TAKE ACTION

You can now take the bus to Short Pump! This morning, GRTC launched the new #19 West Broad Street (PDF) route, nights and weekend service on their major lines, an improved #18 Henrico Government Center (PDF) route that connects Libbie Mill and the Staples Mill train station to the Pulse, and a handful of other tweaks. You can also download the newly updated system map here (PDF).

Henrico residents! Your mission today, should you choose to accept it, is to let your Board of Supervisor representative know that you are thankful for their decision to expand bus service into the County and provide new access to jobs, education, healthcare and healthy food, friends and family, and all the other stuff it takes to live a life. You can find the Board’s contact information here.

AROUND THE REGION

Speaking of letting Henrico officials know that we’re stoked on the new bus service, consider joining the Isaiah Project at the September 25th Henrico Board of Supervisors meeting (7:00 PM; 4301 E. Parham Road). They’re gathering a bunch of folks to attend the meeting in a broad-based showing of support for expanded public transportation. All you’ve got to do is attend the meeting, wear green, and look supportive!

On October 10th, Richmond BizSense will host a panel discussion focused on the Future of Transit & Development. You can get your tickets online.

ELSEWHERE

Here’s all you need to know about how to get more folks riding public transit: “The city of Indianapolis is learning that beefed-up transit service quickly translates to more riders — with local transit agency IndyGo reporting this week that ridership was up 3.4 percent this August compared to the previous year. The mini-surge comes after service was expanded in February and June by about 500 more weekly bus trips...”

The Boston area seems to lead when it comes to implementing temporary bus-related projects. Pilot programs like temporary bus lanes are super cheap and allow engineers and planners to measure how a proposed project will impact travel times for all users of the streets. We should do these sorts of things in Richmond!

The wait is over and Streetsblog has crowned their 2018 Sorriest Bus Stop champion: Congratulations(?) Vancouver! This is an admittedly silly and tongue-in-cheek contest, but this year’s iteration did shame the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Agency into removing a terrible bus stop in Cincinnati.

—Ross Catrow