Project

Richmond Commerce Corridor

For the Virginia Department of Transportation, EBP (formerly EDR Group) examined the development opportunities that will occur if the Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) fulfills its potential as a multimodal hub in South Central Virginia, as well as the highway and rail transportation needs associated with a number of development scenarios.

Located on the James River, this area has historically been at the center of freight and trade in the region. In partnership with the City of Richmond, the Port of Virginia is developing an economic development strategy for the industrial corridor along Commerce Road and Deepwater Terminal Boulevard for the purpose of establishing an inland logistics hub. The potential for RMT and surrounding areas to grow as an inland logistics hub of statewide significance requires supporting investments in transportation infrastructure, primarily the roadway and rail network serving industrial and commercial development sites and the RMT. 

EBP provided the analytic support needed to assess the relationship between alternative infrastructure investment scenarios and economic outcomes based on those investments. The goal was to show how such investments can be used to maximize development opportunities for the RMT and the entire Richmond region. The Commerce Corridor Study was a collaborative planning effort of state, regional, and local interests led by the Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization with support provided by the Virginia Secretary of Transportation's Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment. Since the study's completion, the corridor has seen anticipated economic development in the form of new private-sector warehousing and distribution center site projects.