GRTC Opens Natural Gas Fueling Stations

Earth Hour

The City of Richmond participated in the global initiative known as Earth Hour on March 29. Earth Hour is a World Wildlife Fund campaign that encourages individuals, businesses and governments to turn all non-essential lights off for one hour. Through this symbolic action, participants show leadership and make a commitment to ongoing change that reduces their impact on the environment.

The City of Richmond participated in Earth Hour for the second year by turning off all non-essential lights at 21 city facilities including the John Marshall Courthouse, the Juvenile Courts Building, Public Works fleet garage on Hopkins Road, Parker Field warehouse, Manchester Courthouse, Marshall Street Plaza Services Center, Police Training Academy, Main Library and all branches, Emergency Operations Center, Public Safety Building, and the Utilities Operations Center.

  

The City also instructed employees in other City buildings to turn off all task lighting, computers, printers, copiers, etc. to further illustrate the administration’s dedication to reducing the city’s carbon footprint, as well as being a better steward of city tax dollars through efficiency and sustainability.

“I am extremely pleased that Richmond City government participated in Earth Hour again this year,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “My administration continues to be deliberate in making Richmond a more sustainable city. We have worked to make our infrastructure more efficient, replacing older City fleet vehicles with new vehicles that operate on compressed natural gas, building to LEED Silver certification standards, and we are continuing to work with the community on projects such as increased recycling, community gardens and rain barrels.”

The City of Richmond is also a proud participant in the Earth Hour City Challenge. The Challenge invites cities to submit their innovative actions towards creating a greener, cleaner and more sustainable city via an internationally recognized carbon reporting platform.

Since 2010, the City has saved more than $2.2 million as a result of its energy efficiency and sustainability efforts. The savings will continue into the future averaging $940,000 per year in annualized savings. These efforts include enhancing the efficiency of the City’s vehicle fleet with new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles; lighting, roof, and facility upgrades in City buildings, including libraries and recreation centers; and the City’s Green Government Team that consist of City employees volunteering to find energy savings within their departments.

The City is also in the process of upgrading lighting controls at City Hall to enable non-essential lights to be turned off in the building after business hours and on weekends. Lighting timers have been installed on all floors in the interior hallways and elevator lobbies. Lighting controls are currently in the design process for office areas throughout the building.

As the City continues to pursue increased sustainability, it also encourages residents and businesses to find ways they can become more sustainable. Here are some ways residents and businesses can start saving money and reducing their environmental impact:

• Turn thermostats down in the winter and up in the summer

• Install more efficient heating and A/C units

• Install energy saving lights and devices and turn off non-essential lights during the day

• Replace windows with high efficiency windows

• Caulk and weather-strip your home or business

• Upgrade insulation

• Change washer temperature settings from hot or warm to cold

• Carpool to work

• Buy an alternate fuel vehicle or a fuel efficient vehicle (getting 30+ mpg) or get

   frequent tune-ups and air filter changes on your current vehicle

• Recycle

• Install rain barrels and rainwater harvesting tanks to water gardens and lawns

For more information on Earth Hour go to www.earthhour.org.

For more information on the City of Richmond’s participation in the Earth Hour City Challenge go to www.earthhour.org/citychallenge.

To learn more about Richmond’s RVAgreen: A Roadmap to Sustainability plan go to www.RichmondGov.com/sustainability.

Central Virginia Waste Management Educational Program

CVWMA staff provide free programs to schools, scouts, clubs, and other groups. 

Join the Richmond Food Co-op

The Richmond Food Co-op is a member-owned, full service grocery providing affordable, local, sustainable and healthy food options.

The store, planned for Scotts Addition, will provide food products from local suppliers who use environmentally and socially responsible practices and access to organic and local crops at often lower prices because of bulk purchases. The co-op store will be open to the public. Members receive discounted prices.

Members become part owners of the store and share in the profits. Memberships begin at $150 a year per adult, with deductions for larger households. There’s a $25 joining fee per household for members. Participants in SNAP/EBT, WIC, SSI, Medicaid, Family Health Plus, Section 8 Housing, and Advantage programs can join for $15.

