GRTC receives $4 million to close rural transit gaps

GRTC receives $4 million to close rural transit gaps Download

RICHMOND, VA (December 19, 2022) — GRTC has received Commonwealth Transportation Board approval to close transit gaps in rural and suburban areas of Richmond through microtransit, an on-demand system that allows people to book rides in real time and get picked up and dropped off in designated areas.

GRTC will get $4,057,766 from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP) to fund the three-year pilot program, which starts fall 2023.

Riders in parts of Powhatan, Henrico, Chesterfield, and New Kent counties, and the Town of Ashland, will be connected to existing high-frequency fixed routes.

The program will cost a total of $6.7 million with state and local funds. TRIP funds will apply to the Henrico, Chesterfield, and New Kent routes. Other sources will fund the Powhatan and Ashland routes.

The Richmond region covers 2,165 square miles and is home to over one million people. However, GRTC’s fixed-route service area only covers 9% of that area, leaving much of the region without access to transit. Much of this unserved area is comprised of suburban and rural districts where traditional fixed-route transit service would be inefficient to operate.

“These parts of our region need more mobility options,” said GRTC Chief Development Officer Adrienne Torres. “They are home to families sharing a single car, retirees wanting to age in place, and others that don’t have the option to make all their trips by single occupancy vehicle and need an alternative means of transportation.”

The five microtransit zones are designed to maximize opportunities to connect to major regional employers, medical facilities, and government and community services for residents across the region that have limited or nonexistent transit options. They will provide transit service and regional connections to major employers such as Amazon and Randolph-Macon College; government services such as a Social Security office and Powhatan County courthouse; large shopping centers such as Brookhill Azalea Shopping Center and Ashland Hanover Shopping Center; and healthcare facilities such as VCU Health Emergency Center.

Torres said the program should also reduce traffic congestion. “Since microtransit service is anticipated to be used by citizens with limited vehicle access who may have had to rely on others to help make their daily trips, it should provide an overall reduction in single occupancy vehicle trips in the region as it replaces these trips with shared rides.”

The program will replace a peak-only fixed-route bus line with all day microtransit service. Where zones are contiguous to the GRTC service area, microtransit will provide connections to GRTC stops, giving patrons access to the wider Richmond-area transit network.

GRTC received TRIP funding in fiscal year 2022 to continue offering free fares and its local bus ridership has exceed pre-pandemic levels. It expects systemwide ridership to recover to 2019 levels by 2023 and grow by 2% per year each year through 2027.

Microtransit Zone Details

Ashland Zone: This zone will operate 6:30 AM – 11:59 PM Monday-Saturday and require 1-3 vehicles. Major destinations and trip generators include Randolph-Macon College, Ashland Junction Shopping Center, and Ashland Hanover Shopping Center.

Sandston-Elko Zone: This zone will operate 6:30 AM – 9:00 PM Monday-Saturday and require 1-2 vehicles. Major destinations and trip generators include the Social Security Office, VCU Health Emergency Center, and two Food Lion grocery stores. The service would provide connections to GRTC routes 7A and 7B.

Powhatan Zone: This zone will operate 6:30 AM – 7:00 PM Monday-Saturday and require 1-3 vehicles. Major destinations and trip generators include Powhatan Plaza and the Powhatan County library.

North Chesterfield West Zone: This zone will operate 6:30 AM – 11:59 PM Monday-Saturday and require 2-4 vehicles. Major destinations and trip generators include Commonwealth Center Mall and shopping centers along Route 360. The service would provide connections to GRTC routes 82 and 1C.

Washington Park – Azalea Avenue Zone: This zone will operate 6:00 AM – 11:59 PM Monday-Saturday and require 1-2 vehicles. Major destinations and trip generators include Amazon (opening Summer 2023), Brookhill Azalea Shopping Center, and senior apartments. The service would provide connections to the reconfigured GRTC route 1, 2A, 2B, 2C, 14, and 91.

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high resolution image (credit GRTC Transit System)

CONTACT

Mike Frontiero
Communications & Marketing Director
mike.frontiero@ridegrtc.com