The Richmond Planning Commission voted Tuesday evening to approve the Shockoe Valley Streets Improvement Project, marking a significant milestone in the City's ongoing effort to improve transportation safety, accessibility, and connectivity in one of Richmond's most historic neighborhoods.

The project includes improvements to streets, sidewalks, intersections, and public spaces to better accommodate people walking, biking, using transit, and driving. The design has been shaped by technical analysis and community engagement since 2018 and has been developed with deep appreciation for and consideration of preserving and interpreting the area's significant cultural and historical resources.

"This approval marks another step forward in a long-term effort to improve mobility and safety while respecting the history and character of Shockoe Valley," said Bobby Vincent, Director of Public Works. "We appreciate the Planning Commission's consideration and the continued input from community members and stakeholders who have helped inform the project."

"This is a great example of a plan improving through multiple rounds of public input. I appreciate everyone who took part so thoughtfully in the process, and I look forward to the next steps,” said Mayor Danny Avula. 

With Planning Commission approval, including all eight conditions recommended by the Urban Design Committee, the project will continue through the City's established review and implementation process. As design advances, the City will continue to engage residents, businesses, and community stakeholders and provide updates on future project milestones. 

The City of Richmond, along with Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, and Powhatan counties is lifting the call for voluntary water conservation measures, effective Tuesday, August 4. This decision is based on the current flows in the James River being above conservations triggers in accordance with Richmond’s James River Regional Flow Management Plan.  

Though the voluntary water conservation measures are currently lifted and flows in the James River are stable, water conservation should be an everyday practice for all residents and businesses. Conserving water is an important tool in reducing water demand. Water conservation tips can be found here: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/drinking-water/office-of-drinking-water/water-conservation-tips/

We will continue to monitor conditions, and if conditions worsen the call for voluntary conservation measures will be reissued. 

The City of Richmond will host a week of events to celebrate "804 Day." The celebration, honoring Richmond's area code, will include public festivities, wellness activities, neighborhood engagement opportunities, and a signature charity basketball game.

"804 Week is one of the clearest expressions of what makes Richmond special," said Mayor Danny Avula. "It’s a celebration of our neighborhoods, our creativity, and the deep relationships that strengthen this city. These events bring people together in ways that build connection and recognize shared pride. I’m grateful to everyone across the city who helps create these moments of belonging, and I look forward to joining residents and City staff as we honor the energy and spirit that define the 804.”

"804 Week highlights the culture and community spirit that define Richmond," said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. "These events strengthen our connection to one another and reaffirm our commitment to wellness, safety, and civic engagement. I look forward to joining residents and staff throughout the week , and I am fully prepared to bring that same commitment to the Battle of 804, where Chief Edwards and I will settle our friendly debate on who is the City’s best hooper!"

804 Week begins Saturday, August 1, and continues through Friday, August 7, offering residents, community partners, and City staff multiple ways to connect, participate, and celebrate Richmond.

Saturday, August 1 — 804 Day (Presented by Shockoe Records)

Shockoe Records will host an 804 Day block party in Shockoe Bottom, featuring multiple stages of diverse local music, food vendors, arts, and cultural programming. The all-day event highlights the talent and energy of the 804.

Monday, August 3 — City Walk & Stretch Lab 

City employees are invited to join elected and appointed officials for a guided walk and stretch session to support wellness and connection across departments. This event marks the relaunch of monthly City Walks as part of the City’s renewed employee wellness initiative. Participants will receive a commemorative 804 City Walk T‑shirt. Presented by the City of Richmond.

Tuesday, August 4 — National Night Out 

Public safety agencies, City staff, and community partners will participate in National Night Out, the official 804 Day activity. This long-standing event remains central to Richmond’s commitment to neighborhood engagement and community safety. Presented by the City of Richmond.

Wednesday, August 5 — Bike the Block 

City employees are invited to explore Richmond by bike. Participants may bring their own bicycles or use those provided for the event. Presented by the City of Richmond.

Thursday, August 6 — Battle of 804: Team RPD vs. Team OCAO

City staff will have the opportunity to join Team RPD or Team OCAO for a charity basketball game promoting teamwork, camaraderie, and friendly competition. The event, free and open to the public, also offers Chief Edwards and the Chief Administrative Officer a chance to settle their longstanding lighthearted debate about who will take home the title on the court. They’ll face off at River City Middle School at 6:30 p.m. Presented by the City of Richmond.

Friday, August 7 — First Fridays: Lunch on the Block 

To close out the week, City employees are encouraged to participate in First Fridays alongside the Mayor and City Council while celebrating Black Business Month by supporting local restaurants and businesses in Richmond’s downtown corridor. Presented by the City of Richmond.

