Richmond Region Transportation

[Flood Zone]

This is probably of limited importance, but Chesterfield County seems to have updated its Powhite Parkway Extension webpage fairly recently. Although the page breaks down the extension in the familiar Phase I and Phase II terms, the page used to emphasize (in italics) that Phase II was conceptual only. It still refers to Phase II as conceptual (no italics), adding there is no funding for it at this time, but now there is more information about the concept. Plus, the page notes that design work on Phase I is underway, a review pursuant to NEPA will be conducted, etc.

Edited December 20, 2023 by Flood Zone

[I miss RVA]

57 minutes ago, 123fakestreet said:

we seem to be creating more (old dominion tower, public safety building, coliseum....)

!! !!

Add to that the space on 7th Street between Main and Cary that the state owns.

[I miss RVA]

Meant to post this on Friday but I got busy:

WRIC-TV8 News is reporting that GRTC is planning some service changes in 2024, including increasing frequency on the PULSE Broad Street line. Several routes - the 5 Cary/Main/Whitcomb, the 19 West Broad Street, the 20 Orbital, and the 91 Laburnum connector) will enjoy frequency improvements.  The 93 Azalea connector will be discontinued and replaced with the new LINK microtransit service (so folks currently served by the 93 won't lose public transit; the service will just change). 

The 1A Hull/Midlothian will be extended into Chesterfield via Midlothian Turnpike to Walmart Way (not quite all the way to Midlothian itself but pretty darn close!)

The 19 West Broad Street will be extended into Goochland County via Wilkes Ridge Parkway to the Sheltering Arms Institute.

Plenty of other changes/tweaks are detailed in the article.

From WRIC-TV8 News:

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/service-changes-coming-to-greater-richmond-transit-company-beginning-of-next-year/

Edited December 24, 2023 by I miss RVA

[eandslee]

I also read that it will take 5-15 years to build out the entire north-south routed Pulse in today’s RTD article with a similar title. 

[I miss RVA]

1 hour ago, eandslee said:

I also read that it will take 5-15 years to build out the entire north-south routed Pulse in today’s RTD article with a similar title. 

Here's hoping it doesn't take anywhere close to that long. Doesn't conventional wisdom check in (based on what we know) at about eight years?

[Flood Zone]

5 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Here's hoping it doesn't take anywhere close to that long. Doesn't conventional wisdom check in (based on what we know) at about eight years?

Depends on funding, but if the current is any guide than 10 years is about right. First became public in 2008 and opened in 2018. 

[I miss RVA]

On 12/11/2023 at 9:39 AM, I miss RVA said:

Whelllllllllp - as much kvetching as I do about "where's the funding for the James River Crossing" portion of our "RVA as Virginia's Rail Hub" initiative, lo and behold money comes in for another portion of the overall rail resurrection that will absolutely benefit the Capital City. Axios Richmond is reporting today that the proposed "Commonwealth Corridor" connecting Charlottesville with Hampton Roads won a $500K grant last week from the USDOT for the portion between CVille and Richmond. Since the entire route is north of the river, we can expect service to connect Charlottesville to Staples Mill Road AND Main Street Station, which already serves trains coming from the Peninsula. The proposed rail service will replace the current bus connection between Richmond and Charlottesville. (See graphic - below)

Unquestionably, with the other projects - including the larger "R2R" initiative - the Commonwealth Corridor represents a big WIN for Richmond, firmly establishing River City (and ultimately -- specifically -- Main Street Station) as the Commonwealth's hub for passenger rail service. 

The Virginia Mercury went into a bit more depth on the burgeoning Commonwealth Corridor in August. (See link - below)

From today's Axios Richmond:

https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2023/12/11/richmond-charlottesville-passenger-line-amtrak

From the August 31, 2023 Virginia Mercury:

https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/08/31/a-new-passenger-rail-corridor-could-connect-hampton-roads-to-blacksburg-and-beyond/

 

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE & UPDATE

Folks, not anything really "breaking" - but a good piece of additional coverage on the burgeoning rail infrastructure coming together in the Commonwealth by the Henrico Citizen, with some nifty graphics and a great interview with a college student who lives in NOVA and takes Amtrak to Richmond for college (not sure if she goes to VCU or U of R - story did not say).  The new pieces some additional flavor to this story. (The video included in the story is definitely worth watching as well.)

I have to say - I'm super excited to see what the next decade holds for rail service in Virginia - and how long it will take for Richmond to become the state's hub of rail traffic that will funnel all passenger traffic coming from Raleigh, Florida, Norfolk, Newport News - and other points to our south - through Main Street Station northward to Washington, D.C. (in addition to the planned roughly hourly service between the two cities (D.C. and Richmond). Dunno what the rail situation is between Raleigh and Atlanta, but how cool would it be if Amtrak sometime in the future once everything was fully put together launched service with perhaps the moniker "The Capital Express" that would go from Atlanta to Raleigh to Richmond to D.C. - four capitals (three state, one national) -- and be a super-connector for a swath of the southeastern U.S. THAT, my friends, would be coolness to the max level! Maybe someone should put the bug in Amtrak's ear about developing such a route with that moniker.

