Richmond Mayor Proposes 2022 Budget With Little New Spending
FILE: Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney speaking to City Council during last year s budgeting process. (Photo: Roberto Roldan/VPM News)
Mayor Levar Stoney presented a lean $770 million budget proposal to Richmond City Council Friday afternoon.
The budget was about $18 million lighter compared to last year, excluding one-time grant funding. City officials say the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns drove down revenue from consumer-driven taxes like admissions, meals and lodging. Instead of funding new programs and priorities, the city’s budget staff were asked to find ways to maintain funding for core government services.
Richmond’s bike share expansion braked for pandemic but rolling again
BizSense file)
Two years after it got underway, a long-planned expansion of Richmond’s bike share program has been further prolonged by the effects of the pandemic which has likewise shifted the program’s usage to a lower gear.
But recent funding commitments from the city to keep the program going are providing a clearer road ahead to seeing the expansion through.
Launched four years ago, RVA Bike Share has long been lined up for a second implementation phase that would double the size of its fleet to 440 bikes and 40 dock stations. That $1.5 million expansion started rolling out in 2019. But two years later, the program’s station count remains around 20 with two of those stations currently closed due to damage or other issues.
Only Richmond and Chesterfield County appointees govern GRTC That could change after upcoming study due this summer richmond.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from richmond.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Richmond Seeks to Expand Bus Rapid Transit
After seeing impressive ridership growth, Richmond s transit agency wants to expand bus rapid transit to more destinations in the region. December 31, 2020, 11am PST | Diana Ionescu |
Richmond, Virginia s Pulsebus rapid transit line, launched in 2018, sought to rectify the legacy of disinvestment in the city s transit and introduced more efficient bus service with dedicated lanes and signal prioritization. Now, the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) is putting forward expansion plans that would add a north-south bus rapid transit (BRT) line and expanded coverage to key destinations.
Despite the challenges posed by this year s pandemic, civil uprisings, and loss of funding, the GRTC has high hopes for the future. Just before COVID-19, the agency experienced record growth in ridership. Local routes have retained 94% of their passengers even through the pandemic. There are more positives on the horizon for us if we lean into ou
Virginia Mercury
Virginia State Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, arrives in the temporary Senate chambers at the Science Museum of Virginia prior to the start of the Senate session at the facility Tuesday Aug. 18, 2020. Chase is the only member of the Senate who refused to wear a mask during the legislative session. (AP Photo/Steve Helber/Pool)
Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, is running a hard-right campaign for governor, but before she takes on any Democrats, sheâs battling leaders of her own party.
The state GOP voted last weekend to select its candidate for governor in a convention rather than an open primary, prompting Chase to threaten to enter the race as an independent unless the party reverses course.