WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013

Supporting Bus Rapid Transit is part of the city's Sustainability Plan. A BRT dedicated lane on the roadway increases the bus' ability to move quickly through downtown traffic. BRT offers improved travel times, reliability, safety and security, and moves commuters at a higher capacity, reducing the need for downtown parking, and decreases greenhouse gas emissions.

Population densities above 10,000 people per square mile are amenable to higher transit use, and this includes the Monroe Ward (the area immediately east and south of Belvidere and Broad), the Fan, areas around Virginia Commonwealth University, and the surrounding Richmond Redevelopment and Housing authority communities. These areas are also major employment hubs.

BRT offers many of the advantages of rail transit at a more affordable cost using new routes, high quality stations, and roadway improvements.

The Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) study team presented the latest plans to improve transit service along the seven mile length of Broad Street from Rocketts Landing east of downtown Richmond to Willow Lawn just over the city limits line to the public in August.

The study website and electronic comment form, with corridor maps

To send comments by mail, address them to Larry Hagin, Director of Planning, GRTC Transit System, 301 E. Belt Blvd., Richmond, VA 23224

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2013

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones presided at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueled buses on Aug. 1, at the GRTC Transit System Maintenance Facility on East Belt Boulevard. Following the ribbon cutting, the bus carried the Mayor back to City Hall.

In 2011, the Mayor’s Office met with GRTC officials about the benefits of transitioning the bus fleet to CNG fueled vehicles as retired buses were replaced. The benefits included significantly reduced fuel costs, improved air quality, and reduced noise pollution. GRTC initiated the procedure to replace vehicles, as they were retired from the fleet, with new CNG fueled vehicles for both its paratransit and fixed route services.

In early July 2013, GRTC received its first shipment of 8 CNG buses, with plans for an additional 21 to arrive at the end of the year. GRTC already has 15 CNG paratransit vans that have been in service since November 2012, and has 15 additional vans on order.

To support the transition to CNG fueled vehicles, GRTC’s maintenance and fueling facilities are being modified to accommodate CNG vehicles. A new CNG fueling station that will be located at the GRTC facility is scheduled to break ground in October 2013.

Meanwhile, at Richmond International Airport, nine CNG shuttle buses were put into service on Aug. 8 to carry customers from the terminal to the economy parking facilities, and a CNG fueling station was built on airport property.

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013

Mayor Dwight C. Jones' Pedestrian, Bicycling, and Trails Commission invited the city of Richmond to participate in Richmond Bike Month during May 2013. The goal of the 2nd Annual Richmond Bicycle Commuter Challenge was to show bike commuting is easy, affordable, and healthy.

"The Richmond Bicycle Commuter Challenge is a great way for our residents to learn and experience the tremendous health and sustainability benefits of bicycling. It is my hope that local businesses and large employers alike partner with us to promote a healthy Richmond, and be a central resource in increasing the overall health of our city," said Mayor Jones. "My administration has the goal of making Richmond one of the most bicycle and pedestrian-friendly cities in the country."

Participants were encouraged to ride their bicycle to and from work, and report days commuted at the end of each week for the entire month of May. Riding a bicycle for only part of the commute, such as to join a car pool or get to a bus stop, were counted. Participants registered online and logged their weekly commutes. All commutes must be reported on the website by Friday, June 7, and the results will be announced by Friday, June 15.

"This is an opportunity to encourage everyone to try bike commuting and possibly make cycling a routine as well as a healthy travel option for commuting or running errands. Richmond Bike Month will also allow Richmond area cyclists to see the city's infrastructure improvements, including widespread bike parking racks and improved bike routes across the city," said the city's Bicycle Coordinator Jakob Helmboldt.

Mayor Jones and the Pedestrian, Bicycling, and Trails Commission celebrated Richmond Bike Month on May 17 during the Bike to Work Day rally at Monroe Park.

Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians have shared rights and responsibilities when using city streets. Please visit the Richmond Bicycle Commuter Challenge link for safety tips and laws.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013

Since 1953, Keep Virginia Beautiful has been working to do just that by developing community programs for five impact areas: litter prevention, waste reduction, recycling, roadside beautification, and education about the environment.

To celebrate the organization's 60th anniversary, Keep Virginia Beautiful is introducing a new campaign just for you. The first thing you can do is give 60 minutes of your time by volunteering in your neighborhood and community to make a difference in one of those five impact areas.

The second thing you can do is donate $60 to Keep Virginia Beautiful. Non-profits and other organizations can share in the donations by sponsoring a local project and promoting it. Find out more here.

What else can your group do? All kinds of things, including planting a community garden, organizing a clean-up, removing graffiti, cleaning up a park or hiking trail, or starting a recycling program somewhere. More ideas and volunteer opportunities are on the kvb60.org website.

Afterward, submit your project through a photo or video and you might be a winner! There will be a gala at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in October to announce the results! Tickets are on sale now on the website. There's also a golf tournament and grant program, so log on now and see all the things you can do to make your contribution.