Category Archives: transportation

GRTC’s Richmond Public Schools Ridership Program

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More good news, from RVA Rapid Transit:

The unlimited bus pass program for RPS high school students begins on October 1st! If you’re a parent or guardian of an RPS high school student, and want them to have unlimited bus access to all our City has to offer (at no cost to you!), you’ll need to fill out this permission slip (PDF) and return it to your school’s liaison. If you have any questions about how the program works, you should read this handy FAQ, and if you’ve still got questions, shoot an email to Pass Program Administrator Kendra Norrell (kendra.norrell@ridegrtc.com).

That said, don’t forget the big picture.

VCU’s ‘Free Ride’

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This past week Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) announced that it had signed an agreement with the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) that will give their students and employees unlimited access to the new $65 million Pulse system and all other GRTC bus routes. In other words, as much local media trumpeted, VCU students and workers will get to ride ‘for free’.

Of course, this is welcome news. If nothing else, it may alleviate parking pressures and reduce carbon emissions. However, Richmond citizens should look past the headlines and consider the big picture of VCU’s ‘free ride’.

The conversation about the need to grow GRTC and mass transit in general has increased measurably as VCU has grown in both population and physical plant. All along, this community news site has advocated for more commitment from counties and universities to GRTC and mass transit. This call has only increased as ‘The Pulse’ BRT project has spent federal and state funds for implementation.

The problem is that with federal and state monies now spent, more and more of the cost burden will be shifted back to City taxpayers. And VCU, despite the announcement this week, is still falling very short in its commitment. $1.2 million is a drop in the bucket. Heck, VCU probably spent close to $1.2 million on all of the PR for their new ICA building. One year is not that long. Consider that VCU has made more of a commitment to its basketball coach than Richmond’s mass transit.

So what, the neoliberals say, college basketball brings in more money and GRTC can’t even support itself. VCU spends so much on transportation per student, university administrators say (if I was a student, I would be looking at where that money is going exactly). Yet, despite supposed sports profits and rising tuition, more poor and longterm Richmond residents are getting forced out of the City with rising tax bills. The City of Richmond continues to pay the overwhelming majority of GRTC’s budget and now it has increased its operational costs. Remember when ‘The Pulse’ backers said that it was designed to help Richmond’s poor? Now the largest entity by far on ‘The Pulse’ route is hedging its bets and waiting to see how the chips fall.

The local media and elected officials should be questioning this ‘deal’ more, but the majority of them won’t for fear of falling out of VCU’s favor (and advertising budget). If VCU alumni want to arrogantly claim that ‘they built this city’, they should be required to put their money where their mouth is. Other urban universities do more than brag.

Parking Permit Debates Go Public

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THere’s been a lot of discussion among neighbors both recently and over the years about parking permits. Style Magazine has an article that bares some of the frustrations involved.

Excerpt:

Egger emphasizes he’s not anti-permit but believes the proposal could be better thought out. He says nonenforced blocks will likely be flooded with student cars from Virginia Commonwealth University. Hancock acknowledges that this critique also applies to Oregon Hill’s short streets, which would allow longer parking. She says the issue will be discussed at a meeting, and that she’s also observing how other neighborhoods suggest employee parking solutions.

“We have been discussing this for a number of years now,” Woodson says. “But the petitioning is a fairly recent thing where we’re actually determined to do this. Should Randolph get parking permits this fall, Oregon Hill will be the only neighborhood that abuts VCU that does not have permits. And we’re already getting killed.”

The New #5

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While I remain concerned about the overall economic sustainability, the GRTC plan for a revamped, better mass transit system is exciting.

From RVA Rapid Transit:

Exciting news! GRTC has released their new 2018 system map (PDF) which shows the Pulse and the newly redesigned routes—all of which will launch later this year. A couple things to note: The Pulse is bright green, routes with 15-minute frequency are red, 30-minute frequency routes are blue, and 60-minute frequency routes are teal. Make sure you check out the map’s legend for some information on how the system changes at night and on Sundays, and then look at just how much more straightforward downtown’s map looks compared to the current spaghetti state of affairs.

If you’re anything like me, you can’t stop thinking about what’s accessible via our impending new transit network. For example, 65% of all spots with an ABC license are accessible by just the Pulse or the new #5 route! That #5—which runs from the East End, straight through downtown, all the way to Carytown—is a game changer.

Going West…

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Other neighbors beat me to this, but many are enjoying the novelty of turning west off S. Cherry onto Idlewood now that it is two-way again and with the new Idlewood Roundabout(!):

IMG_2594 from Scott Burger on Vimeo.

I invites others to suggest a soundtrack for the video, but click here for my favorite.

And just to give a complete experience, here is another video coming off the Expressway:

IMG_2600 from Scott Burger on Vimeo.

