May 10, 2022 — The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) unveiled a new bus wrap at the Science Museum of Virginia today. The message, “Parking to Park…” centered between a paved surface parking lot and open park space, was developed by the Science Museum of Virginia with GRTC’s approval. Each side of the bus wrap depicts a birds-eye view of an asphalt parking lot and parked cars on the left and open park space and people of all backgrounds riding bikes, walking, picnicking and playing on the right. The wrap was designed with the intention of bringing awareness around the need for greater transit access to greenspace for all members of our region as well as balancing the regional needs of parking, parks and resiliency. This is the second in a series of GRTC community bus wraps designed to increase awareness around community issues related to access and transportation.
“The message ‘Parking to Park’ is a lead-in to a greater conversation about first how to use transit to access some of our region’s greatest natural resources and second how we can strive to balance critical transportation infrastructure with the need for urban green spaces and community access,” said GRTC CEO Julie Timm. “We need a holistic approach to how and where we place, and how we sustainably design and manage, our much-needed surface parking areas while incorporating greenspace for long-term resiliency.”
Green spaces and parks are a frequently overlooked but vitally important component supporting the health of our people and communities, the economic growth of our region, and the sustainability of our infrastructure against growing environmental pressures. However, protection of and access to greenspace is frequently in direct competition with modern elements of urban design. The “Parking to Park…” theme alludes to the Science Museum's current work to transition pavement to greenspace with the development of The Green, and serves as a springboard for conversation about how land use, parks, city planning, transit use, climate change and public health are all intertwined.
“Through providing tree canopy shade, rainfall-absorbent surfaces and air-cleaning vegetation, parks and green spaces are an asset to the city’s public health, equitable economic development and climate resilience goals,” said Science Museum David and Jane Cohn Scientist Dr. Jeremy Hoffman. “The new bus wrap will deepen the conversation around the relationship between land-use decisions and climate change and steps we can take at the individual, neighborhood and city level to become a more resilient community.”
The Science Museum developed a new webpage to accompany the bus wrap and provide resources for the community to learn more. The page can be accessed directly at smv.org/parkingtopark or via a QR code highlighted within the bus for GRTC riders. The page includes highlights of the Science Museum’s urban heat island research, more information on the development of The Green and resources to help users find local parks accessible by GRTC.
GRTC’s partnership with the Science Museum on this campaign created a natural storytelling component for both organizations: to share the science of how green spaces make a city cooler and spongier and showcase how a city’s design impacts human health and wellbeing. The two organizations began working on the bus wrap project in fall 2021.
About GRTC
GRTC is a public service corporation providing mobility services in the Greater Richmond area. GRTC’s current operational budget (FY22) of $63.2M primarily funds daily mobility operations and vehicle maintenance. GRTC provided 7.8 million trips - during FY21 (July 1, 2020 – July 30, 2021).
About the Science Museum of Virginia
From virtual presentations featuring STEM experts to fun videos on social media to in-person experiential exhibits, the Science Museum of Virginia looks for every opportunity to inspire all Virginians to enrich their lives through science. Helping curious minds discover the connections between — and their connection to — science, technology, engineering and math guides Science Museum staff in all they do. Learn more at www.smv.org or call 804.864.1400.