Posts by Wyatt Gordon — Contributor
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Is Richmond’s bus rapid transit a priority at red lights? There are mixed signals.
The Pulse bus rapid transit line is the face of modern transit in Richmond. Planners praise it, and riders flock to it. One problem with it, however, is its transit signal prioritization (TSP) system, which some say isn’t delivering on promises to speed buses through red lights. Keep reading…
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Norfolk hopes to turn the tide on its transit
After years of stagnating ridership, Norfolk hopes to rejuvenate its transit system by modeling it after the City of Richmond’s successful bus system update. Norfolk is hoping to attract more people to its bus networks and expand its light rail system to be more useful to riders throughout the Hampton Roads region. Keep reading…
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Chesterfield County plans one intersection with a monster price tag
Recently, Richmond has garnered a reputation as something of a transit wunderkind thanks to its bus route redesign, award-winning Pulse Bus Rapid Transit, subsequent 17% growth in ridership, and the dynamic new CEO at the helm of the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC). Meanwhile, Chesterfield County—the locality to the city’s south that owns the other half of GRTC—is busting its budget to double down on car culture. Keep reading…
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This 22-mile biking and walking trail could improve health south of Richmond
Health outcomes in Virginia’s Gateway Region, the southern half of the Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area, lag behind those of the rest of the state. One organization hopes to help address this by finally completing a 22-mile multimodal path called the Appomattox River Trail (ART), which will give residents a safe place to walk and bicycle. Keep reading…
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City Council candidates in Richmond’s bellwether district want safer streets and better transit
Richmond’s 5th District lies at the heart of the city, both geographically and culturally, and the upcoming election for the City Council seat there is bringing urbanist issues like safer streets and better transit to the fore. Keep reading…
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After a pedestrian dies in a bus crash, Richmond sees renewed calls for better infrastructure
Last week, Alice E. Woodson died after she stepped into a bus lane and was struck by a Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) Pulse driver, leaving Richmond stunned. As Virginia’s capital grapples with grief, a consensus is emerging around what should be done to improve pedestrian safety along one of the city’s main corridors and only bus rapid transit line. Keep reading…
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Virginia is planning an east-west rail route connecting the Blue Ridge Mountains to the beach
A passenger rail advocacy group wants to bring back long-defunct east-west rail lines to connect the Blue Ridge Mountains and Virginia Beach. In its recent report, Virginians for High Speed Rail (VHSR) envisions a “Commonwealth Corridor” that would connect Christiansburg and the New River Valley with Hampton Roads. Keep reading…
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The Greater Richmond Transit Company’s new CEO answers 5 questions about her vision
Richmond has been logging a series of transit successes over the past year—17% gains in ridership, a coming expansion down Route 1 into Chesterfield, and service extensions in Henrico. Richmond’s premier transit provider, the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC), also has a new leader, its sixth (and first female) CEO, Julie Timm. Keep reading…
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Central Virginia is planning a 41-mile trail from Ashland to Petersburg
When the Virginia Capital Trail was first proposed back in 1999, critics derided the idea of the 51.7-mile multi-use path as overly-ambitious and too expensive. Today, the east-west trail connecting Virginia’s first capital of Jamestown with the modern seat of government, Richmond, faces concerns about overcrowding, and there’s now a sibling trail in the pipeline. Keep reading…
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To put the “park” back in parking, Richmond jumps into international Park(ing) Day with gusto
Cities across the world, including in the Washington and Baltimore regions, will temporarily turn parking spaces into parklets this Friday for the annual Park(ing) Day. While in past years Richmond sported just one Park(ing) Day parklet, this year it will have 20, and organizers hope some will become permanent. Keep reading…