The Richmond Region faces a multitude of problems many of which can be positively addressed by increasing the strength of public transportation in the region. A partial list of these challenges includes: transit funding, regional transportation, the environment, and quality of life.
Transit Funding
Public transit systems are experiencing increased ridership. However, without dedicated funding sources for public transit and revenues that fail to keep pace with operating costs, systems are in jeopardy of service cuts. These potential service cuts will have a negative economic effect on local economies because workers will have difficulty getting to jobs, schools, doctor’s offices and stores.
Regional Transportation
GRTC Transit System is owned jointly by the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County and provides public transit services with the metropolitan Richmond region. However, without a dedicated source of revenue, GRTC must rely upon annual appropriation of funding from local jurisdictions in which its operates transit service. Therefore, the location of bus routes and the frequency of that service are more a function of cost and affordability to the local jurisdiction rather than public demand for that service.
This is where the TransitTalk.com comes into play. The group will be out explaining these issues and educating the public on how the system works. They would urge the community to express their concern to their local officials when routes are added or cut. The group would have the tools and knowledge to promote public transit in their locality and will share them with the community.
Environment
The Richmond Region is currently in a state of attainment, which means that the Richmond-Petersburg Region is currently in compliance with the previous ozone standard established by the EPA in 1997 that identifies safe levels for ozone in the atmosphere to prevent and minimize adverse impacts to human health, crops, forests, and materials. The EPA tightened the standard in 2008 in order to provide additional public health protection. Current air quality measurements in the area are NOT meeting this new ozone standard.
In order to be recognized as an attainment area in 2010, the Richmond Region will need help from all members of its community in upgrading the quality of the air we breathe. In an effort to avoid redesignation by the EPA, citizens can make a difference by carpooling, vanpooling, walking, taking a bus, cycling, or staying indoors on poor air quality or Code Red and Code Orange ozone days, resulting in better control of our environment and control of the air we breathe.
