RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Friends of the James River Park has released the annual fiscal report for the James River Park system detailing the projects and accomplishments of 2023.

The financing of the river system encompasses the mission of ‘Protecting, Enhancing and Expanding the JRPS.’

The Streetlight Data Project was completed in January of this year. The goal of park officials was to understand better the demographic of people coming into the river area. They worked with mobility analytics platform Streetlight Data, to find out where to dedicate specific resources and retrieve a guide for a fundraising strategy.

The data revealed one-third of park users are Richmond residents, one-third are from the surrounding counties and the remaining come from more than 2,700 other areas across the country.

Additional accomplishments include the rebuilding of the Tredegar Ramp which replaced the Tredegar Street boat ramp. The project was completed this past April and is said to be the primary launch point for Richmond Fire Department river rescue boats. the ramp provides a better surface for the boats and has been designed to last longer.

Cyclists, hikers, runners and all other park users will now have a safer route around the park surface with the Reedy Creek Bypass Trail. This endeavor was established to separate vehicle and pedestrian/bike traffic near the park’s headquarters.

The 21st Street Tower Project continues to thrive after its completion in Sept. of 2022. JRPS staff contractors worked to improve the park area between the 21st Street Bell Tower and Belle Isle. This work included widening the trail, paving and repositioning the fences around the tower. This aided in providing greater safety for bikers and pedestrians who previously frequented a choke point.

The report also highlights the work of volunteers and sponsorship information.

“Together we brought in more than 800 volunteers and served more than 2,400 hours taking care of the park so far in 2023,” said Josh Stutz, executive director for Friends of the James River Park in a statement.

Expenses for the year have totaled out to be $615,000 while the total revenue that has been collected for the year is $580,000.