Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ Pedestrian, Bicycling, and Trails Commission invites the city of Richmond to participate in National Bike Month 2012 in May. The Mayor’s Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Commission and the City’s Bicycle Coordinator Jakob Helmboldt are leading the city’s first Bicycle Commuter Challenge to introduce Richmonders to the benefits and pleasures of commuting by bicycle. Mayor Jones established the Commission in May of 2010 to give advice on ways to incorporate bicycling and walking as viable methods of transportation in the city. “The Bicycle Commuter Challenge is a great way to encourage our residents and local businesses to engage in healthy activities,” said Mayor Jones. “For those that are cyclist, National Bike Month presents an opportunity for Richmond to be a central resource displaying the benefits of physical activity to increase the health of our city.” Mayor Jones and the Pedestrian, Bicycling, and Trails Commission will celebrate National Bike M...

Join Mayor Dwight C. Jones on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center as he officially kicks off the Healthy Richmond Campaign with the ‘Get Healthy – Stay Healthy’ Health Expo and Chick-fil-A Cow Walk. The Healthy Richmond Campaign is a new initiative designed to promote active lifestyles, healthy nutrition, preventative health, sustainability and well being in the city of Richmond.  The day will begin at 9:00 a.m. with the Chick-fil-A Cow Walk at Festival Park, located between 6th Street Marketplace and the Richmond Coliseum, and ends at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Come walk or run and get a sneak peek of the new Chick-fil-A Charity Sports Challenge coming this fall. To register for the Chick-fil-A Cow Walk, please visit www.cfasportschallenge.com http://availmarketing.wufoo.com/forms/registration-form/ . There is no fee to register, and check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. The ‘Get Healthy – Stay Healthy’ Health Expo is from 10 a.m. to ...

A new festival experience is coming to Virginia with “¿Qué Pasa?”, which will bring Latin culture and passion to the historic Canal Walk in downtown Richmond’s Shockoe Design District on Cinco de Mayo. On Saturday, May 5th, Richmond’s Canal Walk will undergo a community-based transformation to resemble the famous Floating Gardens of Xochimilco for “¿Qué Pasa?,” beginning at 11:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. Richmond’s own Floating Garden boats will offer free boat rides throughout the festival. Bursts of live latin music and performances along the Canal Walk will energize the thousands expected to come to enjoy scrumptious Latin-flavored food, beverages and dazzling arts and crafts during the 150th anniversary of Cinco de Mayo celebrated in a “¿Qué Pasa?” style. The festival hopes to further economic and tourist development to Richmond’s riverfront by casting this one-of-a-kind aesthetic spotlight on the Canal Walk. “¿Qué Pasa?”, organized by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Comme...

The city of Richmond’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor initiative and the YMCA of Greater Richmond are partnering again this year to join the millions of children, teens, and young adults across the world participating in Global Youth Service Day on Saturday, April 21. Global Youth Service Day is an annual campaign that celebrates children and youth who improve their communities through service. Volunteers from the Mayor’s Youth Academy and the YMCA will perform a variety of service projects throughout the city of Richmond. Service projects entities include; J.L. Francis School, Belle Isle Park, Gillies Park, and Chimborazo Elementary School. The day of service will kick off at the Northside Family YMCA (4207 Old Brook Road) with a pep rally at 9 a.m., and then volunteers will travel to their designated service project sites. Mayor Dwight C. Jones launched the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program to engage residents in volunteerism, and to promote a new era of collaborative service and voluntee...

On Monday, April 16, the East Richmond Road Convenience center operate on a revised schedule, opening from noon until 4:30.  In the morning hours, power will be cut off while Dominion Virginia Power performs maintenance in the area.   The Convenience Center will resume its regular schedule on Tuesday, April 17, which is 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.  For more information on City services and schedules, please visit www.RichmondGov.com . 

On Monday, April 23 motorists parking in the select areas of Richmond’s downtown Central Business District will no longer pay at individual parking meters.  Instead they will be required to use pay stations, which will be located mid-block along certain streets.  The parking meters currently in place will be removed.   The pay stations will accept credit cards, debit cards, cash and coins. The machines will dispense a receipt that must be placed on dashboard, but visible from the windshield, as verification that cars are parked legally. Signs will be in place notifying drivers of the pay stations.  In addition, parking enforcement officers will be available in the areas where the pay stations are located to assist those who need help or have questions.   The locations for the pay stations are:  800 block of East Marshall Street (south side) 400 block of North 9 th Street (east side) 500 block of North 9 th Street (west side) 1100 block ...

The city of Richmond is pleased to announce that La Plaza Latino Market will be opening in Broad Rock Park in South Richmond on Saturday, April 14, 2012. Through a partnership with the City’s Department of Economic and Community Development; the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities; and the Hispanic Liaison Office, the outside market will have a mix of produce, crafts, and food, along with cultural surprises every week. The Merchant’s Club of Virginia, a local Latino business owners association, will be operating the market each Saturday. Other organizations supporting La Plaza include the Sacred Heart Center, the Storefront for Community Design, SunTrust Bank, and the Enrichmond Foundation.   “A local market in Broad Rock Park has the potential to promote healthy, and active lifestyles, provide an economic outlet for local farmers, artisans and emerging businesses, while encouraging intercultural exchange,” says Mayor Dwight C. Jones. A “Friends of L...