The City of Richmond, along with Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, and Powhatan counties remains in a voluntary water conservation status in support of the Commonwealth’s request for voluntary conservation. A decision to lift the call for voluntary conservation measures will be made next week, pending continued stable river flow conditions and rainfall as well as guidance from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Drought Monitory Task Force. 

All residents are encouraged to continue complying with the region’s voluntary measures. 

Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is providing the following updates related to its new billing system and customer service operations. 


DPU continues to verify customer accounts that have not yet received bills. Customers who have not seen their most recent bills should see them during their normal bill cycle going forward. Additionally, some customer payments remain unprocessed due to missing or incorrect account numbers on checks or other payment methods, or for various other reasons. These items require DPU to review the payment and to identify the correct corresponding account.  

Customers who believe they may have a billing issue or receiving an error or “validation” message when accessing MyHQ should contact DPU at 804-646-4646 during normal business hours or email dpucustserv@rva.gov. 

Customer Reminders  

As part of the new billing system:  

• All customers have been assigned new 10-digit account numbers.   

• Any customer using bill pay through a financial institution should update their account number with that institution to ensure correct processing. 

• Customers who pay through MyHQ do not need to update their account number.  

• A new online account lookup tool is available.   

The Department of Public Utilities remains committed to providing updates as additional progress is made and appreciates customers' continued patience as these improvements are completed. Progress thus far includes:  

• Call center wait times have decreased due to the addition of 15 customer service agents trained to complete requests for starting, stopping and transferring service. 

• Customers calling to start, stop or transfer service can now select Option 4 to be routed for direct assistance. 

• An additional 17 customer service agents will be onboarded in August.  

• Additional staff are working customer service tickets to address online inquiries to provide quicker turnaround times for customers. As a result, DPU has addressed 93 percent of the online account inquiries entered in June and July, the remaining 7 percent are actively being addressed. To avoid wait time, customers can send an email to dpucustserv@rva.gov for non-urgent requests.  

• MyHQ and EZ-PAY portals have been updated. Account and summary information has been corrected.  

• Bill formatting issues including adjustments and budget billing have been resolved with the exception of duplicate meter reads. This will be corrected in the next update.  

• Payment reminders have been updated and include a link to a payment portal.  

• Additional bill improvements related to how meter reads are displayed on bills will be implemented over the next two weeks.  

Customers can find the latest information, including how to locate their new account number, by visiting rva.gov/public-utilities/account update or by following DPU's official social media channels. 

DPU continues to work with partners Oracle and KUBRA to implement the new billing and customer service platform (Project Synergy) as well as address issues that have arisen since implementation earlier this year. 

Statement from the City of Richmond, Oracle, and KUBRA 

Project Synergy is a collaborative partnership between the City of Richmond, Oracle, and KUBRA to modernize the City's utility billing and customer service platform. As Project Synergy has been implemented over the past several months, some customers have experienced challenges with their utility billing. We understand how frustrating these issues have been, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through them. 

The City of Richmond, Oracle, and KUBRA remain committed to working together to enhance system performance, improve reliability, and provide the modern, dependable utility experience Richmond customers expect and deserve. 

 City of Richmond’s Commitment to Customers   

• Continue to expand customer service staffing to respond to customer inquiries more quickly, reduce wait times and provide the assistance our customers need.  

• Work jointly to identify, resolve and prevent issues as quickly as possible.  

• Strengthen billing validation and quality assurance to improve billing accuracy before bills are issued.  

• Provide resources to customers to help them understand their bills and resolution processes.  

As Project Synergy continues to mature, customers can expect:  

• A modern utility platform designed to provide more efficient, responsive and reliable service  

• Improved online account management and self-service tools.  

• More accurate and reliable utility billing  

• Faster processing of many customer service requests  

• Better coordination between customer service representatives and field service personnel  

We recognize the frustration these issues have caused our customers and we appreciate their continued patience. Our highest priority is restoring the level of service our customers expect. We appreciate the continued collaboration and expertise of Oracle and KUBRA as we work together to resolve these issues and strengthen our service for the long-term.   

Statements from Our Partners  

Oracle:    

Oracle is proud to partner with the City of Richmond and KUBRA on Project Synergy. We are working closely with City of Richmond post project go-live, supporting improvements, and helping deliver a reliable, modern customer service experience.

KUBRA: 

KUBRA values its partnership with the City of Richmond and Oracle on Project Synergy. As the project’s payment technology provider, KUBRA remains committed to supporting the City and Oracle in strengthening the payment experience for Richmond utility customers.

About The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities provides natural gas, water, wastewater, stormwater and streetlight services to more than 500,000 customers in the Richmond metropolitan area. DPU is committed to safety, reliability and innovation in delivering essential utility services that support the city’s residents, businesses and environment.

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