A bandwagon to save a bus

The first spark to fire up a bandwagon's motor exploded with the Near West End's post about a meeting on Nov. 18 to decide the fate of a GRTC bus route -- the Westhampton 16 -- which runs from Downtown through the Fan District to the Westhampton neighborhood, including the University of Richmond.

At the Fan District Hub the second spark exploded with this post.

The Fan District Hub calls upon Mayor-elect Dwight Jones to ask City Council and GRTC to put their decisions to do with canceling bus routes on hold until he gets into office, so he can make a fresh study of what Richmond’s mass transportation needs will be for the coming year and beyond. Perhaps he is just the guy to find some General Assembly money to help Richmond out here.

OK, budget cuts are coming because revenue shortfalls are being anticipated. But making a decision today about tomorrow's needs, based on a study just six months old (if it's that recent), seems like a terrible idea. Times are changing too fast.

It's likely more Richmonders will be using bicycles and buses for their main rides a year from now. Perhaps, many more.

If we could get that bandwagon up and running, this seems to be a most worthy cause for some of the area’s independent publishers/bloggers to take up. A little bit of noise could make a difference.

All I'm asking for is to put off the decision to scuttle any longtime bus routes for at least three or four months, to allow the new Jones administration to have a little time to work with the issue, in light of recent shocks to the economy.

Why rush to judgment on Nov. 18, just two weeks after an election? Can't City Council and GRTC kick this can down the road a few more weeks?

SLANTblog sez: Let’s ban together for the good of the metro area to Save Westhampton 16. Save all the existing bus routes, don't eliminate any of them, for the time being. Who will supply the third spark?