Of late some in our city have been voicing concern about
plans for the GRTC Pulse. They have been doing so out of extremely good
intentions, and we applaud their passion for effective transit. Nevertheless,
in responding to the concerns we've heard - listed below - we lay out why now
is the time to press forward with a project that has been years in the making.
[for more details on the short answers below, see
www.rvarapidtransit.org
"news" tab]
1) It's just an expensive ($54 million to build) bus line
aimed at "choice riders" that repeats the #6 bus.
The short answer: The GRTC Pulse is neither a regular bus
line, nor the same as the #6. It extends farther than the #6 and functions like
a light rail line, stopping at less frequently than a bus route but still
connecting many major areas along its route, including downtown and VCU. This
route was chosen after much study because of its current density, further
potential for growth, and capacity to connect everyone more fully to the commerce,
employment, health care, higher education, government services, and recreation
that lies along the corridor, and beyond via swifter transfers. Currently
33,000 people and 77,000 jobs lie within a half-mile of planned BRT stations,
with more of each projected in the decades ahead. Clearly other activity
centers and neighborhoods lie beyond this corridor, but this project is a
starting point and catalyst for regional improvements and extensions toward
metro-wide transit.
2) The BRT will operate at a deficit that seems likely to
cost the city millions every year.
The short answer: Nearly all transportation services (roads,
buses, etc.) tend to operate at a deficit. They generally are a public service.
That said, investment into the infrastructure and operation of the faster more
reliable transit provided by BRT has also been shown in cities around the globe
to be a spur to economic growth, ultimately offsetting any higher costs in GRTC
budget.
3) The Richmond BRT is the only such bus route in the country
that does not include parking (park and ride) for the suburban and
"choice" riders it proposed to attract.
The short answer: Conversations continue to be underway with
regards to park-and-ride lots, but it’s key to note the goal is a comprehensive
system where park-and-rides along this current stretch are generally not a key
to success – park-and-ride need is enormously reduced if the line runs out to
Short Pump and also connects with corridors down routes 360, 1, and 60.
4) The plan will reduce Broad Street from 3 lanes to 2 in
each direction.
The short answer: According to recent traffic studies, at
present two travel lanes in each direction on Broad Street provide more
capacity than current traffic at any point along the route. BRT plans also include
adding left-hand turn lanes at certain intersections, thereby helping ease the
flow of traffic. Ultimately, with the BRT in conjunction with a growing
population, Broad Street will probably feel neither no more nor no less
trafficked, but absent this reliable, efficient transit alternative that can
compete with car use, Broad Street will undoubtedly be far more congested in
the decades ahead.
5) The plan will eliminate many left turns on Broad Street,
will eliminate about half the parking spaces, and most of the loading zones.
The short answer: Many left-turns are already restricted
along the corridor today, yet even after any and all changes with the BRT,
left-turns will still be available about every three blocks. Ultimately, while
roughly 300 on-street parking spots on Broad will be restricted along the
corridor, there will only be an overall 4% reduction in parking spots (public
and private, on-street and off-street) within one block of the corridor from N
Thompson St (just east of 195) to 14th St (see link to details below). This
reduction in parking comes in exchange for far more free flowing access for
employees and customers via transit. The City’s Department of Planning &
Development Review is currently in consultation with business owners about how
best to reconfigure loading zones.
6) The construction will take about a year and a half. It
seems likely that many of the businesses that have generated the renaissance on
Broad over past eight years or so will not survive the construction nor the
long-term consequences of the project.
The short answer: Construction (at station sites and where
the BRT will be median running, from Thompson Street to Foushee Street) will be
done in phases guided by VDOT, which has an excellent record managing projects
while minimizing the effect on local residents and businesses. The City is also
currently undertaking not only a study on ways to mitigate effects on
businesses during nearby construction, but also a study on how to best
encourage future growth along the corridor.
It is critical not to let the long term of decades/the
coming century of quality development-spurring transit be crowded out by
concern for three to four months of carefully planned construction at a given
section along the route. As soon as reliable efficient transit is up and
running, it will enormously ease the flow of customers and employees to
businesses along the corridor.
7) The plan does nothing for those who really need better
transit service: the regular bus riders who sorely need better service. The
GRTC's own $1.2 million study states that 47% of Richmonders have no bus
service where they live, and the proposed bus route does nothing to alter that
disturbing fact.
The short answer: Addressing the needs of those who are
dependent upon transit to navigate the metro area is critically important to
this service and its extension into the counties. The BRT will provide
reliable, efficient service, and GRTC bus lines will be reconfigured to
maximize connectivity with the BRT (the contract for this study, which will entail
lots of neighborhood and public input, is imminent and will be completed before
the phased construction ends). The Richmond Regional Transit Vision Plan, which
the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is currently
undertaking, will engage how best to expand to a full metro-wide system, with
this 7.6-mile stretch serving as the crucial first step.
The metro-wide system and the ways in which it would enhance
equality of access, quality of life, environmental care, and economic
development is precisely the effort that RVA Rapid Transit, The Partnership for
Smarter Growth, and The Clergy Committee for Rapid Transit are diligently
working. We are doing so in consultation and collaboration with planners,
public servants, non-profits, institutions, businesses, and citizens across the
metropolitan area, and we can absolutely use and need your support!
