Richmond pedestrian safety report flags new nighttime risks
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Richmond could make its streets safer for pedestrians by looking beyond crash sites and rethinking everything from street lighting to the vehicles the city buys, according to a new analysis.
Why it matters: The city-commissioned report suggests expanding Richmond's approach by targeting risky streets before serious crashes happen.
Driving the news: Consultants at Toole Design Group analyzed nearly 1,200 pedestrian crashes from 2017 to 2025 in an 80-page report presented to a city commission last week.
- Researchers mapped nighttime risks using road speeds, a lack of sidewalks and crosswalks, and proximity to places people walk to, like nightlife districts, stores and bus stops.
- They also considered neighborhood factors like residential density, poverty and households without cars.
By the numbers: Nighttime crashes account for 39% of total pedestrian crashes but 57% of those resulting in death or serious injury, per the analysis.
Zoom in: The analysis identified areas of heightened risk in Northside, Union Hill, Old Town Manchester, Blackwell and Woodland Heights.
- Other areas of concern include pockets of Stony Point, Southampton and Stratford Hills, as well as near the Diamond and Scott's Addition.
One blind spot: Richmond's existing street-lighting plan counts streetlights per mile but doesn't measure how well they illuminate pedestrians, per the report.
- Consultants recommend taking a closer look at nighttime visibility, especially at crossings, transit stops and schools.
What else: The report also recommends the city consider smaller vehicles for its fleet and add safety equipment to larger ones, such as devices designed to prevent people from being pulled underneath.
- Vehicles other than passenger cars were involved in 82% of pedestrian fatalities in 2025, up from 25% in 2021, according to the report.
What's next: The findings will help shape Richmond's first Pedestrian Safety Master Plan, which will guide future sidewalk and crossing improvements.
- The city is also developing a strategy to fund and carry out those future projects before submitting the final plan to City Council for adoption.
- Residents can submit comments through Nov. 19.