TAKE ACTION

Fellow transit supporters! As we move past the opening of the Pulse and the entirely redesigned bus network, RVA Rapid Transit will continue our work of advocating, educating, and organizing for frequent and far-reach public transportation in the Richmond region. If you’d like to support us in that work, now is the time! What’s next? Well, here are just a few of the things we’ll be pushing for over the next couple of months:

• In Chesterfield County: Adding bus service from the city limits to John Tyler Community College along Route 1
• In Henrico County: Improving bus service to the Staples Mill Train Station, the airport, and adding bus service to Virginia Center Commons and Mechanicsville
• In Richmond City: Extending operating hours and adding bus stop amenities like benches, shelters, and trash cans to highly-used bus stops

There’s lots to do, and we need your help.

Before the end of July, we want to find 100 new supporters at any level—$5, $10, $100, whatever works for you. We’re almost there, but need a few more folks to get us over that goal. So if you’d like to partner with us on the work to bring frequent and far-reaching public transportation to the entire Richmond region, consider supporting us now.

AROUND THE REGION

GRTC’s Kelsey Calder is now a nationally certified Travel Training Instructor. This is big news, and Calder is an excellent resource for helping folks of all ability levels learn how to ride the bus through GRTC’s Travel Training Program. This program makes a ton of sense as it moves folks off of the on-demand CARE service, which is extremely limited (and expensive to run), and on to fixed-route service, which gives folks a ton more freedom to get around the region.

GRTC has also posted a time-lapse video of the construction of the Allison Street East Pulse station. If you’ve ever wondered what 17 months on Broad Street condensed down to 10 minutes looks like, here’s your answer.

ELSEWHERE

High-quality transportation investment spurs development—called Transit Oriented Development—but how do we make sure that development is equitable and doesn’t cause displacement? In King County, Washington, through new laws passed this year, the jurisdiction will donate land near rail stations for affordable housing to help address the region’s housing crisis.

Dallas now has 14 all-electric buses running a 19-mile loop. Electric buses are definitely the future, but, at the moment, they’re more expensive to buy and maintain than the compressed natural gas buses used by GRTC.

If you'd like to support RVA Rapid Transit's work to bring a truly regional transit system to Richmond, consider making a tax-deductible donation.

—Ross Catrow