A Correction, A Construction Stall, and Walking to School
Cheers RVA!
Today will be mostly sunny with a high of 85 and a bit of a breeze, with temperatures dropping to 59 in the evening.
the juice:
A correction from yesterday’s newsletter regarding the City School Board meeting: the motion to limit debate to three minutes per person per item did not pass.
Shout out to RVADirt for pointing out the mistake.
Part of the confusion was in the procedural law of the School Board, which uses the affirmative majority, meaning the majority of members present. Eight members were present so five votes would have been needed.
Many localities use a system known as Robert’s Rules of Order where majorities are determined by number of votes cast, which in this case was four to three to one abstention.
RVA Dirt is a “group of four busy women” who believe in accessibility, accountability and transparency in Richmond politics.
The goal:
We use edutainment to connect Richmond residents with the information they need to confidently vote their interests at the ballot box.
Check out their page here and the X (twitter) feed here.
the pulp:
An elderly woman’s body was pulled from the James River yesterday near Dock Street. Foul play is not suspected.
Mike Platania from BizSense reports on construction stalls and liens piling up at a development on Arthur Ashe Blvd. The co-housing project was set to hold 148 bedrooms across 29 apartments, with residents having private bedrooms and bath but sharing other living space.
The City Council Resolution to develop and implement a “Digital Equity Assessment and Plan” to provide access to high-speed gigabit internet access to all residents passed at Monday’s meeting.
the dive:
Strongtowns recently published an article: the end of the reign of the school bus, with private vehicles surpassing all other means of transport combined for K-12 students.
Data over the last 50 years shows school bus usage relatively flat with a slight decline in the last few years. However the biggest shift has been from students who used to bike or walk to school, to students who use private vehicles.
Author Asia Mieleszko notes the effect on both children and parents of car-centric planning:
Much has been said about how car-centric planning robs children of autonomy when it comes to mobility, but in recent years, it appears that parents-turned-chauffeurs suffer just as much.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a mobile day RVA!
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