From the Henrico Citizen (dateline December 8, 2023):

https://www.henricocitizen.com/articles/how-virginia-passenger-rail-will-be-transformed-in-next-decade/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Here's the video included in the story (on YouTube):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB8PMp2Pch8

 

[I miss RVA]

GRTC has kicked off the expansion of the route 1A deep into Chesterfield, according to reporting in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The eight-mile extension has 27 stops along Midlothian Turnpike, and the western-most terminus is at the Walmart/Sam's Club on Walmart Way, just under a mile west of Chesterfield Towne Center. Service will be every 30 minutes until 7 p.m.

This is VERY exciting and encouraging, particularly as GRTC and CVTA continue working toward full development and construction of the north/south PULSE line that will also travel along Midlothian Turnpike with a terminus at Chesterfield Towne Center. I'll be interested to see if the 1A route gets extended further to go all the way to Midlothian, particularly once the PULSE line gets underway. Once we have the PULSE up and running, GRTC service along Midlo will essentially mirror service along West Broad (particularly when the Broad Street line is extended to Parham Road) - in which both PULSE and local service will be available along the route.

From today's Richmond Times-Dispatch:

GRTC celebrates 8-mile Chesterfield expansion (richmond.com)

[ancientcarpenter]

I just want to say what a wonderful service we have in RVA with the buses. I have been taking Cary and Main st lines for work this month and it's been easy and enjoyable. Bus has been generally 50% to 90% full. Really great stuff. 

One of the things that convinced me to take the bus was that it is free. I think the old payment/ticket part of taking the bus is what is confusing to so many people like me and it's just not worth the hassle. Knowing that it was "hop on hop off" free service allowed me to use it on a whim. Also, I've gotten on the wrong bus a few times (only) and it was nice not having to waste money b/c of it. 

I'm sure the bus services being free has exponentially improved other peoples' lives that are on limited budget but for a middle class guy like me it has also had benefits. 

I encourage everyone to take the bus or at least give it a try. If I can do it in the winter then anyone can - I hate the cold! I never realized how stressed I was driving to work every morning... the bus has taken that stress away and I don't have to worry or pay for parking any longer!

Edited January 17 by ancientcarpenter

[I miss RVA]

3 hours ago, ancientcarpenter said:

I just want to say what a wonderful service we have in RVA with the buses. I have been taking Cary and Main st lines for work this month and it's been easy and enjoyable. Bus has been generally 50% to 90% full. Really great stuff. 

One of the things that convinced me to take the bus was that it is free. I think the old payment/ticket part of taking the bus is what is confusing to so many people like me and it's just not worth the hassle. Knowing that it was "hop on hop off" free service allowed me to use it on a whim. Also, I've gotten on the wrong bus a few times (only) and it was nice not having to waste money b/c of it. 

I'm sure the bus services being free has exponentially improved other peoples' lives that are on limited budget but for a middle class guy like me it has also had benefits. 

I encourage everyone to take the bus or at least give it a try. If I can do it in the winter then anyone can - I hate the cold! I never realized how stressed I was driving to work every morning... the bus has taken that stress away and I don't have to worry or pay for parking any longer!

I completely agree, @ancientcarpenterre: taking the bus. Outside of the occasional Uber when absolutely necessary, I take the bus (and the "L") here in Chicago everywhere. I haven't driven or owned a car in almost nine years now - almost all of my transportation is on CTA.

Loving what's going on with GRTC - it's always had this kind of awesome potential - and it's very gratifying to see it finally beginning to live up to that potential. I still wish we had some form of streetcar service in place - it could so easily be transformed into the new-style urban light rail systems that are popping up in cities all over the world. In the U.S. - the place that most readily comes to mind is Portland. It honestly would be so amazing to still have in-town rail service - just updated for modern trackage/electrical and rolling stock.

Still - GRTC is doing a fantastic job - and my hat is off to all of the agencies, whether state, federal and/or local who have been providing sufficient funds to allow GRTC to remain fare-free. I honestly hope and pray that continues because the service a well-developed, well-integrated-into-the-fabric-of-a-region mass transit system provides is absolutely invaluable.

Is the current funding good through the end of the 2024 calendar year or the end of the fiscal year? And I wonder if more funding might be made available to keep the fare-free program going?

Edited January 17 by I miss RVA

[Shakman]

GRTC is definitely one of the better systems I have used.  When I lived in Richmond, I would take the bus from the Museum District to Downtown.

[Flood Zone]

2 hours ago, I miss RVA said:

Is the current funding good through the end of the 2024 calendar year or the end of the fiscal year?

The reporting from a year or so ago was free through June 2024. However, the GRTC page says free "until further notice." Whether that represents a substantive change in things, I don't know.

[I miss RVA]

41 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

The reporting from a year or so ago was free through June 2024. However, the GRTC page says free "until further notice." Whether that represents a substantive change in things, I don't know.

