Greater Richmond Transit Company
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File:GRTC logo.svg | |
![]() GRTC bus operating along the GRTC Pulse bus rapid transit line | |
Founded | 1860 |
---|---|
Headquarters | 301 East Belt Boulevard |
Locale | Richmond, Virginia |
Service area | Richmond, Virginia |
Service type | bus service, paratransit |
Alliance | Petersburg Area Transit |
Routes | 34 local routes 10 express routes 1 rapid transit line |
Fleet | 253 buses & vans |
Daily ridership | 26,600 (weekdays, Q2 2022)[1] |
Annual ridership | 7,980,600 (2021)[2] |
Fuel type | Diesel and CNG |
Operator | First Transit (Care Vans only) |
Chief executive | Julie Timm |
Website | ridegrtc |
The Greater Richmond Transit Company, known locally as GRTC Transit System, is a local government-owned public service company which operates an urban-suburban bus line based in Richmond, Virginia. In 2021, the system had a ridership of 7,980,600, or about 26,600 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2022.
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. It also maintains equipment and has other affiliations with Petersburg Area Transit, a similar agency which also serves a portion of Chesterfield County.
Ownership and management
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.
It is managed by a private transit management company that provides the CEO, COO, and Transportation Manager, as was its predecessor, Virginia Transit Company (VTC). GRTC itself has 400 employees.
Immediately after GRTC was formed, American Transportation Enterprises, Inc., through a subsidiary, continued to provide management.
Fleet
Builder and model name |
Model year | Length | Numbers (Total) |
Amount in service | Energy source | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Motor Coach Industries D4500CT |
2006 | 45 ft (14 m) | 1501–1503 (3 buses) |
3 | Diesel | |
Gillig Low Floor |
2008 | 40 ft (12 m) | 301-318 (18 buses) |
18 |
| |
Gillig BRT |
2010 | 901-913 (13 buses) |
13 |
| ||
Motor Coach Industries D4500CT |
2011 | 45 ft (14 m) | 1504–1508 (5 buses) |
5 | ||
Gillig BRT |
2012 | 40 ft (12 m) | 401-408 (8 buses) |
8 |
| |
Gillig BRT CNG |
2013 | 201-208 (8 buses) |
8 | CNG |
| |
2014 | 119
250-259 261 263-270 362 |
29 |
| |||
35 ft (11 m) | 701-705 (5 buses) |
5 | ||||
2016–17 | 40 ft (12 m) | 2001–2013 (13 buses) |
12 | |||
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, 93 | |||
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, 93 | |||
2021 | 40 ft (12 m) | 2300 – 2313 (13 buses) |
13 | |||
40 ft (12 m) | 2014 (1 bus) |
1 |
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 [6]
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.
Routes
Route No. | Name | Start | End | Map/Schedule |
---|---|---|---|---|
BRT | GRTC Pulse | Willow Lawn | Rocketts Landing | BRT |
1A | Chamberlayne/Hull/Midlothian | Chamberlayne | Spring Rock Green | 1A |
1B | Chamberlayne/Hull/Warwick | Chamberlayne | Giant Dr. | 1B |
1C | Chamberlayne/Hull/Elkhardt | Chamberlayne | Chippenham Mall | 1C |
2A | Forest Hill/North Ave | Moss Side | Stony Point Medical Center | 2A |
2B | North Ave/Jahnke/Midlothian | Moss Side | Chippenham Square | 2B |
2C | North Ave/Midlothian/Belt Blvd | Moss Side | Circle Shopping Center | 2C |
3A | Highland/Jeff Davis/Harwood | Highland & Missouri | Lone & Harwood | 3A |
3B | Highland/Jeff Davis | Highland & Missouri | Food Lion – Ampthill | 3B |
3C | Highland/Harwood/Jeff Davis | Highland & Missouri | Food Lion – Ampthill | 3C |
4A | Montrose | 23rd & Franklin | Rawlings & Government | 4A |
4B | Darbytown | 23rd & Franklin | Henrico Arms Place | 4B |
5 | Cary/Main/Whitcomb | Carytown | Whitcomb Court | 5 |
7A – 7B | Nine Mile Henrico | Downtown Transfer Plaza | Richmond International Airport | 7A-B |
12 | Church Hill | Marshall & 3rd Street | Downtown Transfer Plaza | 12 |
13 | Oakwood | Oakwood | 23rd & Franklin | 13 |
14 | Hermitage/East Main | Chamberlayne | 23rd & Franklin | 14 |
18 | Henrico Government Center | Willow Lawn | Henrico County Government Center | 18 |
19 | West Broad Street | Willow Lawn | Short Pump | 19 |
20 | Orbital | Prince Hall | 3rd Ave. & Dill | 20 |
23x & 26x | Glenside/Parham Express | Parham Park-N-Ride & Glenside Park-N-Ride | Downtown (Broad & 11th) | 23x & 26x |
27x | Glenside Express | Glenside Park-N-Ride | Downtown (Broad & 11th) | 27x |
28x | White Oak Express | White Oak Village | Downtown (7th & Marshall) | 28x |
29x | Gaskins Express | Gaskins Park-N-Ride | Downtown (7th & Marshall) | 29x |
39 | Fairmount/Oakwood | Downtown Transfer Plaza | 35th Street | 39 |
50 | Broad Street | Willow Lawn | DMV Drive | 50 |
56 | South Laburnum | White Oak Village | Downtown (7th & Marshall) | 56 |
64x | Stony Point Express | Stony Point Shopping Center | Downtown (9th & Cary) | 64x |
75 | Three Chopt | Willow Lawn | University of Richmond | 75 |
76 | Patterson | Willow Lawn | DMV Drive | 76 |
77 | Grove | Willow Lawn | DMV Drive | 77 |
78 | Cary/Maymont | Carytown | Downtown Transfer Plaza | 78 |
79 | Patterson/Parham | Willow Lawn | Gayton Crossing Shopping Center | 79 |
82x | Commonwealth 20 Express | Commonwealth 20 | Downtown (9th & Cary) | 82x |
86 | Broad Rock/Walmsley | Southside Plaza | Banton/Dupont | 86 |
87 | Bellemeade/Hopkins | Southside Plaza | Downtown Transfer Plaza | 87 |
88 | Belt/Bells/Ruffin | Southside Plaza | Maxxim Medical | 88 |
91 | Laburnum Connector | Willow Lawn | Millers Lane | 91 |
93 | Azalea Connector | Brook & Azalea | Treehouse Apartments | 93 |
95x | Petersburg Express | Downtown (7th & Main) | Petersburg, Virginia (Petersburg Transit Center) | 95x |
102x | Kings Dominion Express | Downtown | Doswell, VA (Kings Dominion) | 102x |
111 | Falling Creek/Tyler | Food Lion – Ampthill | John Tyler Community College (Chester Campus) | 111 |
- Currently Routes 28X, 39, 75 and 102X are not in service.
