The Greater Richmond Transit Company has expanded its service across the region this year with route changes and new microtransit zones in neighboring counties. More development is in the works, including a north-south bus rapid transit system to mirror the east-west Pulse line and plans for a permanent downtown transfer hub.
GRTC spokesperson Henry Bendon told VPM News that more than a million people took public transit in September — approximately 675,000 of them in the city.
“I'm so excited to know who the mayor is going to be and then work with them,” Bendon said. “Whoever they are, they're invited on the bus with us.”
However, safety continues to be a concern.
There have been more than 90 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the city since January 2021, according to Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles data; almost 30% have involved pedestrians. And one of the main reasons for GRTC developing microtransit zones is that would-be transit users in high-traffic areas often have to navigate busy roads with limited or no sidewalk access to make it to their stop.
As a part of their bid to succeed Levar Stoney as mayor, the five candidates vying for Richmond’s top job have discussed transportation issues ranging from potential changes to the city’s roundabouts to making Richmond more walkable.
Chet Parsons, executive director of the Central Virginia Transportation Authority, said having a robust transit system is crucial to the economic growth of the city — and the region. He said CVTA has administered nearly $750 million in transportation funding across the city of Richmond and eight other localities in the area in an effort to deliver continued growth.
“It's not Henrico competing with Chesterfield. It's Central Virginia competing with Tidewater or Northern Virginia — or Austin, Texas, or Chattanooga, Tennessee,” Parsons said. “This is about national competitiveness.”
But he pointed out that creating a transportation system capable of helping to drive economic success while keeping people safe is a goal with many moving parts — literally.
"There's 30 different things that have to happen simultaneously for a region to grow,” Parsons said, “whether that's expanding bus rapid transit or connecting sidewalks or reconfiguring an interchange so that crashes are reduced by half.”
In response to submissions to the People’s Agenda: Election 2024 survey, VPM News sent all five mayoral candidates a series of questions focused on the city’s transportation.
Both Councilor Andreas Addison — one of the city’s representatives on the GRTC board — and nonprofit investor Harrison Roday said the city should set up a separate department to bring all transportation-related goals under one roof. (Many of the city’s transportation initiatives are currently housed in the Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility, part of the Department of Public Works.)
“An independent and fully empowered department can strategically focus on our priorities of multi-modal transportation, Vision Zero, and Complete Streets,” Addison wrote. “DOT will align these priorities by serving as the central agency in charge of maintaining our streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, parking, bike lanes, and trails.”
All five candidates expressed a desire to keep expanding bus service, with several emphasizing the benefits of GRTC bus rides remaining fare-free.
Roday said his administration would “ensure that public transit remains zero-fare, fully fund the essential transit infrastructure plan to enhance bus stops with shelters and benches, and work with our neighboring localities to increase GRTC funding.”
He added: "Also, we must invest in additional routes and stops to expand reliable, frequent service for all Richmonders. This includes advancing the North-South Pulse BRT as well as ensuring all communities throughout the City have greater access to free public transportation."
Dr. Danny Avula said he would tackle road safety as a “public health concern.”
“We shouldn’t spend a dollar on our streets if it's not a dollar that can improve safety along with designing our city for the future that residents want,” Avula wrote. “We must also design our roads for bike and pedestrian safety– narrowing streets, restriping crosswalks, daylighting intersections, expanding the use of speed cameras– these are the types of interventions that will slow drivers down and reduce pedestrian deaths.”
Former City Council President Michelle Mosby said in her response that future development plans need to be devised with a focus on access to transportation, so the city creates “healthier, safer neighborhoods.”
“Integrating transit access into zoning and development plans is crucial. By incentivizing projects with public transportation and bike infrastructure, we can reduce car dependency, lower pollution, and meet sustainability goals,” she wrote. “These efforts support safer streets and a more inclusive city.”
In his response, business owner and community organizer Maurice Neblett talked about the effect that new approaches in the public transportation system could have — not just on transit efficiency, but on public and environmental health. A central bus hub station would offer Richmonders shelter from extreme weather, he said, while introducing electric trolleys could increase the system’s sustainability.
“The goal is to create a transit system that is both efficient and environmentally responsible,” he wrote. “I also plan to collaborate with organizations like the Sierra Club to address environmental justice concerns. By working together, we can ensure that Richmond’s public transportation system contributes to a cleaner, healthier future for all of its residents.”
Read the candidates’ full responses to the VPM News transportation Q&A: Andreas Addison | Danny Avula | Michelle Mosby | Maurice Neblett | Harrison Roday
