Friday, September 25, 2015

Greater Richmond Chamber supports BRT




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In a statement submitted to GRTC, The Greater Richmond Chamber publicly supports the GRTC Pulse (Bus Rapid Transit) project.

Mark Hickman, Senior Manager of Government & Community Affairs, released the letter from The Greater Richmond Chamber:

The Greater Richmond Chamber votes to support the
GRTC Pulse Bus Rapid Transit Project
The Chamber's Richmond Business Council and Henrico Business Council recommend that the Chamber Board endorse the project.

Richmond, VA - The Board of Directors of the Greater Richmond Chamber votes to support the Bus Rapid Transit project (BRT). The decision came on the recommendation of the Richmond Business Council and Henrico Business Council of the Greater Richmond Chamber, having each voted at their most recent meetings to support BRT. The BRT is an innovative and cost-effective transit solution with successful national and international models. It drastically cuts travel times and increases mobility, convenience and reliability. Often referred to as "light rail on wheels," BRT contains features similar to light rail or metro systems but at a fraction of the cost. The Richmond Region's GRTC Transit System is leading the design and implementation of this important inter-jurisdictional BRT project along the Broad Street corridor from Willow Lawn to Rocketts Landing, to be completed in 2017.

The Greater Richmond Chamber prioritizes workforce development and Millennial attraction and retention. "Reliable, shorter commute times mean more passengers, better access to more jobs and a better workforce for more local businesses," said Kim Scheeler, President and CEO of the Greater Richmond Chamber.  "Millennials value having multiple transit options, and this large generation is quickly becoming the nation's workforce.  BRT is critical to ensuring that Greater Richmond remains attractive to young professionals who will play a vital part in the region's future economic growth."

In addition to providing effective and efficient transit service that drastically reduces current travel times, BRT can also stimulate economic activity and investment along its corridor. Here in Greater Richmond over a twenty-year period, BRT is expected to generate an increase of $1.1 billion in property values alone.  In addition, BRT will be a catalyst for additional development of transit-oriented residential and retail space in the corridor.

With each endpoint anchored in Henrico County, and the center of the line in the City of Richmond, BRT is a collaborative project that will connect our metro area with much-needed mass rapid transit along a crucial urban corridor. BRT will bring immediate benefits to the Willow Lawn and Rocketts Landing areas, and connect current and future developments like Libbie Mill and the Stone Brewing Co. facility.  Scheeler noted, "The Chamber believes that BRT will be a foundation for an improved, expanded transit system across the entire service area and is the crucial first step in a regional mass transit plan."

"The Greater Richmond Chamber fully supports BRT as a much needed forward-thinking and long-term investment in creating a first-class rapid transit system for our region," said Chair Sam Young today at the Greater Richmond Chamber Board meeting.  "The Greater Richmond Chamber encourages the GRTC BRT Project Partners to continue to engage in active outreach and positive reception to the diversity of stakeholders and perspectives whose feedback has helped inform and improve this breakthrough project."

About Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
According to the National BRT Institute at the Center for Urban Transportation Research, BRT is an innovative, high capacity, lower cost public transit solution that significantly improves urban mobility. BRT integrated systems use specialized buses to quickly and efficiently transport passengers to their destinations. BRT is customized, flexible and state-of-the-art, resulting in more passengers and less traffic congestion. BRT is much more reliable, convenient and fast than regular bus services because it contains features similar to a light rail or metro system, according to the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy.

The current GRTC bus line serving the Broad Street corridor is among the most utilized by passengers in the GRTC Transit System but faces several challenges that hinder effective transportation, access and development along this geographic and economic center for the region. The planned BRT project will address those challenges and lay a foundation for long-term success that will benefit businesses, workers, shoppers, visitors and transit users of all ages and backgrounds. BRT will allow GRTC to implement improvements to connectivity and efficiency across the entire GRTC transit system that stem from major enhancements in the BRT corridor. BRT will also focus on improving roadway safety, mitigating traffic congestion, addressing parking and incorporating pedestrians and cyclists as part of a multimodal network.

