The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) is a local government-owned

public service company A public service company (or public utility company) is a corporation or other non-governmental business entity (i.e. limited partnership) that delivers public services—certain services considered essential to the public interest. The ranks o ...

which based in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . GRTC primarily serves the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

of Richmond and a very small portion of the adjacent counties of Henrico,

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

, and Chesterfield with a fleet of over 157 diesel-powered and CNG-powered

transit bus A transit bus (also big bus, commuter bus, city bus, town bus, urban bus, stage bus, public bus, public transit bus, or simply bus) is a type of bus used in public transport bus services. Several configurations are used, including low-floo ...

es operating approximately 45 routes. GRTC uses government-funded equipment and resources principally provided by the

Federal Transit Administration The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administration ...

(FTA),

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT) is an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The agency's mission is "to connect and improve the quality of life for all Virginians with innovative transpor ...

(VDRPT), and local funds. On June 24, 2018, GRTC launched its first bus rapid transit (BRT) line, the "

GRTC Pulse The GRTC Pulse, often abbreviated as The Pulse, is a bus rapid transit line in Richmond, Virginia, United States, operated by the Greater Richmond Transit Company. The line runs along Broad Street and Main Street in central Richmond, between ...

." Running 7.6 miles from

Rocketts Landing Rockett's Landing (or simply Rocketts) is a new urbanist neighborhood in southeastern Richmond, Virginia on the border of Henrico County, Virginia and the north bank of the James River. It was named after Baldwin Rockett, an 18th-century ship's ...

to Willow Lawn, it offers high-capacity service along Broad and Main Streets and has earned a Bronze Standard BRT rating from the

Institute for Transportation and Development Policy An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes c ...

(ITDP). In 2023, GRTC approved plans for a second BRT line, the North-South Pulse, which will extend 12 miles from

Henrico County Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico Coun ...

to Southside Plaza and Midlothian Turnpike, with construction set to begin in 2029.

History

The GRTC is descended in a long line of transportation companies in Richmond. The first was established in 1860 as the Richmond Railway, a horse drawn trolley system. This line failed and was bought in 1881 by the Richmond City Railway. In 1888, a new, electrified system was built by the

Richmond Union Passenger Railway The Richmond Union Passenger Railway, in Richmond, Virginia, was the first practical electric trolley (tram) system, and set the pattern for most subsequent electric trolley systems around the world. It is an IEEE milestone in engineering. Th ...

. This was the first effective electric trolley system in the United States. The two companies were merged together along with three other electric and lighting companies to form the Richmond Railway and Electric Company in 1890, later reincorporated into the expanded Richmond Passenger and Power Company in 1900. One year later, the name was altered to the Virginia Passenger and Power Company, which defaulted in its payment in 1904 and was bought in 1909 by the Virginia Railway and Power Company. In 1925, ownership changed hands again and the company became the Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO). By 1944, the

Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...

had determined that VEPCO had too much monopoly power and ordered its transportation and electric businesses to be split up. As a result, VEPCO (later rebranded to

Dominion Energy Dominion Energy, Inc., commonly referred to as Dominion, is an American energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and supplies natural gas to parts of Ut ...

) sold the streetcar business to the Virginia Transit Company (VTC). In 1949, the last streetcars stopped operating and were succeeded by gas powered buses. In 1973, the city of Richmond purchased the VTC and created the Greater Richmond Transit Company. A one half ownership interest was purchased by Chesterfield County in 1989. The Pulse, a rapid transit route running along Broad Street, was initiated in 2018.

GRTC Pulse (Bus rapid transit)

The

is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system serving the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area. It was launched on June 24, 2018, through a partnership between the

U.S. Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the president of the United States a ...

, the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

(including the

and the

Virginia Department of Transportation The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is the agency of the U.S. state, state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. VDOT is headquartered at the Virginia Department of Highways Buildin ...

), the

City of Richmond The City of Richmond was a local government area about east of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994. History Richmond was incorporated as a municipality on 24 A ...

, and

. The Pulse operates along a 7.6-mile route, connecting

in the

to Willow Lawn in

, via Broad Street and Main Street. It provides a modern, high-capacity, and reliable transit service designed to improve travel times and accessibility in the region. The GRTC Pulse has been recognized with a Bronze Standard BRT rating by the

(ITDP), highlighting its quality and efficiency. The service is jointly sponsored by Bon Secours Richmond Health System and VCU Health System, and connects riders to key destinations, including businesses, services, and restaurants along its route.

