AROUND THE REGION

If you live next to a bus stop, do you necessarily have access to useful public transportation? No! While proximity to a bus stop is an important factor in access, it’s certainly not the only thing that matters. Go read some more over on the RVA Rapid Transit blog about the other factors we should consider when we think about, talk about, and plan how to equitably expand our regional public transportation system..

Year-over-year bus ridership numbers for last month are out, and, whoa: Since last February, ridership has increased 23.8%! That’s incredible.

The Mayor’s proposed budget contains $965,300 for GRTC to provide new and more frequent service, but what are the details? Who gets what new service? Well, wonder no longer, because, earlier this week, the Mayor tweeted out his plans for that new funding: A new route serving the new, under-construction grocery store at 25th & Nine Mile; extending the span of the #86 and #87 on the Southside to 11:30 PM; and adding Sunday service on the #2B.

ELSEWHERE

It’s been a while since I’ve linked to a deeply nerdy transportation article, but consider reading this piece about the details of electric bus batteries. It sounds like battery and charging technology still has some kinks to work out before we start seeing widespread, successful adoption in America.

In battling climate change, electrification is important! But so is providing better transit service to shift trips away from single-occupancy vehicles. TransitCenter has a great piece about how public transportation can and should be a big part of the Green New Deal.

A couple weeks ago, a referendum to fund and expand public transportation in Atlanta suburb Gwinnett failed. Now, just a handful of days later, Republican lawmakers have “crafted a last-minute amendment to an unrelated transportation bill on the penultimate day of the legislative session” to delay future MARTA referendums for seven years. Yikes.

—Ross Catrow