Why rapid transit for Metropolitan Richmond

Vision of RVA Rapid Transit and metro-wide connectivity receiving support of congregations across Metropolitan Richmond!

"Why rapid transit for Metropolitan Richmond" Richmond Times-Dispatch, Oct 20, 2015

"Faith Leaders support vision of RVA Rapid Transit group" Richmond Times-Dispatch, Oct 15, 2015

See www.metrocrt.org for more information and the Clergy Statement of Support with 200+ signatures. 

We Came, We Saw, We Canvassed

On April 7, 2015 and April 18, 2015 organizers and supporters of RVA Rapid Transit participated in Canvass the Corridor, an event designed to create awareness of and gather feedback about the Broad Street BRT project. 

Volunteers were equipped with information about the project, which they shared with interviewees, and they also collected feedback on awareness of the project, attitudes toward it, and suggestions for improvement.

The major learnings of the survey were that more people are unaware (63%) than aware (37%) of the Broad Street BRT project, and that far more people are in favor (59%) than against the project (9%) with the remainder giving a neutral response (33%). 

Support and concerns elucidated a few recurring themes. 

The major supporting sentiments were that the speed and regularity of the system would be a vast improvement; business owners thought that improved transit would bring more customers to the corridor; and that as a growing metro, Richmond’s transit system needs to keep up. 

The major concerns were that the removal of parking will create major problems; the system will be bad for businesses on the corridor (this was a combination of parking concerns and business owners not wanting BRT near their stores); that the project does not solve a major need for the city and doesn’t fit into a plan of any sort; and that there needs to be improved north-south service as well.

Of his firsthand experience, said RVA Rapid Transit volunteer Grady Hart, “Local businesses on Broad street are concerned about losing parking spaces, but there also is some excitement at the idea of a BRT system bringing more business to their doorsteps - especially when looking at the long term goal of connecting the surrounding counties with the city.”

These preliminary results are very encouraging, as community support is critical to the success of any rapid transit system. 

They do, however, suggest a need for better education by GRTC, Richmond City, and Henrico County on the existence and merits of the project. Though overall awareness was at 37%, awareness among the GRTC riders was only 21%, and some of the major questions from merchants and riders alike were about how the Broad Street project fits into a larger plan or vision for the city. 

“Broad Street is the first step toward a regional rapid transit system. The positive energy of the canvassing volunteers on both days was encouraging,” said RVA Rapid Transit organizer Ebony Walden.

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.