It’s that time of year when folks charge into Spring and the issue of transportation is often on their minds.

On this Thursday from 4 to 6 pm, the Richmond City Council GRTC Task Force will be holding a meeting at the Department of Economic Development office at Main Street Station.

Speaking of the City’s Dept. of Economic Development, the Richmond Connects Draft Plan is now ready for public review. They are inviting folks to review the plan and attend their public workshop on April 11th at the VDOT Central Office Auditorium from 5:30-7:30 pm. There will be a presentation on the draft plan and opportunities to review and comment on the plan and ask questions of the city and consultant staff about the plan. If you can’t make the meeting they still welcome your thoughts. You can download a copy of the draft plan from their website: http://www.yesrichmondva.com/transportation-development/Richmond-Strategic-Multi-Modal-Transportation. Comments on the draft plan will be accepted at the meeting and via email through May 10th. Anyone can comment on the plan through the contact link on the website.

And then there is this message from the local Partnership for Smarter Growth–

The theme for PSG’s 2013 Forum and Events Program is Transportation Transformations for a Competitive and Sustainable Future. The first event is on April 16 with Jeffrey Tumlin of Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates, the author of the new book Sustainable Transportation Planning: Tools for Creating Vibrant, Healthy and Resilient Communities. It will be held at Richmond’s Main Street Station on April 16 from 5:30 to 7:30. Registration is at 5:30 and the program will start at 6:00. Admission is free, but registration is requested. Jeffrey Tumlin is a compelling speaker on the subject of transportation, and it will be a very informative and interesting program. For more event information, go to www.psgrichmond.org.

Some suggested reading material to brush up on local transportation issues:

Times Dispatch column by Mayor Jones, “A new direction for transportation in Richmond”

Recent Style magazine article on passenger rail, “Gathering Steam”

Richmond Magazine’s “Where Do We Go From Here?”