Henry Bendon News Today

Richmond is one of the few cities where transit systems have regained pre-pandemic ridership, according to a Stateline analysis, and waiving fares has played a large part.

It’s not surprising that free rides can juice ridership numbers for systems struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shift to at-home work.

Free bus rides have made life easier for Melvin Wilson, a 28-year-old Richmond resident who was on his way to his warehouse job on a recent morning.

It’s a safety hazard and it’s also illegal, as more and more people are parking at bus stops in Carytown.

GRTC is looking at five sites across the city for the home of its future bus station hub, which would incorporate a larger mixed-use development and be the permanent successor to the temporary facility it opened last year.

In 2021, the agency made plans to cut services and adjust bus times for several routes because it simply did not have enough drivers or mechanics to keep up. Now, two years later, the GRTC reports a full fleet and even more recruits pouring in.

While the new line has stirred up excitement with bus riders and public transit supporters alike, the opening date is several years away. A 2022 report from the Greater Washington Partnership, a consortium of CEOs in the region, estimates construction will require five to 15 years to complete.

GRTC will ring in the new year with service improvements on four routes, including the Pulse rapid-transit line.

Richmond’s second Pulse BRT could be over three times longer and feature double the stops of the city’s first route, requiring far more time and resources to complete. 

The articulated buses, so named for the accordion-like joint in the middle of the bus that helps the long vehicles make turns, are expected to cost $1.1 million each.