8, Mayor Danny Avula announced a series of immediate and accelerated actions to improve pedestrian safety following the deaths of six pedestrians in just the past three weeks. In total, 13 pedestrians were killed in traffic-related incidents in Richmond in 2025.

"These losses are heartbreaking, and the recent frequency is, frankly, terrifying," said Mayor Danny Avula. "We cannot treat traffic deaths as normal, and we cannot accept that losing your life while walking, crossing a street, or heading to a bus stop is just part of living in a city. In a Thriving Richmond, everyone deserves to get where they're going safely."

New Actions Announced Today

As part of an accelerated Vision Zero response, Mayor Avula announced a set of immediate actions to strengthen coordination and improve outcomes across Richmond's transportation and street safety efforts. Vision Zero is the City's strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries.

• Creation of a new Department of Transportation (DOT): A new Department of Transportation will be stood up immediately within the Department of Public Works to lead the City's street safety and mobility work. The DOT will serve as the central authority for planning, designing, delivering, and maintaining a transportation system that prioritizes people over speed and safety over convenience. Mayor Avula appointed Andy Boenau as Director. The department will coordinate across agencies, deliver evidence-based street designs, engage communities, and set measurable Vision Zero safety goals
• Expanded Safety Camera Program: The City will expand its Safety Camera Program to include red-light cameras targeting one of the most dangerous driving behaviors. Ten intersections will come online in the coming months, with four operational by the end of January, including several in South Richmond.
• Accelerated street safety improvements: Mayor Avula directed the immediate deployment of local transportation funding to fast-track life-saving infrastructure, including advancing roadway reconfigurations for dedicated bus and bike lanes, implementing left-turn hardening at more than 80 intersections on the High Injury Network, installing 14 additional pedestrian hybrid beacons for mid-block crossings, adding 40 new speed tables by the end of the second quarter of 2026, and improving crosswalk visibility through expanded corner clearance enforcement.
• Targeted corridor and campus safety: The City will convene a Pedestrian Safety Task Force in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University to address safety concerns around City Hall and the VCU Health campus, and will conduct a multidisciplinary road safety assessment of East Broad Street from 1st Street to 14th Street to identify near-term fixes and long-term redesign strategies.

"These recent incidents are a painful reminder about the need for all of us to be aware when driving or walking - near VCU, VCU Health or anywhere in the city. With thousands of students returning for spring semester at VCU next week, we ask that all travelers take a renewed focus on remaining alert when traveling near our campuses. While VCU's partnership with the city continues, we all must do our part to keep each other safe," said VCU Chief of Police Clarence T. Hunter, Jr.

City Councilmember Andrew "Gumby" Breton (1st District) shared, "Speed tables, safer crossings, and clearer sightlines for pedestrians and cyclists make a difference for a livable city. As a dad and cyclist myself, I know that when we calm our streets, we calm behavior. Calmer streets save lives. I'm grateful to see this structural change and acceleration of funds for safety infrastructure. I'll be watching closely to see these projects deployed urgently."

Enforcement and Shared Responsibility

Police enforcement remains a critical part of the City's approach.

"While we are changing the streets and strengthening enforcement, I need drivers to do their part," Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said. "Slow down. Drive the speed limit. Put your phone away; we have a hands-free law in Virginia, and texting and driving is illegal. Vision Zero only works if we all take responsibility for one another."

"We owe it to the people we've lost-and to everyone who walks our streets-to act with urgency and resolve," Mayor Danny Avula said. "We will redesign our streets, we will enforce the rules, and we will keep pushing until no one has to fear for their life just getting where they need to go."

Major Investments Already Underway

Richmond's Department of Public Works has secured more than $750 million in discretionary funding for transportation projects aligned with Vision Zero, with total investments expected around $1.2 billion over the next five to six years.

"These investments are transforming our most dangerous corridors into safer, multimodal streets," said Bobby Vincent, Director of Public Works. "Projects like Hull Street Road and the upcoming Jahnke Road improvements reflect what data-driven, people-centered street design looks like in action. Construction is already underway. With the additional new and accelerated projects, we are speeding up our work towards Vision Zero. Everyone plays a role in the shared responsibility to make our streets safer. I urge everyone - drivers, walkers, riders - look both ways twice."

Mayor Avula was joined by Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II; Richmond City Councilmember Andrew "Gumby" Breton (1st District); Jason Kamras, RPS Superintendent; Bobby Vincent, City of Richmond Director of Public Works; Clarence T. Hunter, Jr., VCU Chief of Police; Rick Edwards, Richmond Chief of Police; Sydney Collier, Deputy Chief, Richmond Police Department, and Major Ronnie Armstead, Richmond Police Department.

Click here to learn more about Vision Zero.

On January 8, 2026, Mayor Danny Avula announced that City Hall's Observation Deck has reopened to the general public. The 18th floor overlook closed to the general public in 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For decades, the City Hall Observation Deck has been one of Richmond's gems," said Mayor Danny Avula. "It's a place where you can step back, see our city from a new perspective, and appreciate how all our neighborhoods connect in ways that aren't always visible from the ground. Reopening the Observation Deck has been a major goal during my first year in office, and I'm so thrilled that we've been able to put the processes in place to welcome Richmonders back to this special space."

Updating security measures and elevator logistics enabled the reopening. "All our recent changes to City Hall have been about making sure residents and visitors feel welcome in the space," said Director of General Services Gail Johnson. "From our updated signage and new concierge on the first floor to renewed access to the Observation Deck, we want community members to know that this building is for them."

