All across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has sent public transit ridership plummeting as folks work from home, practice social distancing, and find other ways to travel. Locally, we've seen our transit agency, GRTC, invest in more cleaning supplies, greater frequency on the Pulse to reduce crowding, and fare elimination paired with back-door boarding to help protect the health of bus operators. These things all cost money, and, when combined with declining fare revenue from riders, transit agencies like GRTC are facing a fiscal crisis.

Following the lead of national transportation advocacy organization Transportation for America, today we're asking you to contact your congress members and tell them to protect our country's public transportation infrastructure—infrastructure that thousands of Richmonders rely on every day to access jobs, educational opportunities, healthcare, nutritious food, and much more. Right now there's so much uncertainty about what the future holds, but one thing remains certain: The Richmond region needs a frequent and far-reaching public transportation system so that its citizens can lead thriving lives. Congress must take strong action to support transit service—here in Richmond and across the country—and ensure that public transit will be ready and reliable when this crisis is over.

To learn more about the potential pittfalls facing GRTC and other public transportation agencies, check out this post from Transportation for America.