VCU Parking and Transportation Spring Newsletter

MAY 2022, ISSUE 3

P&T INMOTION VCU PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION'S QUARTERLY EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

IN THIS ISSUE Message from the director - 2 High school graduations set to resume - 4 Open enrollment for health benefits ends on May 16 - 6

DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

BY JOSH STONE, CAPP The weather is beginning to warm up, and the sun is shining later into the day. We are planning for our annual construction projects and reviewing parking rates. That can only mean one thing– spring is here, and we are quickly approaching the end of the semester. It has been nice to see our facilities increase in utilization and the campus bustling with activity throughout the past several months.

The hiring update entails us having filled (or are about to fill) several roles.

Kate Tkach joined us in January as our new special events manager. She has hit the ground running and is doing excellent work within our special events team. Danyel Derricott joined us about a month ago as our new office administrator, is quickly learning the ropes, and has taken a lot of stress off the management team.

We’ve also had three prospective employees accept our offer of employment, so we should have two new enforcement and safety officers and one operations controller join us. We will have two positions posting soon, as Stacy Marzec, MPC operations manager, has handed in her resignation, effective April 23. We will miss Stacy and thank her for all her contributions during her years with us. In addition, we have created a special event supervisor position that was recently posted.

We continue to pursue accreditation through IPMI, and you may recall that I set a January 2022 deadline to determine how close we are to meeting the application requirements. After we reviewed all of the unit’s comments, we have determined that we meet all required criteria, along with nearly 84% of the remaining criteria, which means we can apply! This is fantastic news, and I will be submitting our application in the coming weeks. Once we apply, we will have one year to submit all documentation demonstrating how we meet the criteria. This is a big step for VCU. If we pass, we will be in the top 30% of parking operations worldwide.

Summer construction is right around the corner, and our package should go out to bid within the next few weeks with the following locations being included: Eighth Street Deck, N Deck, Bowe Street Deck, West Broad Street Deck, and West Cary Street Deck. The repairs being done this summer are from our 2018 deck assessments and will complete the recommended work. The anticipated cost is $1.9M, and the project will address things such as joint sealant repair, concrete spalling, and crack repair. The scope and number of decks impacted could change depending on bid pricing once it returns. All MCV Campus repairs have to be completed between May and July, and Monroe Park Campus repairs can proceed into the fall semester.

We continue to work on the following: deck cameras, credit cards for special events, T2 enhancements, LED cameras, LPR technology, and policy updates. As we approach May and June, we will be looking to revise our rules and regulations for the upcoming year. If you have a policy or procedure you’d like to see altered, please let your supervisor know.

As always, I appreciate everything you do for VCU P&T and VCU as a whole. My door is always open if you need me.

Sincerely, Josh Stone, CAPP

PARKING

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BROAD & BELVIDERE DECK CLOSES FOR CONSTRUCTION An extensive repair project at Broad & Belvidere requires the temporary closure of this facility through summer 2022, starting April 1. The contractor will address concrete spalling, stair restoration, and structural maintenance issues, among other essential repairs to promote the long-term safety and sustainability of the deck.

During the closure, subscribers are relocating to West Broad St. Deck or the Henry St. Decks-East & West.

BROAD ST. GATEWAY AND CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT BEGAN APRIL 11 The city of Richmond is embarking on a Broad St. gateway and corridor improvements project, which started on Monday, April 11. This project will include streetscape installations with construction along Broad St. from Hamilton St. to Laurel St. and paving from 3rd St. to the city/county line west of Staples Mill Rd. Work will be completed in phases, with the project concluding in fall 2023, weather permitting.

There are intermittent travel lane, parking lane, and sidewalk closures during the project. Paving is a 24-hour operation, starting at 6 p.m. on Sunday and ending at 6 p.m. on Friday, with lane closures limited during morning and evening peak hours. At least one lane of traffic will remain open in each direction.

Additionally, many GRTC buses, including the Pulse, will be detoured off Broad Street.

You can view the GRTC impacts at ridegrtc.com/news-initiatives/newsupdates/broadrepaving.

While impacts to VCU parking facilities and RamRide are not expected, please alert customers to be mindful of lane closures and potential delays related to on-street construction. You can view additional information related to this project online at www.richmondgov.com/public-works/broad-street-project.

PARKING

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HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS ARE SET TO RESUME AT SIEGEL CENTER Graduates and their families will soon commence at Siegel Center and Altria Theater this year, from May 23-25 and June 10-16. During these special events, thousands of high school graduates and their families will have the opportunity to experience Virginia Commonwealth University. Given the large volume of traffic expected, VCU Police will implement a regional traffic plan to mitigate traffic impacts and promote guest and pedestrian safety.

