AROUND THE REGION
SimpliSafe, which you may have heard about during the ad reads of some of your favorite podcasts, has decided to bring its second national call center to Willow Lawn. That's 527 new jobs headed to the region due, in part, to the proximity of the Pulse. Here's a great quote from the local law firm assisting SimpliSafe: "The building met all of the things they’re looking for in a site. They wanted to be on public transportation, and you’ve got the Pulse right there, a bus stop right next door, and you’ve got parking if you need it. They wanted amenities – shops, restaurants, places for the employees to get out and walk.” Richmond has a significant spacial mismatch between affordable housing and modest-wage jobs (PDF), so bringing good jobs to the Pulse corridor is a huge win.
Adam Lockett, vice chair of GRTC's Transit Advisory Group, has a great column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch about equitably investing in more and better transit on the city's Southside. How do we decide what and where to invest? Lockett is exactly right, saying, "Thankfully, the GRTC Transit System has a plan. In 2018, our region’s sole transit provider published the Transit Development Plan (TDP), laying out many possible improvements to the network, if only there were more funding. The document, which predates the success of the Pulse, is a guide to adding incremental frequency increases and extended service on local routes over the next decade."
Quick update: Last week, City Council approved the Special Use Permit for a 12-story apartment building on the northwest corner of Broad & Lombardy. Thanks to everyone who took the time to reach out to their City Council representative.
ELSEWHERE
TransitCenter has a new video out about making transit work for parents, caregivers, and children. While the challenges in New York are different than the challenges facing Richmond, we can still learn a lot from TransitCenter's proposed solutions. All of these would be welcomed in our region: Improved safety at street crossings near bus stops; comfortable, covered benches to wait at once you get to the stop; boosting mid-day service since many folks with kids travel outside of the morning and afternoon rush hours; and free fare for children of all ages. I'm sure Richmond's bus riders would have a bunch more ideas for improving the experience of riding with children, and GRTC and the City should actively seek feedback from them (and directly from kids, too!).
Yikes, Next City says that ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft increase carbon emissions by 69 percent compared with trips in private vehicles. Since transportation produces more greenhouse gas emissions than any other sector, it's clear that relying on private ride-hailing services won't allow our region to reach its climate goals.
—Ross Catrow