Greater Richmond Transit Company
 | |
| Founded | 1860 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 301 East Belt Boulevard |
| Locale | Richmond, Virginia |
| Service area | Richmond, Virginia |
| Service type | bus service, paratransit |
| Routes | 59 local routes 12 express routes |
| Destinations | 1 Church Hill/Briel Street |
| Fleet | 231 buses & vans |
| Operator | [M-V] |
| Chief executive | Eldridge F. Coles |
| Website | GRTC Transit System |
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.
GRTC primarily serves the independent city of Richmond and a very small portion of the adjacent counties of Henrico and Chesterfield with a fleet of over 175 diesel-powered and CNG-powered transit buses operating approximately 59 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 County currently purchases services from it, but holds 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 500 employees.
Ownership history
In 1860, Richmond Railway was organized, beginning operations in August. The service was forced to stop for nearly 2 years during the Civil War.
In 1866, Joseph Jackson, Jr., acquired control and resumed operations.
In 1881, it was sold to Richmond City Railway Company.
In 1887, The Richmond City Council adopted an ordinance granting a franchise to the Richmond Union Passenger Railway Company to operate a street railway system. Ground was broken for laying rail.
In 1888, Frank Sprague installed a complete system of electric streetcars in Richmond, Virginia. This was the first large scale and successful use of electricity to run a city's entire system of streetcars. Operation of streetcars continued until they were totally replaced by buses in 1949.
In 1925, Virginia Railway and Power company bought the transit system.
In 1944, the Securities and Exchange Commission directed Virginia Electric and Power company to confine its activities to the electricity business.
In 1944, the Richmond transit bus system (and a similar one in Norfolk) was purchased by VTC, which became part of the United Transit Company the next year. In 1962, American Transportation Enterprises Inc. (ATE) acquired a controlling interest in United Transit Company. After World War II, public transit systems in the United States became unprofitable, and most were eventually converted to government-owned and funded operations. This trend included Virginia Transit Company operations in Richmond and Norfolk.
In 1947, the Main Street and Westhampton streetcar lines are motorized. Virginia Transit Company began conversion to motor buses.
In 1949, Buses replace electric trolleys. On November 25, 1949, ten streetcars make the last run.
In 1962, American Transportation Enterprises, Inc., acquired controlling interest in United Transit Company.
In 1972, federal, state and local funds were used to purchase the assets of the Virginia Transit Company, and a new public service company was set up, GRTC, which was wholly owned by the City of Richmond. A one-half interest was later purchased by Chesterfield County in the late 1980s. Henrico County declined to purchase a portion at that time.
Management history
Immediately after GRTC was formed, American Transportation Enterprises, Inc., through a subsidiary, continued to provide management.
Routes
Most routes converge on downtown Richmond near Richmond City Hall and the VCU Medical Campus on Broad Street with the exception of routes 18, 91, 93 and 101. Although Chesterfield County is a part owner of GRTC and the county is largely urbanized, there is no public transportation in Chesterfield aside from the Brandermill express run and the two routes (Midlothian Turnpike and Jefferson Davis Highway) that travel roughly half a mile over the city line and then turn back into the city of Richmond. Service in Henrico County is also very limited, with very little bus service in the northern part of the county, and none in the Varina area or Short Pump.
