Plus, retro boats and wake surfing on the James
 
06.17.2024 6AM-Top banner logo-small.png

SUBSCRIBE
6AM City In-house

Today’s Forecast

90º | 3% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 5:48 a.m. | Sunset 8:33 p.m.
 

City

Look inside the State of Transit in Richmond
A person stands inside an empty GRTC bus.
Public transit advocates highlight reduced carbon emissions compared to driving. | Photo by RICtoday
Local advocacy group RVA Rapid Transit has released its 2024 State of Transit Report. The document breaks down the current numbers around public transit in the Richmond Region and provides updates on the group’s advocacy goals.

We’re breaking down the report and how you can get involved in public transit in Richmond.

🚌 What is RVA Rapid Transit?

This year marks the tenth anniversary for RVA Rapid Transit, which began as a grassroots movement in 2014. The nonprofit advocates for the expansion of public transit in our region.

It also hosts public programs including Transit Talks and a multi-week training course for bus riders called Mobility University.

A GRTC bus pulled up to a bus stop at the new Downtown Transfer Station. A sign reads "Bay A."

GRTC will determine a permanent home for the Downtown Transfer Station soon.

|

Photo by RICtoday

🚏 Year in review

Last year, GRTC’s bus operator shortage was putting a crunch on the transit company. According to the report, GRTC hired 120+ employees within a 15-month span — as of April, it had 345 bus operators, compared to 246 in May 2023.

GRTC opened its temporary Downtown Transfer Station in fall 2023. It is in the midst of planning where the permanent location will be — the leading options are the current site or nearby at 9th and Clay Streets.

The company also launched the microtransit service LINK last fall, and has since added zones including Clover Dale, Ashland, and Powhatan.

The report also goes into GRTC’s plans to expand its services, including extending Route 1, improving frequency to the airport to 15 minutes, expanding the Pulse west to Parham Road, adding a North-South Bus Rapid Transit line, and adding articulated buses to GRTC’s fleet.

RICtoday_GRTC_LinkMicrotransit

The LINK pilot first launched in November 2023 in the Azalea/Mechanicsville zone.

|

Photo via GRTC

💸 Future

RVA Rapid Transit identifies several goals in the report, including extending GRTC’s zero-fare program past fiscal year 2025.

GRTC has a program called Transit Access Partnership to combine public and private funds. Private organizations can sign on at different levels to support fare-free service.

📢 Get involved

Groups, businesses, and individuals can Adopt a Bus Stop to take care of an individual stop. Riders can also fill out an online survey to share their thoughts on Richmond’s transit system.

The simplest way to support public transit is the group’s first recommendation — just riding the bus.
Quiz

What year did GRTC introduce its black and purple color scheme?
A. 1973
B. 1986
C. 1989
D. 1995
Give your answer
Children's Museum of Richmond
 
Events
Monday, June 17
  • Skywatch | Monday, June 17 | 9-10 p.m. | RPL Westover Hills Branch, 1408 Westover Hills Blvd., Richmond | Free | Register to join members of the Richmond Astronomical Society and get an expert look at the night sky.
Tuesday, June 18
  • Common Ground: “Driving Home Naked” | Tuesday, June 18 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Register to discuss this book about the life of a country veterinarian with the Library of Virginia group.
Wednesday, June 19
  • Jazz Café: Neal Bowns Project | Wednesday, June 19 | 6 p.m. | Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond | Free | Head to the atrium to experience funky tunes after work.
  • Juneteenth Free Community Day | Wednesday, June 19 | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Ave., Richmond | Free | Get free admission and explore the Garden with extended hours in honor of Juneteenth.
Thursday, June 20
  • AABLVD: Chapter IV - Persuasion by Design | Thursday, June 20 | 5:30-8 p.m. | The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design, 2501 Monument Ave., Richmond | $15-$40 | Reflect on the renaming of Arthur Ashe Boulevard while enjoying drinks from the bar and limited edition prints.
  • Good For Her Films: “Bodies Bodies Bodies” | Thursday, June 20 | 6 p.m. | Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop , 3406 W. Leigh St., Richmond | Free entry | Shop the vendor market and participate in a book swap before the film screening starts at 8 p.m.
Friday, June 21
  • A Midsummer Night’s Slam | Friday, June 21 | 8 p.m. | Dogwood Dell, 600 S. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond | Free | Shakespeare and spoken word collide at this Festival of Arts event with original music by Tiara & Andrew, Charli Ra, and Jahnel Daliya.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
6AM City Drink Up Campaign
 
Wellness

🧠 Professional therapy, completely online
Laptop screen showing female, 30-something patient video chatting with her similarly-aged female therapist via BetterHelp.
Picture this: Professional therapy, done from the comfort of your home. | Image by BetterHelp
Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness — and BetterHelp makes starting therapy easy.