As in previous years, VCU Police and VCU Parking and Transportation will relocate all West Broad St. Deck subscribers once again. This has helped us to better facilitate the safety of guests and subscribers, reduce area congestion and improve operational efficiency in the past.

A shuttle service will be provided to minimize inconveniences for those impacted by relocation. Shuttles will travel to and from on-campus locations from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. You can view additional information on high school graduations and refer inquiring customers to the dedicated graduation page online at go.vcu.edu/hsgraduations.

EVENING PERMITS NOW BEGIN AT 3 P.M. To accommodate afternoon class and work schedules, the start time for all student and employee evening permits was extended to 3 p.m., from the previous 3:30 p.m., effective February 4.

The change comes following feedback from customers regarding some challenges they were encountering arriving to class on time. This new change is expected to increase customer satisfaction and convenience for students.

TRANSPORTATION / EMPLOYEE NEWS

MASK ORDER LIFTED; RAMRIDE RESUMES 100% CAPACITY The CDC’s January 29, 2021, Order requiring masks on public transportation conveyances is no longer in effect. As a result, VCU Parking and Transportation no longer requires the wearing of masks on RamRide and RamSafe buses.

Additionally, on Monday, April 18, RamRide capacity increased from 75% to 100%. The CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks while in public transportation settings, and we encourage passengers and staff to make these decisions in their best interests.

As of March 21, 2022, masking is voluntary indoors and outdoors on VCU’s campus. Please note that masks will continue to be required during in-person classes and instructional activities, in clinical spaces, and health system facilities.

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CONGRATULATIONS! Congratulations to Carter Barker, RamBikes technician, for being a recipient of the quarterly employee award for “Innovation/Initiative/Simplification.”

VCU Parking and Transportation’s quarterly award program is intended to recognize those employees who go above and beyond in their daily work performance while meeting the mission and values of the department. Learn more about the program here.

Congratulations to all VCU Parking and Transportation employees celebrating service award milestones this year!

Chante C. Holt, 5 years Ann Gray, 15 years Raymond A. McMickens, III, 15 years Troy I. Petty, 15 years Messaye Fisseha, 20 years Barbara J. Kidd, 30 years Mia C. Williams, 30 years

Click to view a video featuring VCU Administration employees (including two of our very own) as they share about their experiences at VCU.

EMPLOYEE NEWS

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WE’RE MAKING IT AMAZING! J. Bolling “made it amazing” for this customer by providing exceptional customer service.

Good day to you.

I want to take a moment to write you about one of your staff in Parking that went above and beyond the call of duty just to assist me.

I am a graduate student in the Biochemistry program at VCU. I have been at VCU since 2018. I never met a VCU staff excited and determined about assisting me before till I met Jay in your parking department.

I am a physically challenged individual. I was struggling every morning at VCU in finding proper parking. I discovered a parking lot close to my campus and your staff Jay spent the time with me on the phone trying to find a solution to my problem. Jay tried several avenues with no success. Finally, Jay thought of one more idea after consultation with several of her peers, then I received a call from the office informing me that I can go ahead and sign up for the permit over the parking Department site. I did and I feel like a huge burden was lifted off my shoulders.

Jay was very sincere about finding a solution to my problem when discovering my daily suffering. Jay tried several ways till finally finding a solution. Jay was determined to make my life easier every morning and I am very grateful for her determination and assistance. Jay is really what I consider a true genuine, authentic service from the heart.

Please do thank Jay on my behalf.

SAVE THE DATE! Annual Open Enrollment for Health Benefits & Flexible Spending

Open enrollment for benefits and flexible spending will take place from May 2 - 16, 2022, for the upcoming plan year (July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023). This is your opportunity to: Make changes to your health plan selection or covered family members to become effective July 1, 2022, earn a Premium Reward for COVA Care or COVA HealthAware effective July 1, 2022, and/or enroll in flexible spending for the upcoming plan year July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023.

You can find more information about this process and how to make your elections https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/worklife/.

EMPLOYEE NEWS

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Community Service Leave

Classified and University employees are eligible for 16 hours (2 days) of Community Service leave. This leave allows employees to participate in volunteer community service organizations, meet with public or private school or daycare officials about their child(ren), attend school, daycare or homeschool functions in which their children are participating, perform school-approved volunteer work in a public school, etc. University employees are also eligible for two days of Enhanced Community Service Leave, which provides opportunities to support VCU and VCU Health communities and strengthen university-community relationships. Consider impactful ways to use your leave in the coming months!

Work, Life, & Well-being Programs

You can find information about wellness resources, as well as a list of new well-being programs scheduled for the month of May here.