TAKE ACTION

In what may become an annual event for RVA Rapid Transit, we’re looking for folks to join us in making a stunning transit-related gingerbread creation for the Better Housing Coalition’s Gingerbread House Challenge. If you’re interested in lending a hand (especially if you’re some sort of gingerbread engineer or have experience in structural dessert construction) just reply to this email by October 2nd!

AROUND THE REGION

This past week, GRTC announced an additional way for CARE customers to schedule trips with a new online system called Amble. CARE is GRTC’s curb-to-curb service for folks who may have mobility challenges, and it requires riders to schedule their rides in advance. Anything to make that process more reliable and streamlined would be welcomed.

Do you want to drive a bus? Do you have a Virginia CDL Class B License? Well, GRTC is hiring operators!

ELSEWHERE

Why does public transportation in America lag behind the rest of the world? Lots of reasons, says Vox. One that sticks out to me: Since we don’t have a ton of great examples of successful public transportation over on this side of the pond, it’s sometimes hard for Americans to envision what a successful system would even look like.

While Americans are trying their hardest to envision public transportation systems, the rest of the world is busy actually building them. Cities in Asia have built 33 new rail systems in the past 10 years, and global ridership continues to increase.

Cincinnati joins a handful of other cities in getting rid of parking minimums for some of their downtown neighborhoods. Letting developers build without requiring a certain number of parking spaces reduces the number of cars in the area, helps uncouple the cost of parking from the cost of housing, and can lead to more pedestrian- and transit-friendly development.

—Ross Catrow