When driving the Richmond Parkway, including the east (Garrard Leg), it is hard to find any pride in this City of Pride and Purpose. When the Richmond Parkway was conceived and named well over a decade ago, it was envisioned as not just a means of transportation to get motorists swiftly from I-80 at Hilltop to I-580 at the Richmond – San Rafael Bridge. It was also envisioned as a showcase for the “new” Richmond, providing a pleasing and scenic ride through an area that was previously inaccessible.

The Richmond Parkway may have succeeded functionally, but it is a dismal failure aesthetically. Trash, weeds, broken fences, non-functioning lighting and dirt abound. There is nothing to be proud of about the Richmond Parkway. Sometimes it’s better to throw in the towel and end the myth that Richmond is a City of Pride and Purpose – at least to the extent the Richmond Parkway represents that slogan.

In the interest of honesty, I have requested that the attached resolution be placed on the September 13, 2005, Richmond City Council agenda. I am going out of state on vacation for a while, and nothing would please me better than to return and see the Richmond Parkway looking like a real “parkway.” Hope springs eternal, but I’m not taking bets.

Parkway_Resolution.pdf