Hello students!

Welcome to Richmond! Whether you’re arriving for the very first time or a seasoned senior already planning your graduation photos, one thing is absolutely certain: the best way to get around Richmond as a student is on the bus! So, hello! We’re GRTC, the public transit provider for the greater Richmond region, and we wanted to provide a quick primer on how to find and use our buses to navigate the city.

First, and most importantly, all GRTC service is completely fare free! No need to show a pass or buy a ticket, simply find your bus, arrive the at stop, and hop on board.

To navigate the system, GRTC offers a variety of tools and on-board features. We have our own GRTC app, but we’ve also partnered with Transit to provide a complementary Transit Royale subscription to all GRTC riders. We recommend using transit to plan your trip, track your bus, and rack up points – they don’t mean much, but they’re fun to have.

To make things even easier, all GRTC vehicles feature free wifi and real-time information screens that tell you what bus you’re on and where you’re going next. Many of our newer buses also feature USB charging ports – something we’re also pleased to offer at our Downtown Transfer Station, located conveniently across from the VCU MCV campus.

Our network is built around the GRTC Pulse – a modern bus rapid transit line that runs from Willow Lawn in Henrico County (stop here for trips to Target) to Rocketts Landing in the east end of Richmond. This green and blue bus travels faster than traffic, making all stops along the red bus lanes you’ll find on Broad street. It runs every 10 minutes Monday-Friday from early morning till 7 pm, and every 15 minutes from then on and on weekends.

The Pulse is the spine of our network, and supports connections to our purple and grey fixed-route buses, which can take you pretty much anywhere you need to go!  Those buses are also free, and stop at designated spots indicated by a purple and white flag with a little bus on top. Use the numbers on the stop blades and the bus itself to figure out which bus you need to take. For example, take the 5 for trips from VCU to Carytown (westbound) or MCV (eastbound).

Safety is also our number one priority. Our operators are trained to get you where you need to go comfortably, and all buses feature multiple live streaming cameras to keep folks safe, so you can go wherever you need with the confidence you deserve.

So, what are you waiting for? Hop on board a GRTC bus today!