1. Parking & Transportation
  2. Special Events
  3. High School Graduations
  4. Attendees

Attendees

The Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department expects heavy traffic in downtown Richmond during local high school graduation ceremonies at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. Nine Chesterfield high schools, along with ECPI, are hosting ceremonies between May 20 and 24. 

View the full graduation schedule: 2024 High School Graduation Schedule  

VCU Police and the Richmond Police Department will direct traffic at more than a dozen intersections, including those near Exit No. 76B (Belvidere Street) off Interstate 95 and along Belvidere and Broad streets west to Lombardy Street. As in previous years, digital signage in the area will encourage local drivers to take alternate routes during peak travel times. "No parking signs" will be posted along West Marshall Street, between Bowe and North Harrison Streets, behind the Siegel Center; towing enforcement will be in effect. This specific area will be reserved for buses to drop off graduates.

 

 

Graduation Parking/Arrival Instructions

Doors at the Siegel Center will open one hour prior to the start of each ceremony. The Siegel Center is located at 1200 W. Broad St. Police advise graduating students, and their guests, to give themselves extra time for travel and parking. Pedestrians near the Siegel Center will have to use crosswalks, managed by police, as VCU will place safety fencing along Broad Street and side streets.

Due to the designation of travel lanes, drivers will not be permitted to drop off passengers in front of the Siegel Center. There will be a designated drop off for passengers and guests with mobility impairments on the eastbound side of the 1200 block of Broad Street. Signage will be in place to assist drivers with identifying this location.

View the High School Graduation Arrival Map.

Blue, red, green and yellow parking passes, issued by area schools, will be required for guests parking on assigned parking decks at VCU.

Directions:

The West Broad Street Parking Deck is located at 1111 W. Broad St. Graduation guests with a blue parking pass should use this deck.

Police have established the following routes for arrivals to the Broad Street Deck:

  • Guests who are traveling along Belvidere Street onto Broad Street (westbound) will remain in the left travel lane. They will turn left onto Harrison Street to enter the parking deck.
  • Guests who are traveling along Lombardy Street onto Broad Street (eastbound) will remain in the right travel lane. They will turn right onto Harrison or Shafer streets to enter the parking deck (Officers will direct drivers to the Shafer entrance if backups occur on the Harrison Street side).
  • Guests who are traveling along Main Street onto Harrison Street (northbound) can enter on the Harrison Street side of the parking deck. (Please note that the northbound lane of Harrison Street will close at Grace Street while unloading from previous ceremonies).

 

Police have established the following routes for departures from the Broad Street Deck:

  • Guests departing from the Harrison Street side of the deck will be directed both south, and north, on Harrison Street. Southbound traffic will have the option of turning east or west on Grace Street or to continue south on Harrison Street. Northbound traffic can turn east or west on West Broad Street.
  • Guests departing from the Shafer Street side will be directed north on Shafer and then east on Broad Street.

 

The Bowe Street Deck is located at 609 Bowe St. Graduation guests with a red or green parking passes should use this deck.

Police have established the following routes for arrivals to the Bowe Street Deck:

  • Guests who are traveling along Belvidere Street onto Broad Street (westbound) will remain in the right travel lane. Guests will turn right onto Bowe Street to enter the parking deck.
  • Guests who are traveling along Lombardy onto Broad Street (eastbound) will remain in the left lane. Guests will turn left onto Bowe Street to enter the parking deck.

 

Police have established the following routes for departures from the Bowe Street Deck:

  • Guests will travel northbound on Bowe Street towards Leigh Street and can turn east or west on Leigh Street.

 

The UU Lot is located at 1200 W. Broad St. Graduation guests with a yellow parking pass should use this lot.  

  • Guests traveling to the UU Lot will only be able to access the lot by traveling west on Broad Street and will exit onto Marshall Street.