Posts by Wyatt Gordon — Contributor
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Barriers to housing abound in Virginia. Can these bills help break them down?
Since Governor Ralph Northam’s historic 3.7 billion dollar rail deal, eyes from across the country have been focused on Virginia’s attempt to transform statewide transportation policy. A flurry of exciting proposals from the General Assembly has reinforced the notion of a mobility revolution in the Commonwealth. The enthusiasm for change seems to have carried over to the state’s housing policy as well. Here are the top housing bills we’ll be watching. Keep reading…
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Which bills could improve transportation in Virgina? Here are a few we’re following.
In the first legislative session of the new decade, Virginia’s delegates and senators have submitted over one thousand more bills than they did last year. With so many proposals in the General Assembly’s pipeline, which possible future laws would improve transportation in the state? Here are the top bills we’ll be watching. Keep reading…
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Danville, Virginia may have the recipe for a resilient transit system
Headlines of doom and gloom have long plagued Danville. For the two thirds of Virginians residing in the state’s “Urban Crescent”—stretching from Northern Virginia through Richmond to Hampton Roads, Southern and Southwest Virginia can seem like irredeemable boondocks. The relatively recent heralding of Danville as the “Comeback City” shows there’s more nuance to the region. Either despite or because of its past hardships, Danville has pioneered a model of resilient transit service other cities across the nation could reproduce. Keep reading…
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A lot of legislation will pass through Virginia’s general assembly in 2020. Here’s what to watch.
From Governor Ralph Northam’s historic rail expansion deal to his administration’s first budget, a plethora of exciting new policies are on the horizon that could transform the way Virginia handles housing, transportation, and climate change. Keep reading…
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The Virginia legislature will soon convene. How does it work?
The Virginia legislature convenes Wednesday and once the pomp and circumstance of the opening rituals subside, legislators will quickly set about making policies on issues from transportation and housing to guns and labor. Beginning this week I will be covering the 2020 Virginia General Assembly and the top issues that impact the region. Keep reading…
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Why bunching plagues Richmond’s Pulse buses, and how we can fix it
Waiting 40 minutes for the next bus is an all too common experience for many of Richmond’s Southside residents isolated by hourly service, but the frequent runs of the Greater Richmond Transit Company’s Pulse bus rapid transit line were supposed to ensure riders along Broad Street never have to wait more than 10 to 15 minutes. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks the Pulse has faced a bout of bus bunching, especially during the evening rush hour. Keep reading…
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Virginia’s big buy-in on rail could transform regional mobility
“We cannot pave our way out of congestion.” With that declaration, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced a historic 3.7 billion dollar rail deal with CSX on Thursday that will allow the Commonwealth to drastically expand Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) service over the next decade. Keep reading…
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Could regional expansion solve Charlottesville, Virginia’s transit “death spiral?”
Five years ago Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) had a ridership of 2.4 million; this year the city’s transit expects to serve just 1.7 million riders. The system lost more than one-fourth of its ridership since 2014, and CAT’s new director Garland Williams says it’s in a “death spiral.” Keep reading…
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Hopewell, VA’s complete streets overhaul shows small towns can be urbanist too
The successes and setbacks of creating safer streetscapes in big cities dominate our imagination, but many corners of small town America are quietly undergoing a complete streets transformation as well. The compact street grids of smaller cities like Hopewell, Virginia that developed before the advent of the automobile represent low-hanging fruit in the fight for safer, healthier, and more sustainable communities. Keep reading…
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This new package of bills aims to make Richmond’s streets safer for all users
Watching the Pulse bus drive off as you wait to cross the street, traversing treacherous sidewalks and dangerous streets, waiting for a bus that never comes—these experiences are all too common in Richmond, where there’s an emerging consensus that the city’s streets need to be fixed. Keep reading…