It’s something we have waited many years for, so please excuse the giddiness.

Thanks to all the people who made this happen, past and present officials, most notably, Councilperson Parker Agelasto.

In the meantime the City sent out this press release:

Save Downtown Train Service!

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(ed. note- I don’t usually like running two editorials in a week, but there is a deadline involved here.)

I am strongly in favor of keeping two passenger rail stations for Richmond area, one being downtown’s Main Street Station, the other being Staples Mill. I reiterate that I am strongly in favor of keeping Main Street Station as a passenger rail station, for resiliency, convenience, and other reasons. I don’t want to lose service to downtown. I have felt this way for a long, long time.

Former VCU President Trani is promoting a plan to stop using Main Street Station and consolidate everything at one brand new station at Boulevard.
Trani’s allies are doing this fait accompli thing, where they are basically suggesting that citizens’ opinions like mine are pointless because decisions have already been made in favor of Trani’s plan. I doubt that and resent this politrick.
Those of us who have dealt wth VCU’s Trani in the past know this tactic all too well.

Anyway, I strongly urge all of you to make your opinion known (even if you don’t agree with mine). It’s not too late. Please go to www.vhsr.com/DC2RVA and spend a few seconds submitting your own comments to let Virginia state officials know your opinion. Virginia and the Federal Railroad Administration are requesting comments from the public before November 7th.

One neighbor submitted this comment:

Dear DRPT and FRA:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the federal DC2RVA high speed rail study.

I would like to devote my comment in support of keeping the Main Street Station as a key rail station in Richmond. After all, the planned Pulse route goes right by Main Street Station, and multi-modal transit was part of the consideration for the Pulse route.

Millions of tax dollars are being spent on the Pulse bus route, and it would be absurd to now change the location of the Richmond rail station so that it is not served by the new Pulse route.

Millions of tax dollars are also being spent to renovate the train shed behind Main Street Station. The original pitch for renovating the train shed was that it would help Main Street Station. Now that millions of dollars have been spent on the train shed it would be absurd to change the location of the Richmond rail station to exclude Main Street Station.

Richmond needs an iconic entry point by rail, and the Main Street Station is just such a landmark building. It is in a convenient location and within walking distance for a vast number of residents. It is also at a prominent destination point near the Va. State Capitol, VCU, Shockoe Bottom, etc.

Thank you for considering my comment devoted towards keeping Main Street Station as an important Richmond rail station.

Sincerely,

Enjoy The Folk Festival But Don’t Park In Oregon Hill

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There will be restricted parking in Oregon Hill this year for the this year’s 13th Annual Richmond Folk Festival.

Councilperson Parker Agelasto announced this at last night’s City Council meeting and OHNA President Jennifer Hancock confirmed that they are going over plans now.
Some portions of the neighborhood will be password protected for residents and some barricaded streets will be in effect.

While many neighbors are thankful and relieved to hear this, it is somewhat curious. With the roundabout construction, the route through or into the neighborhood is going to be congested anyway. There have been a few complaints from Southside residents about the lack of a Folk Festival bus shuttle to/from Southside. While the schedule is definitely rich in fantastic talent that should not be missed, there are no huge, blockbuster, headliner names. The Tredegar Civil War Center construction will also take up a lot of space that was previously used for the Festival.

In other words, while folks should look forward to attending the Richmond Folk Festival and expect to hear some great music, and certainly encourage others do so also, it seems like it will be purposely smaller this year. It’s a good year to use mass transit or ride bicycles to the Festival.

Depressing Local Politics

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After listening to a talk by local mass transit experts today, I am feeling pretty down. The universities and counties are still very noncommittal when it comes to financial support of the new BRT or expanded GRTC service. The universities would rather keep running their private shuttles and students are ok with that. I expect that means City residents will bear most if not all operating costs, as with so many other supposedly ‘regional’ projects. This is in turn is going to force many poor people out of the City, never mind any mobility advantages. Perhaps this was the hidden intention all along.

Also, along those lines… I did not attend the meeting of City Democrats last night (I am a Green, not a Democrat), but my understanding is that they rejected endorsing the federal Kaine/ Warner/Evans legislation to allow historic tax credits for school buildings. They also rejected endorsing the local Put Schools First referendum because it would require the Mayor to come up with a school modernization plan that does not rely on a big tax increase and the Democrats, including Mayor Stoney, want to put a big tax increase forward next year. That’s what I am hearing….

Oh, and despite public opposition, the City’s Urban Design Committee approved the latest Monroe Park Conservancy/VCU plan to to remove MORE trees from Monroe Park, AND (conversely) if you happen to be one of those Richmonders who think the Confederate statues on Monument Avenue should be removed, the state and City governments will not allow it.

Welcome to RVA, still very much like the old Richmond, which does not tolerate any uppity grassroots politics.