Zero-fare Rides, Record Store Day, and Revoked Visas
Cheers RVA!
Today will be rainy with a high of 54 and a low of 43. The weekend is looking mostly cloudy with similar temperatures, with some sunshine expected Sunday afternoon as we approach warmer weather next week.
the juice:
GRTC will continue its zero-fare policy through FY 2026, which begins in July.
The government-owned public service company is facing a $6.8 million funding gap due to a state grant expiring and VCU’s decision to not renew a funding agreement to provide free fares for students and employees.
Richmond is one a few dozen localities in the US to offer zero-fare public transportation, joining cities like Alexandria, Boston, Chapel Hill, Clemson, Raleigh, Hoboken and Tucson.
the pulp:
The visas of two international students and a recent graduate of VCU have been revoked, according to Andrew Cain and Erin Kolenich at the RTD. Students at UVA, George Mason, and VA Tech have also had their visas revoked in recent days, with university officials unable to share additional details.
The Monument Avenue 10k takes place Saturday morning, with the first wave of runners beginning at 8:30 am. Road closures begin today as early at 10:00 am and continue throughout the day, with some roads not closing until early Saturday morning. Good luck to all the runners!
the dive:
With Saturday being record store day, Tim Wenzell from the Richmonder dives into the local vinyl scene, with stores like Plan 9 expecting lines around the block when they open Saturday morning.
Vinyl sales have been increasing since 2007, and in 2022 surpassed CD’s as the most popular physically recorded music format. Wenzell writes:
Like other vinyl stores across the country, Bland (the manager of Plan 9) sees an increasing desire for vinyl, for both nostalgic older collectors and young people, as well as what he calls “secondhand nostalgia.” In its large space, Plan 9 sells a balance of both new and used vinyl.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a swift day RVA!
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