Written by John Morris, WheelchairTravel.org, February 28, 2024
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Wheelchair Accessible Hotels in Richmond
For travelers with disabilities visiting the Commonwealth of Virginia, there are a number of wheelchair accessible hotel rooms in Richmond.
Accessibility varies between hotels, but this guide provides important information and photos of ADA accessible hotel rooms in Richmond. Please note that this is not a complete list of accessible hotels in the city, only those which I have personally stayed in and verified or toured to perform accessibility assessments.
Hilton Richmond Downtown
Located two blocks from the Greater Richmond Convention Center and four blocks from the State Capitol, the Hilton Richmond Downtown Hotel is one of the city’s premier hotels and a great choice for disabled tourists.
The Hilton hotel offers ADA accessible guest rooms with both one and two beds and either a roll-in shower or accessible bathtub. The queen size beds in my room measured 29 inches in height from the floor to the top of the mattress, with the mattress sitting atop a 10 inch boxspring and 7.5 inch platform base.
The high level of accessibility continued into the bathroom, with a roll-under sink, toilet with grab bars, and a bathtub with a properly secured seat. The measurements of bathroom accessibility features were as follows:
The room accessibility was surprisingly good, with plenty of space to move about in my power wheelchair and a bathtub that featured a built-in seat. Here are some measurements of the room’s accessible features:
- Sink height; free space under sink — 33.5 inches; 31/27.5 inches
- Toilet seat height — 17.5 inches
- Toilet grab bar height — 36 inches
- Bathtub seat height — 17 inches
- Bathtub seat dimensions — Width: 26.5 inches; Depth: 15 inches
- Bathtub basin height — 13 inches
For more information or to make a booking, visit the Hilton Richmond Downtown hotel website.
Wheelchair accessible Richmond hotels worth considering
The following hotels advertise wheelchair accessible guest rooms in Richmond, Virginia, offer convenient access to the city’s attractions, and are worth considering for your stay. Be sure to verify that the hotel will be able to meet your specific accessibility needs.
- Moxy Richmond Downtown — This hip downtown hotel features guest rooms with ADA accessible roll-in showers located at the center of the city.
- Richmond Marriott — This downtown hotel advertises accessible rooms with roll-in showers and bathtubs, and the photos suggest a high degree of accessibility.
If you have visited Richmond or stayed at any of the hotels highlighted in this travel guide, please share your experience with accessibility in the comments below!
Wheelchair Accessible Public Transportation in Richmond
The Richmond region’s public transportation system, overseen by the Greater Richmond Transit Company, consists of a bus rapid transit (BRT) system and a traditional city bus network. Intercity bus and rail operators also provide service to downtown Richmond. This guide provides tips and information for wheelchair users planning to get around Richmond using public transit.
Pulse Bus Rapid Transit System
The Pulse BRT is a unique network of city buses that provide wheelchair accessible transportation through the Richmond city center using dedicated bus lanes that allow for an express ride.
While the Pulse system is not a true BRT system in that its dedicated lanes cover only a quarter of the route and are not separated from vehicular traffic, it does incorporate features that make BRT systems efficient and accessible.
One feature that stands out are the Pulse bus terminals, which feature elevated boarding platforms level with the door of buses used on the service. Bus operators park directly alongside the station platform, allowing wheelchair users to board the bus just as they would a subway car — without use of a wheelchair ramp. Level entry boarding is a hallmark of BRT systems and increases the efficiency, safety and accessibility of the service.
The following GRTC promotional video provides a valuable visual (sadly, there is no representation of wheelchair users riding the Pulse):
Each Pulse bus features two wheelchair securement spaces with tie-downs and an available seatbelt. All Pulse stations have elevated platforms level with the boarding door, meaning the onboard wheelchair ramp and kneeling features will not be utilized in the normal course of operation.
Richmond’s BRT system is limited in size, servicing only 14 stations along a single route that is 7.6 miles in length. The route passes through four major areas of the city, including the East and West Ends, the Museum/Virginia Commonwealth University Districts, and Downtown Richmond.
Fares are not currently being collected on Richmond’s Pulse city bus service, and it is unclear when or if fare collection will resume. The Pulse service is useful to locals and visitors alike, and connects many of the most visited neighborhoods in the city — the free fare is icing on the cake!
GRTC City Bus System
Like the BRT, Richmond’s traditional city bus system is wheelchair accessible. 100% of city buses are equipped with lowered floors and wheelchair ramps/lifts, as well as securement spaces, tie downs and seatbelts for wheelchair users. Each bus has space for two wheelchairs. For bus times, schedules, route maps and directions, visit the GRTC website.
Amtrak Services in Richmond
The City of Richmond’s Main Street Station, located in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, connects travelers to Amtrak’s Northeast Regional service. The Northeast Regional is Amtrak’s most popular route, providing service North to Boston, Massachusetts, New York City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.; and South to Newport News and Nortfolk, Virginia, with many stops in between. Additional routes are planned for the future, including a potential expansion of the Acela high speed rail service.
Main Street Station, constructed in 1901 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is wheelchair accessible after undergoing a landmark renovation and modernization. Although the station is unstaffed, wheelchair users can still depart from and arrive to the station, with boarding assistance provided by Amtrak conductors and other personnel. At the station, travelers will find accessible waiting areas, ADA compliant bathroom facilities, vending machines and an Amtrak ticketing kiosk.
Featured image courtesy Quidster4040/Wikimedia Commons.
Wheelchair Accessibility of Richmond Sidewalks
Colonial settlers first made the area now known as Richmond their home in the early 17th century and, while the city’s earliest infrastructure has been long since replaced, Richmond is still an old city with gaps in accessible pedestrian infrastructure. Now a top 100 population center in the United States, renewed attention to the accessibility of streets and sidewalks has come through Richmond Connects, a multi-year project to identify and prioritize multimodal transportation projects and programs in the City of Richmond.
Wheelchair users spending time in downtown Richmond (and in major neighborhoods with touristic appeal) will find most streets and sidewalks manageable, even if not fully accessible or ADA compliant.
Accessibility features like curb ramps and crosswalk signals are commonplace. The quality of sidewalk pavements is highly variable, with cement, brick, and stone tiles in use and in various states of repair. As is the case in many cities, the most accessible sidewalks are found in areas of new construction and in the city center.
Perhaps the most common barrier that wheelchair users will face are uneven pathways, existing at random in all neighborhoods. These barriers can force wheelchair users to enter the roadway, or to find an alternate route. In the city’s Jackson Ward neighborhood, I encountered many brick sidewalks that had been made uneven and difficult to utilize as a result of encroaching tree roots. Sidewalk degradation is also common, with cracks and potholes serving as potential barriers to accessibility.
Despite these barriers, most visitors with wheelchairs will find Richmond’s sidewalks to be typical of a city of its size. With my extensive travel experience in the United States, its sidewalks, crosswalks and other pedestrian areas reflected what one would expect — a manageable, median level of accessibility, with tremendous opportunities for improvement. Local residents should continue to advocate for sidewalk accessibility improvements that could make Richmond a more inclusive and welcoming place to live and visit. Should the city follow through with the recommendations in the short- and long-term Richmond Connects action plans, accessibility is sure to take a critical step forward.