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Greater Richmond Transit Company

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GRTC
GRTC 2021 Gillig BRT CNG 2304 On Route 5 To Whitcomb Court
Founded1973
Headquarters301 East Belt Boulevard
LocaleRichmond, Virginia
Service areaRichmond, Virginia
Service typeBus service
Paratransit
AlliancePetersburg Area Transit
Routes
  • Local: 34
  • Express: 4
  • Bus rapid transit (Pulse): 1
Fleet253 buses & vans
Daily ridership37,300 (weekdays, Q3 2024)[1]
Annual ridership9,833,200 (2023)[2]
Fuel typeCNG
Diesel
OperatorNational Express (CARE Vans only)
Chief executiveSheryl Adams
Websiteridegrtc.com

The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) is a local government-owned public service company which based in Richmond, Virginia. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 9,833,200, or about 37,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.[3]

GRTC primarily serves the independent city of Richmond and a very small portion of the adjacent counties of Henrico, Hanover, and Chesterfield with a fleet of over 157 diesel-powered and CNG-powered transit buses operating approximately 45 routes. GRTC uses government-funded equipment and resources principally provided by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT), and local funds.

On June 24, 2018, GRTC launched its first bus rapid transit (BRT) line, the "GRTC Pulse." Running 7.6 miles from Rocketts Landing 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 (ITDP). In 2023, GRTC approved plans for a second BRT line, the North-South Pulse, which will extend 12 miles from Henrico County to Southside Plaza and Midlothian Turnpike, with construction set to begin in 2029.

History

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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. 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 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) 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.[4][5]

GRTC Pulse (Bus rapid transit)

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The GRTC Pulse 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 Commonwealth of Virginia (including the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Virginia Department of Transportation), the City of Richmond, and Henrico County.

The Pulse operates along a 7.6-mile route, connecting Rocketts Landing in the City of Richmond to Willow Lawn in Henrico County, 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 Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (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

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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

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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

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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 (NEPA).

North-South Pulse

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In 2022, studies began on a North-South BRT corridor, travelling along U.S 1[6] 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.[7]

Ownership and management

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As a public service company, 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.[citation needed]

Fleet

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Builder and
model name 		Model year Length Numbers
(Total) 		Amount in service Energy source Notes
Motor Coach Industries
D4500CT 		2011 45 ft (14 m) 1504–1508
(5 buses) 		4
retiring 		Diesel
  • 1504 listed for auction in August 2024
Gillig
BRT 		2012 40 ft (12 m) 401-408
(8 buses) 		3
retiring
  • 401, 403, and 406 are training units
  • 405-407 are retired
Gillig
BRT CNG 		2013 201-208
(8 buses) 		8 CNG
  • First CNG buses for GRTC
2014 250-270
501-508
(28 buses) 		27
  • 255 retired due to an accident
35 ft (11 m) 701-705
(5 buses) 		5
  • Used On Low Ridership Routes: 18, 20, 76, 77, 78, 79, 86, 87, 88
2016–17 40 ft (12 m) 2001–2013
(13 buses) 		12
  • Used for the Pulse Bus Rapid Transit line
  • 2001 is a 2016 model
  • 2002–2013 are 2017 models
  • 2004 was destroyed by rioters on May 29, 2020.[8][9][10]
  • Gillig Low Floor BRTPlus Design
2017 2101-2110
(10 buses) 		10
35 ft (11 m) 2121 – 2124
(4 buses) 		4
29 ft (8.8 m) 2131-2134
(4 buses) 		4
  • Used on low ridership routes: 18, 20
2018 40 ft (12 m) 2201-2217
(17 buses) 		17
29 ft (8.8 m) 2231 – 2236
(6 buses) 		6
  • Used on low ridership routes: 18, 20
2021 40 ft (12 m) 2014
(1 bus) 		1
  • Used for the Pulse Bus Rapid Transit Line
  • 2014 is a replacement for 2004 which was destroyed by rioters on May 29, 2020.[8][9][10]
  • Gillig Low Floor BRTPlus Design
40 ft (12 m) 2300 – 2313
(13 buses) 		13
2022 40 ft (12 m) 2314-2319
(6 buses) 		6
2023 29 ft (8.8 m) 2401-2410
(10 buses) 		10
2024 40 ft (12 m) 2320-2333
(14 buses) 		14
35 ft (11 m) 2411-2415
(5 buses) 		5

142 transit vehicles, 96 CARE vehicles, and 27 support vehicles (vans, wreckers, trucks, SUVs, etc)
95 fixed-route transit vehicles use CNG fuel
88 CARE vehicles use CNG fuel [11]

In June 2020, the GRTC Board of Directors approved to purchase a replacement bus for #2004 that was destroyed during the riots. The bus should be placed into service on the GRTC Pulse route sometime in January 2021. This bus will be a 40 ft Gillig Low Floor CNG BRTPlus model.

In August 2020, the GRTC Board of Directors approved the purchase of 29 buses to replace older buses to keep the fleet in a state of good repair, as well as to keep up with demand increases in the Richmond Area. All 29 of these buses will be 40 ft Gillig Low Floor CNG BRT model. 14 of the buses will be put into service in the 1st Quarter of FY2022, and the last 15 will enter service in the 3rd Quarter of FY2022.

CARE and CARE Plus

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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.[12][13]

Facilities

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

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Third Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  4. ^ Lutz, Earle (November 27, 1949). "You've Missed the Last Trolley: Just Waiting for a Street Car?" (PDF). Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Our History". ridegrtc.com. GRTC. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  6. ^ Schwartzkopf, Robin (November 7, 2022). "RIC Today". Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  7. ^ Oliver, Ned (October 16, 2023). "GRTC proposes route for north-south bus rapid transit line". Axios Richmond. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Richmond protest of George Floyd's death turns violent; GRTC bus lit on fire". WTVR. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  9. ^ a b "GRTC Pulse bus destroyed during overnight protests; service delayed Saturday". www.nbc12.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Rioters torch Richmond bus". WTVR. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  11. ^ "GRTC Press Kit | GRTC". ridegrtc.com. Retrieved Nov 23, 2020.
  12. ^ "GRTC CARE Service | GRTC". ridegrtc.com. Retrieved Nov 23, 2020.
  13. ^ ZULLO, ROBERT. "GRTC to end contract with paratransit provider over 'unacceptable' service". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved Nov 23, 2020.
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