Regarding the expected economic impact to the BRT project, the BRT in Cleveland, Ohio is often touted as a successful model and has served as an inspiration for the GRTC BRT project. The Cleveland BRT corridor, once an economically distressed and declining area, has seen $5.8 billion in new investment within five years of completion of their BRT. Business owners there recognized BRT's long-term value and ultimately demanded that additional stations be added to the corridor.
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About the Greater Richmond Chamber
The Greater Richmond Chamber is building a thriving business community by supporting the success of its members, providing a strong business voice and developing leaders and entrepreneurs. The Chamber, a not-for-profit business membership association, is the voice of business in the City of Richmond and the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan, as well as the Town of Ashland. www.GRCC.com @GRChamber


Contact   
Mark Hickman
Greater Richmond Chamber
(804) 783.9316 
mark.hickman@grcc.com


Chrystal Neal
Greater Richmond Chamber
(804) 783.9310
Chrystal.Neal@grcc.com




       
  

Friday, September 18, 2015

GRTC Pulse Project Update: Semi-Final Design Phase Begins

The GRTC Pulse (Bus Rapid Transit) Project enters the semi-final design phase in Fall 2015 with several key milestones completed.

In July 2015, the conceptual design phase ended. This design was presented to the public for feedback at two public meetings on July 27 and 28, 2015. Additionally, the conceptual design was presented to the City of Richmond’s Urban Design Committee (UDC) on August 20, 2015 and the Planning Commission (PC) on September 8, 2015. Both the UDC and the PC voted unanimously to recommend the conceptual design of the Pulse project, and provided specific feedback for the project partners to investigate and consider moving forward into the next phase of design work.

On September 15, 2015, GRTC announced receipt of the fully executed, approved TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) in the amount of $24.9 Million. After slight shifting of station locations between the award of the TIGER Grant in September 2014 and the end of the preliminary design phase in Summer 2015, another Section 106 review was conducted in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act to both confirm and ensure that “no adverse effect” would occur to any historic and archaeological sites along the project corridor. Public comment and participation is a part of the Section 106 process, as well. With these reviews complete, the US DOT finished processing the awarded grant. This receipt of the fully executed grant means the project remains on schedule and the Federal funds are in the bank.

The next phase of design will continue to include public engagement and feedback. The partners, comprised of the Commonwealth of Virginia (DRPT & VDOT), City of Richmond, GRTC and Henrico County, are collaboratively working to explore the feasibility and thoroughly address the recommended UDC and PC suggestions. They will also investigate and review, to the degree possible, other public concerns submitted during the public feedback process. This will include a detailed public response to each item including why or why not a recommendation is feasible with thorough technical explanation.  Members of the community and other stakeholders should expect an increased frequency of face-to-face engagement opportunities as the team is committed to working responsibly and comprehensively with the public. The semi-final design will be presented at public meetings on October 26 and 27, 2015 and also posted online at http://www.ridegrtc.com/brt/documents/. The project team plans to present the semi-final design to the UDC and PC at meetings held in November 2015. 

GRTC Pulse service will be operational in October 2017, providing improved quality of life with a faster, more frequent, improved, modern, urban transit service to better-connect the Greater Richmond Area. The Pulse is a high quality, high capacity modern transportation system that will serve a 7.6-mile route through the high-density and high-ridership areas along Broad Street to Main Street in the City of Richmond, with a terminus point at Rocketts Landing in the east and in Henrico County at Willow Lawn in the west.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Planning Commission Public Meeting September 8th

You have another opportunity to hear an update and contribute your comments about the Conceptual 30% Design of the GRTC Pulse (Bus Rapid Transit) Project. If you missed the July Public Meetings or the Urban Design Committee Presentation, this is another place to be engaged and informed on the latest news.
  • Planning Commission (PC) Meeting: Tuesday, September 8th at 1:30pm in the 2nd Floor Council Chambers of City Hall, 900 E. Broad Street.
The public is welcome to attend! You are also welcome to submit comments for the consideration of the PC, and can do so by emailing them to Jeff Eastman at jeff.eastman@richmondgov.com. All persons attending the meeting are requested to register on the attendance sheets that have been placed on the chairs and are also available at the table by the room entrance. Once you have completed an attendance sheet, it should be provided to the Commission staff.

We appreciate your continued engagement in this project!
View the Conceptual 30% Design documents HERE.

Missed the July Public Meetings? Check out the PowerPoints, display boards and more HERE.

Bus Rapid Transit Basics HERE.

Benefits of Bus Rapid Transit HERE.
GRTC Pulse is a high quality, high capacity rapid transit system that will serve a 7.6 mile route through the high-density and high-ridership areas along Broad Street to Main Street in the City of Richmond, with two terminus points at Rocketts Landing in the east (bordering City of Richmond and Henrico County) and Willow Lawn in the west (in Henrico County).