DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - FAITH WALKER
We are very grateful and excited to introduce RVA Rapid Transit's new Director of Community Engagement, Faith Walker! Faith's most recent claim to fame comes as the former Store Manager for the Front Porch Cafe in the Bon Secours Sarah Garland Jones Center in Richmond's East End. Faith has a long track record partnering with grassroots community leaders, business professionals, and neighborhood residents to advance healthy community outcomes. Faith also has a generative background in artistic marketing, creative advertisement, and social media outreach. Look for Faith around town, and for the near-term especially Zoom, driving forward the work of amplifying and advocating for bus riders' stories, concerns, and interests. Welcome Faith (faith@rvarapidtransit.org)!
CALL TO ACTION
HJ 542 - Transit Equity & Modernization Study: As you know, the Virginia General Assembly is in session. One key bill on the public transit front is "HJ 542 - Transit equity and modernization." Our friends at Virginia Interfaith Power and Light have an excellent overview of the billhere, and our friends at Virginia Transit Association summarize the bill's progress and how you can add in written public comment below:
HJ 542 – Patron Delegate Delores McQuinn – Study; DRPT; transit equity and modernization; report. Requests DRPT to conduct a two-year study of transit equity and modernization in the Commonwealth. One of the first of its kind in the US. DRPT, with the cooperation of all transit agencies that receive state transit grant funding, shall complete a study of transit accessibility, adequacy of transit infrastructure, implementation of emerging technology, transit safety, and transit system engagement.
Progress to date: The bill passed the House Rules Committee (17-1) and is up in the House Appropriations Committee's Transportation and Public Safety Subcommittee at 11 am on Friday, January 29. Should it pass the subcommittee, it'll immediately go to the Appropriations Committee at 1 pm on Friday, January 29.
To Comment visit https://hodspeak.house.virginia.gov/committees/H02/bill_feedback; scroll to HJ 542 (near the bottom); check it and then click the blue NEXT box; lastly, fill out the form and click the green Submit Comments button.
Transit Justice Principles: As part of a national campaign for transit justice, TransitCenter has spearheaded the creation of a powerful core list of Transit Justice Principles to guide transit decisions at federal, state, and local levels. The principles highlight that Americans need transit that is: 1) Equitable, 2) Sustainable, 3) Economically Productive, 4) Safe and Accessible, and 5) Affordable. You can see more info through the link above and sign on in support of the Transit Justice Principles as individuals or as organizations.
AROUND THE REGION
Transit Equity Day, Feb 4: Mark your calendars for the virtual lunch & learn for Transit Equity Day 12-1 pm next Thurs, Feb 4! This event will include our very own Kendra Norrell, RVA Rapid Transit Board President, and is co-hosted by Sierra Club Virginia Chapter and the Coalition for Smarter Growth, with support from other groups: "Join us on Rosa Parks’ birthday for a discussion and Q&A on the need to improve, expand and fund equitable public transit. Hear from transit champions in Northern Virginia, Richmond, Charlottesville and Hampton Roads talk about challenges and potential solutions. This event is co-hosted by Sierra Club Virginia Chapter and the Coalition for Smarter Growth with support from other groups. Register here!"
CVTA Returns: The CVTA will have its next full meeting tomorrow morning (8:30 am Fri, Jan 29). You can see the agenda here and public participate here. This meeting will largely focus on next steps in the logistical, financial setup of the CVTA. It does include as well a resolution to select AECOM and the Eno Center for Transportation to undertake the "Transit Service Governance Report" (see agenda p. 37-39). In a nutshell, this report will evaluate the current governance structure of GRTC, evaluate the possibility of creating a Transportation District, and offer options on this front for consideration. That report is now due as soon as possible, but no later than June 30, 2021. More to come on this front.
Nelson Reveley
Director of Operations, RVA Rapid Transit