#AskNicholas: Getting the Pulse out to Short Pump

Question: When will the Pulse go out to Short Pump?

Nicholas: We want the Pulse will go to Short Pump soon, but, as an advocacy group, we can't put a date on it. However, starting when the Pulse opens, Henrico will run its Broad Street bus, the #19, from Willow Lawn to Gaskins every 30 minutes (but not on evenings and weekends).

Henrico's portion of the Transit Development Plan, while not yet finalized, is almost sure to extend that route to Short Pump and expand the hours of operation. When that plan is implemented depends on when funds are available. So, especially if you live, work, or shop in Henrico, let your supervisor know that transit funding is important to you!

#AskNicholas: Easy fare payment

Question: Do you see a payment system like Uber for buses?

Nicholas: A payment system like Uber for buses (and trains) sort of exists! In some transit systems, you can download an app and purchase your pass with a credit card as the bus arrives, then show your device to the driver or an inspector if drivers don't check fares. Milwaukee has this for buses (show the driver) and Germany has it for trains (an inspector may come by).

GRTC is testing mobile payments on its buses, which it hopes to debut to the public soon, and it will soon have tap cards, like in DC and elsewhere. Eventually, GRTC may allow you to link your tap card to your credit card so it automatically renews a monthly/weekly pass or a fixed amount (e.g. $10-$20) when you run out. And since there's no surge pricing and fares are fixed (not based on distance), you'll know exactly how much you're paying without ever having to worry about if you have enough money in your account. How easy is that?

#AskNicholas: Transit and the Amazon HQ2 RFP

Question: Amazon has made transit a critical part of the HQ2 RFP process. Do you expect this to become a trend?

Nicholas: I think it's already a trend! More and more, businesses are locating near transit: we've seen this just up the road in the DC area, with businesses requiring office space near a metro station and Tysons seeing huge development. Though not everyone will want to use transit, many people do, and while predicting this with 100% certainty is impossible, I expect this trend will only increase. Businesses are on board in the Richmond region (CoStar and Owens & Minor, for example), and the city of Richmond is seeing more people move to it than any of the region's counties—and transit is certainly a factor.

#AskNicholas: Smaller buses and stop spacing

Question: 1) Why do bus systems not use smaller buses for low-usage routes? 2) What is the optimum gap/distance between stops?

Nicholas: Using smaller buses doesn't usually reduce costs much and may actually cost more. Smaller buses are cheaper to buy but generally don't last as long, both in time and number of miles travelled, so they must be replaced more often. (If you can solve this problem, you can probably make a lot of money!) Smaller buses may use less fuel, but fuel is a minor cost compared to labor costs, including the driver and maintenance, which are usually the same regardless of the type of bus you have. Fairfax County found that the larger buses, which are about 3/4 of the buses in US public transit fleets, were cheaper over their entire lifespan.

---

Nicholas: Richmond recently started applying a five-stops-per-mile stop spacing policy. The main advantage of consolidating stops like this is that you eliminate much of the time a bus spends slowing down, opening doors, and accelerating. If you go from 20 stops with one person waiting at each to 10 stops with two people waiting at each, you save all that slow time and only add the extra second it takes to load the second passenger. Optimal stop spacing for buses is usually about a quarter mile, but varies depending on the street layout: Long blocks may have a stop at every cross street while short blocks at every third cross street.

However, this doesn't mean people have to walk a quarter mile extra to get to the closest bus stop! Imagine walking to Broad Street in downtown Richmond, an area with short blocks that could have stops every third cross street (at 3rd, 6th, 9th, etc). If you're coming on 3rd, 6th, or 9th, your bus stop is right there. If you're coming on 4th, 7th, or 10th, then you'll walk just one block west. If you're coming on 5th, 8th, or 11th, then you'll walk just one block east. At most you're walking one block extra, which might be just 300 ft (1/18th of a mile).

Of course, each situation is different, so if you have a large, popular destination you might want an additional stop. In areas with low ridership buses rarely stop, so stops can be more frequent.