Express buses, run from downtown to various points with few or no stops. They are:
- Stony Point Fashion Park – 64x
- Commonwealth 20 – 82x
- Petersburg – 95x
- Kings Dominion – 102x
Park-and-ride buses have parking lots for commuters. GRTC Park-and-Ride Service is provided for:
- Parham Road – 23, 26
- Glenside Drive – 23, 27
- White Oaks Village – 28
- Gaskins Road – 29
Paratransit service
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. [7] [8]
Facilities
The GRTC Headquarters and bus garage is located near the intersection of Belt Boulevard and Midlothian Turnpike in South Richmond.
Incidents
- On September 21, 2007, a woman was struck by a GRTC bus along 8th and Marshall. The women was seriously injured and would later file charges against GRTC.
- On December 5, 2012, a car rear-ended a GRTC bus and caught fire along Broad Street. One person was sent to the hospital.[9]
- On September 24, 2015, A GRTC bus struck a utility pole in the Randolph neighborhood leaving hundreds without power.[10]
- On June 27, 2018, multiple people were injured when an GRTC bus and a car collided head in eastern Henrico County.[11][12][13]
- On July 10, 2018, a GRTC bus collided with a pickup truck when it was making a left-hand turn through the dedicated bus lane on West Broad Street, at the intersection of Broad and N Allen Ave.[14]
- On January 5, 2019, a GRTC bus and an SUV collided along Broad Street. Multiple people were injured.[15]
- On March 5, 2019, a GRTC bus was involved in a minor collision with a car along the intersection of Crutchfield and Roanoke.[16]
- On October 8, 2019, a GRTC bus struck and killed a woman along Broad Street. The driver was also taken to the hospital.[17][18][19]
- On November 11, 2019, a GRTC bus was involved in a head-on collision along West 33rd Street and Midlothian Turnpike. Four people were injured.[20]
- On February 24, 2020, a man attempted to hijack a GRTC bus along Brook Road and Azalea Ave. The man was later arrested.[21][22]
- On May 20, 2020, a driver spun out of control and crashed into a GRTC bus along East Broad Street. The driver of the car was killed and three passengers on the bus were injured.[23]
- During the overnight hours of May 29 into May 30, 2020, rioters vandalized and set fire to a GRTC Pulse bus in Downtown Richmond following protests and riots over the murder of George Floyd. There were no passengers or a driver on board at the time. The bus was destroyed in the ensuing protests.[3][4][5]
See also
References
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. August 29, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2021" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 10, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Richmond protest of George Floyd's death turns violent; GRTC bus lit on fire". WTVR. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ a b c "GRTC Pulse bus destroyed during overnight protests; service delayed Saturday". www.nbc12.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ a b c "Rioters torch Richmond bus". WTVR. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "GRTC Press Kit | GRTC". ridegrtc.com. Retrieved Nov 23, 2020.
- ^ "GRTC CARE Service | GRTC". ridegrtc.com. Retrieved Nov 23, 2020.
- ^ ZULLO, ROBERT. "GRTC to end contract with paratransit provider over 'unacceptable' service". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved Nov 23, 2020.
- ^ Chappell, Marcos. "Car catches fire after collision with GRTC bus". www.nbc12.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ Daudani, Ray. "GRTC bus goes off road, knocks out power to 600". nbc12.com. Retrieved Nov 23, 2020.
- ^ HOFFMEYER, DEAN. "GRTC BUS CRASH". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Charges expected against car driver in crash with GRTC bus that injured 8 in Henrico". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Charges expected against driver accused of hitting GRTC bus head-on". WTVR.com. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ Streever, David (11 July 2018). "First Crash Involving GRTC Pulse Bus". RVA Mag. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "GRTC supervisor rear-ended while responding to crash involving Pulse bus". 8News. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "GRTC bus involved in minor crash". www.nbc12.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Police: No charges in GRTC Pulse bus crash that killed 32-year-old woman". www.nbc12.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ Tabackman, Lia (8 October 2019). "Woman crossing Broad Street killed by GRTC Pulse bus". WTVR. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ Gordon, Wyatt. "After a pedestrian dies in a bus crash, Richmond sees renewed calls for better infrastructure". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Head-on crash with GRTC bus leaves 4 injured". www.nbc12.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "UPDATE: Man charged with abducting Richmond school employee before bizarre incident on GRTC bus | Crime | richmond.com". www.richmond.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ Manzanares, Keyris (24 February 2020). "Police: Newport News man tries to hijack GRTC bus". WFXRtv.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Midlothian 18-year-old killed after crashing into GRTC bus". www.nbc12.com. Retrieved 30 May 2020.