The co-op blogs at www.richmondfoodcoop.blogspot.com. You can "like" them on Facebook at Richmondfoodcoop and follow them on Twitter at @RVAfoodcoop.

Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit

Supporting Bus Rapid Transit is part of the city's Sustainability Plan. A BRT dedicated lane on the roadway increases the bus' ability to move quickly through downtown traffic. BRT offers improved travel times, reliability, safety and security, and moves commuters at a higher capacity, reducing the need for downtown parking, and decreases greenhouse gas emissions.

Population densities above 10,000 people per square mile are amenable to higher transit use, and this includes the Monroe Ward (the area immediately east and south of Belvidere and Broad), the Fan, areas around Virginia Commonwealth University, and the surrounding Richmond Redevelopment and Housing authority communities. These areas are also major employment hubs.

BRT offers many of the advantages of rail transit at a more affordable cost using new routes, high quality stations, and roadway improvements.

The Broad Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) study team presented the latest plans to improve transit service along the seven mile length of Broad Street from Rocketts Landing east of downtown Richmond to Willow Lawn just over the city limits line to the public in August.

The study website and electronic comment form, with corridor maps

To send comments by mail, address them to Larry Hagin, Director of Planning, GRTC Transit System, 301 E. Belt Blvd., Richmond, VA 23224

Buses Running on Compressed Natural Gas

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones presided at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueled buses on Aug. 1, at the GRTC Transit System Maintenance Facility on East Belt Boulevard. Following the ribbon cutting, the bus carried the Mayor back to City Hall.

In 2011, the Mayor’s Office met with GRTC officials about the benefits of transitioning the bus fleet to CNG fueled vehicles as retired buses were replaced. The benefits included significantly reduced fuel costs, improved air quality, and reduced noise pollution. GRTC initiated the procedure to replace vehicles, as they were retired from the fleet, with new CNG fueled vehicles for both its paratransit and fixed route services.

In early July 2013, GRTC received its first shipment of 8 CNG buses, with plans for an additional 21 to arrive at the end of the year. GRTC already has 15 CNG paratransit vans that have been in service since November 2012, and has 15 additional vans on order.

To support the transition to CNG fueled vehicles, GRTC’s maintenance and fueling facilities are being modified to accommodate CNG vehicles. A new CNG fueling station that will be located at the GRTC facility is scheduled to break ground in October 2013.

Meanwhile, at Richmond International Airport, nine CNG shuttle buses were put into service on Aug. 8 to carry customers from the terminal to the economy parking facilities, and a CNG fueling station was built on airport property.

Residents Participate in Annual Richmond Bicycle Commuter Challenge

Mayor Dwight C. Jones' Pedestrian, Bicycling, and Trails Commission invited the city of Richmond to participate in Richmond Bike Month during May 2013. The goal of the 2nd Annual Richmond Bicycle Commuter Challenge was to show bike commuting is easy, affordable, and healthy.

"The Richmond Bicycle Commuter Challenge is a great way for our residents to learn and experience the tremendous health and sustainability benefits of bicycling. It is my hope that local businesses and large employers alike partner with us to promote a healthy Richmond, and be a central resource in increasing the overall health of our city," said Mayor Jones. "My administration has the goal of making Richmond one of the most bicycle and pedestrian-friendly cities in the country."

Participants were encouraged to ride their bicycle to and from work, and report days commuted at the end of each week for the entire month of May. Riding a bicycle for only part of the commute, such as to join a car pool or get to a bus stop, were counted. Participants registered online and logged their weekly commutes. All commutes must be reported on the website by Friday, June 7, and the results will be announced by Friday, June 15.

"This is an opportunity to encourage everyone to try bike commuting and possibly make cycling a routine as well as a healthy travel option for commuting or running errands. Richmond Bike Month will also allow Richmond area cyclists to see the city's infrastructure improvements, including widespread bike parking racks and improved bike routes across the city," said the city's Bicycle Coordinator Jakob Helmboldt.

Mayor Jones and the Pedestrian, Bicycling, and Trails Commission celebrated Richmond Bike Month on May 17 during the Bike to Work Day rally at Monroe Park.

Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians have shared rights and responsibilities when using city streets. Please visit the Richmond Bicycle Commuter Challenge link for safety tips and laws.