TAKE ACTION

GRTC has proposed a reduction in bus frequency on the #4A and #4B routes from 15-minute service to 30-minute service. These two routes both serve Fulton, connect to the Pulse at the Shockoe station, and are the only buses in and out of the neighborhood. This would be the first service reduction since the Big Route Redesign earlier this year and, according to GRTC’s presentation (PDF), would constitute a “major service change” in the context of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. If you live, work, worship, or play in Fulton and have thoughts or feelings on this proposed service change, now is the time to let GRTC know by emailing . I don’t see any more planned public meetings, and it looks like this proposed change will go live in January, so getting your comments in by email—and quickly—is probably your best bet to weigh in.

AROUND THE REGION

An annual awesome thing that GRTC and the City of Richmond do is provide free bus rides to and from the Community Thanksgiving Feast hosted by The Giving Heart. Reducing barriers for folks to get around on special occasions—remember free rides on Election Day?—is a good thing!

Metro Magazine has a great interview with GRTC’s travel trainer Kelsey Calder. Calder helps folks—people with disabilities, seniors, and everyone else—learn how to use public transportation and increase both their mobility and their independence.

Amazon is headed to Crystal City, and StreetsBlog has a look at the transportation pieces of the agreement.

ELSEWHERE

Populus dug into some of the data coming out of Washington D.C.’s docked and dockless mobility programs, and, whoa, they found some interesting things. For example, 16% of dockless users (folks using dockless bikes and scooters) are Black compared to just 6% of Capital Bikeshare users. I wonder if dockless vehicles just naturally find their way into more diverse neighborhoods in a way that planned, docked bikeshare stations cannot.

I’ve been following Albuquerque’s BRT for a long time now, and over the course of the project they’ve had a bunch of problems with their all-electric buses. So much so that this week the mayor pulled out of the contract with electric bus manufacturer BYD. Electric buses are clearly the future, but it looks like we’ve got at least a couple more years until they become a viable option in America.