| Route No. | Name | Start | End | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Monument–Patterson | Libbie Mill | Transfer Plaza | 01 |
| 02 | Monument–Patterson | Regency Square | Transfer Plaza | 02 |
| 03 | Robinson–Meadow–Belmont | Maymont | Transfer Plaza | 03 |
| 04 | Robinson–Meadow–Belmont | Stadium | Transfer Plaza | 04 |
| 06 | Broad[A] | Transfer Plaza | Willow Lawn | 06 |
| 07 | Seven Pines | Transfer Plaza | Seven Pines (Sandston) | 07 |
| 10 | Riverview | Transfer Plaza | Randolph | 10 |
| 11 | Oliver Hill–17th Street | Transfer Plaza | Mosby Court | 11 |
| 16 | Grove | University of Richmond | Transfer Plaza | 16 |
| 18 | Henrico Government Center | Willow Lawn | Henrico Government Center | 18 |
| 19 | Pemberton | Pemberton Road | Transfer Plaza | 19 |
| 21 | Brook | Transfer Plaza | Bellevue | 21 |
| 26x | Parham Express | Parham Road (Henrico) | Downtown | 26x |
| 27x | Glenside Express | Dumbarton | Downtown | 27x |
| 28x | White Oak Express | White Oak Village (Highland Springs) | Downtown | 28x |
| 29x | Gaskins Express | Gaskins Road (Innsbrook) | Downtown | 29x |
| 32 | Ginter Park | Ginter Park | Transfer Plaza | 32 |
| 34 | Highland Park | Transfer Plaza | Richmond International Raceway | 34 |
| 37 | Chamberlayne | Transfer Plaza | Laburnum Park | 37 |
| 41 | Church Hill | Transfer Plaza | Chimborazo Park | 41 |
| 43 | Whitcomb | Transfer Plaza | Whitcomb Court | 43 |
| 44 | Fairfield | Transfer Plaza | Fairfield Court | 44 |
| 45 | Jefferson | Transfer Plaza | Woodville | 45 |
| 51 | Church Hill | Transfer Plaza | Libby Hill | 51 |
| 52 | Montrose Heights | Transfer Plaza | Montrose Heights | 52 |
| 53 | Darbytown | Transfer Plaza | Fulton Hill | 53 |
| 56 | South Laburnum | Downtown | Richmond International Airport | 56 |
| 60 | Hull Street | Transfer Plaza | Chippenham Mall | 60 |
| 61 | Midlothian | Transfer Plaza | Forest Hill | 61 |
| 62 | Hull Street | Transfer Plaza | Southwood | 62 |
| 63 | Midlothian | Transfer Plaza | Chippenham Square | 63 |
| 64x | Stony Point Express | Stony Point | Downtown | 64x |
| 66x | Spring Rock Green Express | Beaufont | Downtown | 66x |
| 68 | Broad Rock | Transfer Plaza | Walmsley | 68 |
| 70 | Forest Hill | Stony Point | Transfer Plaza | 70 |
| 71 | Forest Hill | Beaufont | Transfer Plaza | 71 |
| 72 | Ampthill | Transfer Plaza | Bensley | 72 |
| 73 | Ampthill | Transfer Plaza | Castle Heights | 73 |
| 74 | Oak Grove | Transfer Plaza | Windsor | 74 |
| 81x | Chesterfield Express | Chesterfield | Downtown | 81x |
| 82x | Commonwealth 20–Swift Creek Express | Matoaca | Downtown | 82 |
| 91 | Laburnum Connector | Willow Lawn | Montrose | 91 |
| 93 | Azalea Connector | Azalea Shopping Center | Pine Camp | 93 |
| 95x | Richmond–Petersburg Express | Downtown | Petersburg Transit Center | 95x |
| 101 | Southside Plaza–Belt Boulevard Connector | Westover Hills | McGuire Woods | 101 |
| 102x | Kings Dominion Express | Southside Plaza | Kings Dominion | 102x |
- A ^ : Line 06 will be replaced by the GRTC Pulse in 2017.
Color-coded, Express, and Park-and-Ride
There are five color routes that serve various neighborhoods of Richmond.
- Blue route: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 16—serving downtown, the Fan district, Church Hill and portions of the West End, south of Broad Street
- Purple route: 7, 56, 91—serving the East End with 3 trips each weekday to Richmond International Airport
- Orange route: 18, 19—serving portions of the West End north of Broad Street
- Black route: 22, 24, 32, 34, 37, 93—serving the North Side.
- Green route: 62, 63, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 101—serving Southside
Express buses, complementing the Color-coded routes, run from downtown to various points with few or no stops. They are:
- Stony Point - 64
- Southside - 66
- Chesterfield - 81
- Brandermill - 82
- Petersburg - 95
Park-and-ride buses have parking lots for commuters. GRTC Park-and-Ride Service is provided for:
- Parham Road - 23, 26
- Glenside Avenue - 23, 27
- White Oaks Village - 28
- Gaskins Road - 29
Paratransit service
GRTC's paratransit service in Richmond and Henrico County is provided by the CARE service, which is operated under contract by Laidlaw Transit, Inc.
Facilities
The GRTC bus garage, originally a streetcar facility, is located in the City at Robinson and Cary Streets. Petersburg Area Transit buses are also frequently serviced at this location. In 2007, a new facility was being developed near the intersection of Belt Boulevard and Midlothian Turnpike in South Richmond.