Good to know. Hopefully additional funding rolls in - and soon. It would be good to keep the bus system humming along and fare-free.

[I miss RVA]

A BIG boost in the national (and potentially international!) name-recognition department for Richmond!!!

Our beloved capital city was recently featured in an in-depth article last month by the esteemed New York Times examining the growing shift in the U.S. toward BRT systems. Richmond - and the PULSE system features prominently in the story, which paints both in a VERY positive light and highlights where RVA is going in terms of significantly improving regional mass transit. We certainly have a long way to go - but we're obviously doing something right. Below are screen grabs of the Richmond-specific portion of the article, as well as a link to the story itself. Not sure if folks will encounter a pay wall - I am a NYT subscriber, so that's not an issue for me. Either way, it's well worth the time to sit, read and soak in. Richmond bats lead-off in the article and really stands out in a super positive way.

As I say so many times, THIS is EXACTLY the kind of OUTSTANDING national pub that RVA so desperately needs to continue momentum in building widespread name recognition.

NOTE: Since the article was presented in a roll-over graphic style (and as such, screen grabs could appear repetitive and confusing), I've highlighted where the grabs change to reflect how the article updates with each feature described, and call attention to important information.

From the December 7, 2023 editions of the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/07/headway/bus-systems-routes.html?unlocked_article_code=1.O00.lUUr.nwtBSC19JkXj&smid=url-share

 

Edited January 23 by I miss RVA

[I miss RVA]

Following on the heels of the NY Times article featuring Richmond and the PULSE line, the editorial board of the Times-Dispatch in late December crafted an outstanding piece that's part editorial, part news story, singing the praises of the resurgence of GRTC, the potential for a truly regional mass transit system, and calling for the free-fare program to become a permanent fixture. Really good article - and very much worth taking a few minutes to read.

From the December 28th editions of the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

https://richmond.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-a-truly-regional-transit-system-is-finally-within-reach-but-only-with-zero-fares/article_fe674b76-a4e8-11ee-aff9-63cd22f30adc.html

[Flood Zone]

Feels like this is kind of under-the-radar, but GRTC is having an initial public meeting tomorrow regarding the location and amenities for a future, permanent downtown transfer hub.

[I miss RVA]

10 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

Feels like this is kind of under-the-radar, but GRTC is having an initial public meeting tomorrow regarding the location and amenities for a future, permanent downtown transfer hub.

Definitely merits monitoring.

@RVABizSenseMike-- any chance this is on the RBS staff's radar?

[RVABizSenseMike]

1 hour ago, I miss RVA said:

Definitely merits monitoring.

@RVABizSenseMike-- any chance this is on the RBS staff's radar?

Yeah, I believe one of my colleagues will be attending and covering the meeting tomorrow night. 

[I miss RVA]

Just now, RVABizSenseMike said:

Yeah, I believe one of my colleagues will be attending and covering the meeting tomorrow night. 

Awesome! Thanks, Mike. 

[Shakman]

I no longer consider NYT as "esteemed" but any positive coverage beyond Richmond media outlets is welcomed.

[eandslee]

5 hours ago, Shakman said:

I no longer consider NYT as "esteemed" but any positive coverage beyond Richmond media outlets is welcomed.

Spot on! 

[123fakestreet]

https://richmondbizsense.com/2024/01/26/grtcs-shortlist-for-new-transfer-station-includes-public-safety-building-site/

 

GRTC considering Public Safety Building site for permanent transfer plaza. Also considering the newly empty Dominion tower site. Ew.  Seems perfect where it is especially given the new N/S BRT route, just built it out more.

Edited January 26 by 123fakestreet

[Flood Zone]

If they choose the empty Dominion tower site, that would be a disaster. We need 7th and 8th down there to be free of impediments, especially when the GA is in session.

Edited January 26 by Flood Zone

[blopp1234]

26 minutes ago, Flood Zone said:

If they choose the empty Dominion tower site, that would be a disaster. We need 7th and 8th down there to be free of impediments, especially when the GA is in session.

I think it depends on their design. I think if they did something similar to a taller version of Raleigh’s under construction RUS Bus tower would be a good addition, but I do agree that a surface transfer station with nothing else would be a real disappointment, especially if they chose the empty dominion tower site. 

[eandslee]

I’m just excited to hear that they want the transfer station to be a part of a lager mixed-use development!  I’ve always envisioned the bus transfer station on the ground level of a 30+-story mixed-use tower.  Sounds like they didn’t talk about how big the mixed-use development would be, but it has the potential to be huge!  When you consider retail, residential, a hotel, office space…depending on how much of each component is included, it could be a significant structure.  Mixed use also just makes sense. You’ll want a variety of “destinations” right there where there should be a lot of people to help buoy the transfer station.  It should be the center of much activity and movement.  The only thing I’m a bit worried about in their plan so far is that they are only looking at 10 bays.  Seems a bit small considering the Pulse N/S route could be going through there, plus any room for expansion.  Build it for the future!  It wouldn’t take that much to add 5-8 more stalls to account for future growth.  I would just hate to see it obsolete shortly after it is built.