Well, folks, it’s happened. Everyone who lives in, commutes to, travels through, or even gets near Virginia in a car, bus, or train can breathe a little easier. Yesterday, as expected, the Virginia legislature approved Governor Tim Kaine’s changes to the transportation bill, which we detailed last week. The expected revenue certainly won’t dig Virginia out of the hole it’s in with respect to transportation. But hopefully, it can keep the hole from getting any deeper.

Finally, let’s take a minute to recognize that Kaine did something not many Governors have been willing to do: significantly increasing the amount of money that will be dedicated to transit. Good on ya’, Guv’nah!

This news could not come a moment too soon, either, as Metro recorded its second highest weekday ridership on Tuesday, with 831,508 passengers. This was just a day after Metro recorded its tenth highest ridership, on Monday. If last year was any indication, we’re expecting a few more of these records to fall throughout the summer.

On to the news of the week! Virginia Rep. Tom Davis’ Metro funding bill is thwarted in committee, D.C. fire trucks are the new Metrobus, and new radar systems will soon seek and destroy traffic jams. Also, how attached are you to your local bus stop?

Photo by Bsivad