TAKE ACTION

GRTC will host two public meetings in the coming weeks which will give you an opportunity to weigh in on recent and proposed changes to the bus network.

First, on February 20th from 7:00–8:00 PM at the Neighborhood Resource Center of Greater Fulton (1519 Williamsburg Road), you can let GRTC know your thoughts on the recent reduction in frequency to the 4A and 4B. While you’re there you can also help them decide where to install new bus stop amenities—concrete pads, benches, trash cans, shelters, and adequate lighting.

Second, you’ve got two chances to attend a meeting about the 50, 76, and 77 routes: February 27th (6:00–7:00 PM, West End Branch Library, 5420 Patterson Avenue) and February 28th (6:00–7:00 PM, DMV, 2300 W. Broad Street). These are the three routes that originally turned around on the block bordered by Broad, Davis, Grace, and Robinson, but now turn around back behind the Science Museum.

AROUND THE REGION

This past fall, Henrico County improved and expanded their bus service in a big way—their biggest improvement to public transportation in 25 years. That hard work and new service is paying off as ridership has nearly double on a couple routes. As GRTC’s Carrie Rose Pace says, “Where you place a level of transit service that is more frequent, operates at later hours and on weekends, and reaches the destinations that the community needs to get to, the riders will get on board.”

ELSEWHERE

TransitCenter has released their Who’s On Board 2019 ridership study (PDF), and they’ve found that...fewer people are on board. Low quality transit service and cheap/easy car ownership seem to be driving the nationwide ridership decrease. What happens when cars ownership gets more expensive and more difficult? Who knows! But CityLab has an interesting article looking at the auto loan industry.

Streetsblog says that last year’s tax reform law may have accidentally added a tax to employers who provide free parking to their employees? This sounds good if you’re in favor of economic incentives to get fewer people driving to work alone in their cars and more people commuting by bike or transit. However, it sounds like the IRS is quickly working to fix the glitch.

—Ross Catrow