GRTC Public Meeting in Review

The latest map of the Broad Street BRT from GRTC.

On Monday, GRTC hosted the first of two identical meetings to update the public on the progress being made on the Broad Street BRT project. Since it's not always easy to make every meeting, we got a quick update from David Green, GRTC's CEO, on the project status, updates since the last public meetings, and what to expect next.  Listen here:

[audio m4a="http://www.rvarapidtransit.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/BRT-Update-4715-6.40-PM.m4a"][/audio]

Some of the key points from Monday and Tuesday:

• The initial feedback from the community about parking was taken into consideration. The initial plan called for the loss of 708 parking spaces, and alternatives presented in the update meeting indicate that there has been a 60% reduction in the number of spaces to be removed on Broad Street.
• A study is currently underway that will determine the best way for the existing fixed-route bus service to interface with the BRT.
• Henrico County is open to extending the service to Short Pump, however they are not committing to anything at the moment. It seems as if they are taking a wait-and-see approach toward the existing plan.
• GRTC is working with Richmond City and VCU as they consider how to implement the BRT in a way that meets pedestrian and cyclist needs. They are still gathering feedback from the community and technical advisors, and North-South access across Broad Street is still being refined.
• The next round of meetings will be held in July.

Canvass the Corridor

You are Invited to Canvass the Corridor

On April 18, 2015 RVA Rapid Transit will lead an effort to canvass the Broad Street Corridor. We hope to engage citizens and merchants in conversation about the benefits and their concerns related to Bus Rapid Transit. Volunteers will distribute information, collect feedback and contact information so we can keep citizens and business owners engaged, updated and informed of the process.

Who: RVA Rapid Transit supporters, transit advocates, enthusiasts and anyone interested.

What: Help canvass the Broad Street corridor to spark positive dialogue around the BRT, collect contact information and explore citizen concerns.

When: Saturday, April 18, 2015, 12-4 p.m.

• Training and Orientation 12-1pm
• Dispersal, Canvassing & Debrief 1-4pm

Where: We will gather at St. James Episcopal Church @ 1133 W. Franklin for orientation. Parking is available in the lot beside the building and in the parking garage across the street. After orientation we will disperse to areas around the proposed BRT stations along Broad Street. We have free Go Cards for the first 50 volunteers to arrive, but please bring $3 for the bus just in case. The bus is $1.5 each way and you will need exact change.

How: Sign up HERE. Email ebony@rvarapidtransit.org for more information. Please invite anyone you know who might be interested and we encourage student, civic and church groups to take this on together as a service project.

Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit News

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 the following article ran in RVA News: RVA’s bus rapid transit updated

GRTC releases some more details of the future BRT system.

The first of two meetings to show off and discuss the rapid transit plan occurred last night. As expected there were some changes to the original plan and quite a few details were released.

• On-street parking between Interstate 195 and 14th Street will be removed for a bus lane (according to Style Weekly the lane is 9 feet wide and the buses are 10.5 feet wide, so that’s an issue to resolved)
• Station locations have been shuffled, with a downtown stop heading to the location of Stone Brewing and another moved closer to Scott’s addition
• Station designs revealed (seen above) and will allow passengers to walk directly onto the busses without dealing with steps
• Stations will allow passengers to buy tickets, including daily, weekend, and weekly passes
• Busses would operate every 10 minutes during peak hours and 15 during off peak and cost $1.50.

More information at Style Weekly and Richmond Times Dispatch.

January 27, 2015; 9:38 AM • by Nathan Cushing

RVA Rapid Transit January 2015 Update

Ebony Walden

New RVA Rapid Transit Staff

Ebony Walden joined the RVA Rapid Transit staff in August. Ebony has 9 years of City Planning experience and will be working to coordinate future efforts. In 2015, RVA Rapid Transit will help garner support for a land use and economic development vision along the Broad Street corridor to compliment the BRT project and ensure its success. We will also continue to promote the regional vision. Contact ebony@rvarapidtransit.org if you know of an organization that would like a presentation or if your organization wants to officially support the regional BRT vision via letter or resolution.

Dominic Carter

Dominic Carter joined the RVA Rapid Transit staff in November to focus on Church and Clergy Relations. Churches have played a significant role in our promotion and advocacy efforts as mission driven social institutions with multijurisdictional membership. Dominic will organize clergy and churches in Metro Richmond to promote and advocate for a BRT focused regional transit system. If you would like to get your church involved please email dominic@rvarapidtransit.org.

Broad Street BRT Update

In September, GRTC received a $24.9 Million federal grant to fund the Broad Street BRT project. The project will service a 7.6 mile route from Rocketts Landing to Willow Lawn, including 14 stations and over 3 miles of dedicated travel lanes. The design process is underway, with construction starting in 2016. Service is expected to begin in October of 2017. For updates and more information go to www.ridegrtc.com/brt .

Richmond Magazine wrote a recent article on the Broad Street BRT.

BRT News & Research

Bus Rapid Transit has gained a lot of prominence in the US and abroad. Click on the links below to learn about recent BRT and other transit related happenings. Like us on Facebook and get regular news updates: www.facebook.com/RVARapidTransit

• Bus Rapid Transit Nearly Quadruples Over Ten Years
• Interactive Map of BRT Successes Worldwide
• Study shows Millennials prefer walkable places with good transit and other options
• Metro Detroit colleges support transit, say riding buses a part of educational experience
• Southerner increasingly want to be taken for a [transit] ride!

Join Virginia’s Transit Action Network

Virginia Transit Association has launched a new e-action program to direct folks to their legislators when it’s time to push support for transit. This program allows target alerts for any level of government – even the local level of Board of Supervisors! To register go to the VTA website: www.vatransit.com.

Happy Holidays and thank you for your support. Please help us spread the vision…tell your friends, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and recommend presentation venues or partnerships