"City Hall is and always will be the people's house," said CAO Odie Donald II. "Opening this space is a reminder that buildings are also places of pride, connection, and perspective to the people they serve. From 18 floors up, you can see just how connected our city truly is-and now we have a safe and welcoming space for the public."

Currently, the Observation Deck is open to the general public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday (excluding City holidays), weather permitting. Members of the public can access the Observation Deck through a dedicated elevator. Explore the "Visiting City Hall" webpage for more information about reaching the Observation Deck and other City Hall services.

Richmond, VA - The City of Richmond is pleased to announce the appointment of Trinija Martin as the City's new Director of Human Resources, bringing more than 20 years of human resources leadership experience, a strong commitment to public service, and a core focus on workforce excellence.

"Continuously improving service delivery; overseeing the entire employee lifecycle from recruitment, hiring, and onboarding to training, compensation, and performance management; and legal compliance begins and ends with our employees," said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. "Ms. Martin's record illuminates her passion for people and dedication to the communities she's served. I'm excited to have her people centered approach to government managing our City's workforce needs."

Martin is an accomplished executive HR leader and military veteran whose career spans Fortune 500 organizations, like E*trade Financial, and municipal and county governments. Most recently, she served as Deputy Director of Human Resources for Wake County Government, the largest county in North Carolina, where she led enterprise-wide people strategies within one of the state's most complex governmental environments. Prior to Wake County, she served in HR Director role within the City of Waycross, GA, leading comprehensive municipal HR operations and workforce transformation initiatives.

"I believe deeply in the preeminence of character," Martin said. "Titles are rented, but character is owned. I am honored to serve the City of Richmond and look forward to partnering with leadership and employees to build a strong, equitable, and high-performing organization grounded in trust, accountability, and service to our community."

Martin starts in her role with the City of Richmond on January 12, 2026.

Yesterday, I learned about yet another crash in the City in which a driver hit and killed a pedestrian. Richmond Police Department's Crash Team is actively investigating this tragic incident-the second pedestrian death in just over a week.

It's another heartbreaking loss, and my thoughts are with the family of the victim.

Just this past October, on Halloween, one of the deadliest nights of the year for pedestrians, I gathered with community members, advocates, policy makers, members of the City's transportation teams, RPD, and others to reaffirm our commitment to Vision Zero, the City's goal to eliminate traffic deaths.

Today, in light of this recent tragedy, I am asking my team to identify urgent opportunities to improve safety for residents who walk, ride, or roll on the Southside, while also prioritizing critical Vision Zero policies that require longer-term implementation. We know the strategies that work-lowering speed limits in residential areas, creating high-visibility crosswalks, adding curb extensions, creating more protected bike and bus lanes-and we need to move with urgency and precision to focus our investments in the places they will matter most.

As I shared last week, I have also asked my Chief Administrative Officer to consider immediate actions that can increase safety at the downtown intersection on East Broad Street and 10th where a pedestrian was hit and killed by driver while crossing in a crosswalk. I have spoken with VCU Health leadership, and I know VCU is also committed to addressing these safety issues alongside the City.

Finally, I urge every driver: slow down, put your phone away. We cannot accept traffic deaths as normal. The only way we will achieve the goal of zero traffic-related deaths, is by committing to a culture of safety for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, and changing our behaviors to prioritize safety for all.

-Danny

BPOL tax threshold doubles from $250,000 to $500,000; Filing deadline is Mar. 1, 2026

Richmond, VA - The City's Department of Finance has launched upgrades to its RVA Business Portal (rvapay.rva.gov/bpp), making it easier for businesses to operate, stay compliant, and pay their taxes online and on time. Business owners are encouraged to log in and file their business-related taxes before the Mar. 1 filing deadline.

"Making it easier for people to pay their taxes is smart government. The simpler the process, the easier to comply. When we focus on improving access and removing barriers on the front end, we spend less time (and money) chasing delinquent payments on the back end. This portal is part of that shift-better systems, better service, better outcomes," said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II.

The updated RVA Business Portal includes new features to help make the filing process easier and quicker:

• Copy Assets from Prior Year: For Business Personal Property filers, a new "Copy from 2025" button lets you bring forward all your 2025 assets as a starting point. Descriptions, costs, and depreciation adjust automatically.
• Bill & Payment History: View up to five years of billing and payment history directly in the portal, with options to export to PDF or Excel.
• Exception Dashboard: A new compliance view shows outstanding items at a glance, including unfiled periods, balances due, and missing documentation.
• Enhanced Document Management: Upload and access supporting documents across all your license types from a single account view.

"Richmond's small business community is the backbone of our local economy," said Letitia Shelton, Director of Finance. "The focus on making improvements to our online systems will make it easier to conduct business in the city."

Additionally, beginning January 1, 2026, the Business, Professional, and Occupational License (BPOL) tax threshold doubles from $250,000 to $500,000. The change means thousands of Richmond businesses with gross receipts between $5,000 and $500,000 will now pay only a $30 flat license fee. The increase, approved through ORD. 2024-187, is designed to reduce the compliance burden on small businesses while maintaining essential City services.

Business owners can access the portal at rvapay.rva.gov/bpp or schedule virtual or in-person appointments at rva.gov/finance. Questions can be directed to RVA 311 at 804-646-7000 or rva311.com.