Expansion of the GRTC Pulse

The GRTC Pulse, Richmond's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, is undergoing significant expansion to meet increasing demand for public transportation across the region. With existing vehicles operating at capacity, GRTC is working on a series of projects to expand and improve the Pulse network. These projects range from station modifications to accommodate larger buses to major extensions and the introduction of new routes.

Station modifications

The current 26 Pulse stations were originally designed to serve approximately 3,500 daily passengers. However, daily ridership now exceeds 6,100, leading to crowded vehicles operating at maximum capacity. To address this, GRTC announced in 2023 that they would purchase four 60-foot (18 m) New Flyer XN60 articulated buses to relieve congestion on the route. GRTC plans to eventually replace all of the 40-foot (12 m) buses used on the Pulse with XN60 buses. The new buses were scheduled to go into service in 2025. To accommodate these larger buses, GRTC plans to modify the existing stations by removing the brick knee wall bordering the platform, ensuring all three bus doors can be utilized. Station modifications are expected to take 260 days, with completion anticipated by the summer of 2025. Construction will begin at the East Riverfront station on September 23, 2024.

Western extension

As demand for transit along West Broad Street continues to rise, GRTC, in collaboration with Henrico County, is planning a four-mile extension of the Pulse line. This extension will expand the service from Willow Lawn to Parham Road, adding eight new stations and additional dedicated bus lanes. It will also introduce a park-and-ride location, a new feature for the Pulse system. The Western Extension is currently in Phase 2 of its study, which includes preliminary design and environmental assessments under the

National Environmental Policy Act The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law designed to promote the enhancement of the environment. It created new laws requiring U.S. federal government agencies to evaluate the environmental impacts of ...

(NEPA).

North-South Pulse

In 2022, studies began on a North-South BRT corridor, travelling along U.S 1 In October 2023, the GRTC Board of Directors approved the recommended route for the proposed North-South BRT. The North-South Pulse project aims to introduce 12 miles of high-capacity rapid transit, connecting northern and southern parts of the Richmond region via downtown. The route will run from Azalea in Henrico County, down U.S. Route 1, through downtown Richmond, and across the 9th Street Bridge to Southside Plaza. It will then continue along Belt Boulevard and the Midlothian Turnpike, terminating at Springline & Stonebridge. Studies on this Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor began in 2022, and by October 2023, the GRTC Board of Directors approved the recommended route. Currently in Phase 2, focusing on station location and environmental assessments, the project is slated to begin construction in 2029.

Ownership and management

As a

, GRTC is owned equally by the City of Richmond and neighboring Chesterfield County. Henrico and Hanover counties currently purchase services from it, but hold no ownership interest. Immediately after GRTC was formed in 1973, American Transportation Enterprises, Inc., through a subsidiary, continued to provide management. It was managed by a private transit management company that provided the CEO, COO, and Transportation Manager, as was its predecessor, Virginia Transit Company. GRTC itself has about 500 employees including bus operators, repair shop mechanics, customer service, support, and other administrative staff.

Fleet

On order

146 transit vehicles, 96 CARE vehicles, and 27 support vehicles (vans, wreckers, trucks, SUVs, etc)
139 fixed-route transit vehicles use CNG fuel
88 CARE vehicles use CNG fuel

CARE and CARE Plus

GRTC Transit System’s CARE and CARE Plus services provide origin-to-destination service under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the citizens of the Richmond Region. CARE and CARE Plus provide public transportation access to individuals with disabilities who may not be reasonably able to use GRTC fixed route bus service. All CARE trips are identified as either CARE or CARE Plus service. CARE and CARE Plus services are available in the City of Richmond, Henrico County, and portions of Chesterfield County.

Facilities

The GRTC Headquarters and bus garage is located near the intersection of Belt Boulevard and Midlothian Turnpike in South Richmond.

References

External links

GRTC website

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation website

{{Authority control Companies based in Richmond, Virginia Transit agencies in Virginia Bus transportation in Virginia 1860 establishments in Virginia Transport companies established in 1860 American companies established in 1860