Good morning, RVA! It's 39 °F now, but, later, it’ll be 64 °F, which is nice enough. There is a chance of rain late this evening, so keep an eye out if you’ve got plans.
Water cooler
Police are reporting that last week’s warehouse fire on the Southside has now been classified as a homicide. On November 1st at 2:22 AM, the Richmond Fire Department arrived at the 00 block of Thurman Street for a report of a fire. After the RFD suppressed the fire, they found Anthony S. Wheeler, 35, inside shot to death.
Mechelle Hankerson at the Virginia Mercury has a list of what the Governor wants to do with his newfound Democratic support in the General Assembly. It’s a good list, at least as a starting point: Guns, Confederate monuments, labor policy, raising the minimum wage, and decriminalizing marijuana. Mel Leonor at the Richmond Times-Dispatch says creating a state-based health insurance marketplace and more funding for education make the Governor’s list, too. Over on Twitter, I asked what folks thought Dems should do with their majority, and you can read through all of those great suggestions. Honestly, if you’d like a more progressive list of priorities, look/talk to your legislators. Northam’s not the most progressive dude in town but might could sign some more progressive legislation should it reach his desk.
Also at the Virginia Mercury, Graham Moomaw has the details on who will take over as Speaker of the House in the new Democratic majority. Out of the four folks interested in the job (at the moment), only one is a White man. There’s only ever been White, male Speakers of the House, so most likely someone’s going to make history in the next couple of months!
Neither here nor there, I’m kind of done with fawning over CNBC ranking Virginia as the #1 state to do business. The Governor mentioned it in his cabinet meeting where he announced his legislative priorities and it comes up in this editorial in the RTD. I want Virginia to be the #1 state for humans to live in. Businesses are not humans, and, just my opinion here, we should base our policies around people.
1st District Councilmember Addison has five observations from his first few days of #NoCarNovember: “1) Our sidewalks are bad; 2) Going between places takes 30+ minutes; 3) [Not driving] changes my options for where & when to have meetings; 4) Pulse is awesome; 5) Good weather helps walking, not looking forward to a rainy day.” These are all exceedingly true, and I can’t tell you how great it is to hear these things—things that everyday bus and bike commuters know deep within their hearts—coming from an elected official with the power to change things. Quick shoutout to item #3 on this list! If you’ve got the flexibility and privilege to set meeting locations, the walk-bike-bus life quickly becomes about centering your responsibilities along transit-friendly corridors—this is why I’m constantly having meetings at Saison Market (and, more recently, the new Blanchard’s spot). This is an easy reason why all of our best stuff should end up along transit-corridors—coffee shops, sure, but also jobs and places to live.
Brookland Park Boulevard update: Mike Platania at Richmond BizSense says a new art gallery will move into the old gas station on the 200 block. That space was once destined for a Northside Lamplighter, but the deal fell through.
Garden & Gun interviewed An Bui, the dude from Mekong, about his favorite local beer spots. Everyone knows that I’m a huge fan of Triple Crossing, but I guess there are other breweries in town? Actually, I’ve been spending some time at TABOL BREWING recently and have really enjoyed almost everything they’ve poured me.
I love Chris Danger’s illustrations in this Richmond Magazine piece about parenting in the 90s vs. now. I’m thankful that the magazine still prioritizes paying for art like this to accompany their stories. I imagine this is tough to do as budgets for media shrink and shrink and shrink. As for the parenting bits? I feel like most of the differences between the 90s and now are strongly correlated to more households where both parents work.
This morning's longread
The Future of Transportation Is Not the Hyperloop or the Self-Driving Car. It’s the Bus, the Bike, and the Elevator.
Elevators! I love putting elevators in this group of old, reliable, and proven technologies like buses and bikes.
Many older transportation technologies, however, have yet to be used to their full potential. Most American communities, for example, gave up on the elevator, the bus, and the bicycle in favor of auto-dependent sprawl that has left us condemned to drive until (and after) our eyes fail—and turned transportation into the country’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The elevator is perhaps the foremost example of a relatively ancient transportation technology that could allow people to live and work in closer proximity, reducing the length of commutes and fostering commercial and social vitality. Unfortunately, in most American communities the elevator has been functionally outlawed because zoning requirements will permit no building taller than a small tree.
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