Transportation transformation, city transit system set to change

Katrina Lockhart

Contributing Writer

The city of Richmond can expect changes in public transportation over the next few years.

An ongoing study will poll public transportation users and make improvements to the transit system based on the public opinion.

The study is being conducted by the Greater Richmond Transit Company, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Richmond Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, according to the GRTC Web site.

Last month, a public meeting on a rapid transit system was held at the Children’s Museum of Richmond on West Broad Street. The purpose of the meeting was to inform and receive feedback from the public, according to the Connection newsletter that is published by the DRPT.

According to the GRTC, DRPT and RAMPO; the companies have developed a strategy for a new regional transit framework. The proposed corridor for the study would occur on Broad Street.

At the public scoping meeting, John Lewis, the CEO of GRTC, said the proposed transit transformation “will really be an exciting opportunity for Richmond.”

“We’re talking about 700 buses a day riding up and down Broad Street. What we’re looking to do is transform public transportation to make it rapid, efficient and effective to give people options for their mobility,” Lewis said.

Lewis said there are three different types of alternatives being studied: No Build Alternative, Baseline Alternative and a Build Alternative. The No Build Alternative is representative of no improvements. Baseline Alternative is the least costly. The Build Alternative will construct a new transit system altogether.

The need for change in the transit system is evident, said freshman Paula Ward.

“The bus system is very important. It helps me get to places a little bit farther than right on campus like Willow Lawn,” Ward said.

Lewis said a more effective transit system would cut travel times, serve as an alternative to congested highways, and be more convenient and reliable to transit users. He said some people in Richmond do not have any personal transportation, and public-provided transit serves as a means of travel.

K.B. Basseches, a former art education professor, said she believes her art business will appeal to students in the area, but lack of reliable transportation could reduce student turnout.

“The railway system is the way to go. I think (the city needs) a light rail system that goes to Short Pump all the way to where they’re proposing at Rocketts Landing and they need a segment that goes to the University of Richmond,” Basseches said.

Some attendants of the public meeting questioned where the funding would come from. According to a DPRT press release, the DRPT was awarded $30.4 million in federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery funds on Feb. 23 for regional rapid transit improvements in Northern Virginia.

Other concerns addressed included how a revised transit system might affect roadside parking but according to the DPRT, it will be a while before a permanent plan is in effect for the city.