Project News
Exciting progress is underway for the Granby Street Bike Lane project! After several years of meticulous planning and community engagement, we are thrilled to announce that the project has officially entered the construction phase. As of January 31, 2025, the project has been posted on the City’s procurement platform, marking a significant step forward. Bids from contractors will be accepted in late February. Following a thorough review and verification process, the Department of Transportation will finalize the contract with the selected contractor, ensuring a smooth and efficient construction process.
To keep the community informed, notifications will be disseminated to residents and neighborhoods surrounding Granby Street regarding any potential construction impacts. Construction is anticipated to commence in the spring, heralding a new era for pedestrian and cyclist mobility along Granby Street.
In addition to the dedicated bike lanes, this project encompasses crucial pedestrian safety enhancements. The Department is diligently working on the design and installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) at five key intersections along Granby Street. These RRFBs will serve as vital alerts to drivers, indicating when a pedestrian is about to cross. The intersections slated for RRFB installations are Dumont Avenue, Elvin Road, Fife Street, Oxford Street, and Talbot Hall Road, enhancing safety for pedestrians crossing Granby Street at these points. Furthermore, a pedestrian hybrid beacon will be implemented to provide an even greater level of safety. This system will halt traffic with a red signal when activated by a pedestrian, creating a secure and controlled crossing environment on Granby Street.
Project Location
Granby Street, stretching between Willow Wood Drive and Admiral Taussig Boulevard, just south of the I-564 overpass, is the focus area for this transformative project. This key section of Granby Street will see significant improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.
Project Information
The Granby Street Bike Lane project originated in 2021 as a collaborative effort between the City of Norfolk Department of Transportation and the local community. The primary goal was to introduce bike lanes along Granby Street, specifically between Willow Wood Drive and Admiral Taussig Boulevard. This was achieved by thoughtfully repurposing an existing vehicle lane in each direction, demonstrating an innovative approach to urban space utilization. Beyond bike lanes, the project also prioritized identifying and implementing supplementary multimodal and pedestrian safety improvements at various strategic points along Granby Street.
In January 2022, the project received a significant boost when City Council approved the acceptance of SMART Scale funding. This crucial decision marked the successful conclusion of the Project Development phase, paving the way for the project’s progression. Since early 2023, Transportation Department staff have been diligently engaged in developing the 60% designs for the bike lanes, ensuring meticulous planning and attention to detail.
For more in-depth information about the project development journey, we encourage you to explore the following resources:
- Project Fact Sheet (PDF)
- Project Q&A Sheet (PDF), updated January 10, 2022.
These documents provide comprehensive details about the Granby Street Bike Lane project’s background, objectives, and development stages.
Public Outreach
Design Phase Engagement
Community input has been integral to the design process of the Granby Street Bike Lanes. A key in-person community meeting was held on January 18, 2024, from 5:30-7 pm at the Tabernacle Church of Norfolk (7000 Granby St). This meeting served as a platform to review the 60% designs and gather valuable feedback from residents and stakeholders. As the project advanced through the Design phase, the project team remained committed to ongoing engagement with the community and local stakeholders, ensuring that the final design reflected community needs and preferences for Granby Street.
Construction Phase Updates
Public notifications will be consistently provided through various channels, including mail, the project website, and other relevant means, to keep residents informed about construction activities. We encourage you to revisit this page regularly for the latest updates as they become available.
Project Development Phase Outreach
The initial phase of public outreach for project development involved a virtual workshop on March 11, 2021, and an online survey accessible from March 11 to April 13, 2021. This initial outreach helped to define community priorities for Granby Street.
A second virtual workshop followed on June 29, 2021, focusing on gathering public input on the traffic study results and preliminary design concepts derived from the first round of input. A subsequent public comment period extended until October 22, 2021, allowing ample opportunity for community voices to be heard.
The final round of public outreach for the project development phase culminated in an in-person open house at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church on Newport Avenue on September 22, 2021. This event provided a forum for direct interaction between residents, community members, and City of Norfolk representatives to discuss the proposed Granby Street Bike Lanes. Furthermore, the project team actively participated in civic league and task force meetings throughout Fall 2021 to deliver project updates and address resident questions, ensuring comprehensive communication and transparency regarding the Granby Street project.
Email updates on the Granby Street Bike Lane project are regularly distributed to workshop registrants and are available upon request. Please contact us to be added to the email update list. Project updates are also consistently posted on this dedicated webpage and official City of Norfolk social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and NextDoor, ensuring broad accessibility to project information.