Whether you’re dealing with grief, work burnout, relationship problems, or you’re just feeling down, therapy is for you. Online therapy in the comfort of your own home? Even better.

Speaking of better, BetterHelp can custom-match you with one of their 30,000+ licensed therapists in as little as 24 hours. (No more waiting days, weeks, or even months to see someone.)
Get 25% off (exclusive to our readers)
News Notes
Open
  • A fast-casual Mexican restaurant has opened on the ground floor of The Otis development in Scott’s Addition. Cochiloco comes from the brothers behind Y Tu Mama on Southside. The space includes a walk-up counter, takeout window, and outdoor patio. (Richmond Magazine)
Coming Soon
  • Slack Tide Fish Co. will open this fall inside Ballast RVA in Scott’s Addition. The coastal restaurant recently announced Caleb Shriver as Executive Chef. Ballast will also include a Yellow Umbrella market and Cirrus Vodka tasting room, opening this summer.
Real Estate
  • A new mixed-income apartment complex has opened near the city border with Henrico. Cool Lane Commons has 86 affordable units and features on-site resources from Virginia Supportive Housing. (VPM)
Biz
  • A new wake surfing school is open for business on the James. Safe Surf RVA will teach you the basics of catching waves from behind a motorboat. Participants can book four or eight-hour sessions to get out on the water. (Richmond BizSense)
Regional
  • Share your thoughts on the southern section of the upcoming Fall Line Trail at a public hearing tomorrow at 5 p.m. at VDOT’s South Chesterfield office at 2430 Pine Forest Dr. See proposed plans for the ~9.5 miles of trail from Patton Park in Petersburg to Chester Linear Park.
Community
  • If you live in Church Hill and see a spot that could use a tree, let Church Hill Trees know. The volunteer group is working with the city to plant dozens of new street trees this fall, with no cost to residents.
Eat
  • Local caterer Khushbu is celebrating its second anniversary with a pop-up at The Jasper this Wednesday, June 19 at 5 p.m. The Masala Mixology Bash will feature Indian eats and drinks out of the Carytown restaurant space.
Outdoors
  • A new offering from Sea Suite Cruises allows Richmonders to rent retro boats and take them for a spin on the James. Senior City Editor Robin here: David and I tried it out last week and neither of us ended up falling in the river, which I’d call a win.
Finance
  • Did you know you could finance your fixer-upper with home equity? You could get up to $50K with a HELOC — calculate your payment.*
 
Travel

❤️ Visitors, meet the Valentine

The Valentine to host new Richmond Visitor Center
RICtoday_Valentine_HoleTruth_PublicArt
The Valentine is also home to a new public art piece, “The Hole Truth.” | Photo by RICtoday, art by Mickael Broth
The Valentine will soon serve as a Richmond Visitor Center. The local history museum — and home of meat juice — is partnering with Richmond Region Tourism to bring the center to the lobby in September.

The new center will join the ones that are already operational at the VMFA’s Robinson House and Richmond International Airport.

Many Valentine guests make their way to the museum from outside the Richmond Region — almost half of its ~25,000 visitors last year were out-of-towners.

When the center opens, travelers will be able to access sightseeing options, local highlights, and unique activities. On-hand specialists can also help with hotel reservations, tours, and navigation.
The Buy

The Buy 6.17.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
These best-selling men’s swim trunks — they’re lined, quick drying, and come in any fun pattern you can dream up (we like the little sharks).
 
The Wrap
 
Robin Schwartzkopf in a red button down shirt

Today’s edition by:
Robin
From the editor
The Poe Museum has a viral TikTok — over 2 million likes and counting — thanks to the editing chops of its Gen Z intern. Just get a look at those chairs.
Missed our previous newsletter?     ›
Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback     ›
Advertise     ›
Shop     ›
 
Feedback on Today's Newsletter

Did you like today’s newsletter?

😍 Loved it 🙂 Solid effort 😞 Changes needed
 
 

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY