What: Listening session for Richmond-area bus riders

When: Thursday, August 13, from noon to 6:00 p.m.

Where: University of Richmond Downtown (626 E. Broad St., Richmond, VA, 23219)

Richmond, Va.—The Richmond Chapter of Virginia Organizing and the Richmond Transit Riders Union (RTRU) are hosting a listening session to hear from riders how the local bus system can be improved on Thursday, August 13, from noon to 6:00 p.m. at University of Richmond Downtown.  Virginia Organizing and the Richmond Transit Riders Union will be present to hear concerns, suggestions for improvement, frustrations, and hopes for the future of public transit in Richmond.

Vaughan Prichett, a longtime bus rider and member of both Virginia Organizing and RTRU, said that she hopes people will come to the listening session to talk about how the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) proposal will affect them.

“We want input into the new BRT,” Prichett said. “We want to hear from riders what they like and dislike, what frustrates them, and what they think about the transfer plaza.”

Virginia Organizing and RTRU have been surveying bus riders since 2014 and found that most of those surveyed are generally satisfied with the service, but would also like to see more night and weekend routes, as well as more buses running outside the city limits. The survey also showed that awareness of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit program is increasing among bus riders.

The listening session is one of many events in the Richmond area that Virginia Organizing is holding to improve access to public transit for residents.

To interview a spokesperson for Virginia Organizing, please contact Amanda Pohl at 804-337-1912 or amanda@virginia-organizing.org.

Virginia Organizing is a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization that brings people together to create a more just Virginia. 

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