Transit service in Henrico County is set to expand, as the Greater Richmond Transit Company begins preliminary work to extend the western terminus of the Pulse bus rapid transit line 4 miles down West Broad Street.
The Pulse line’s western endpoint will move from The Shops at Willow Lawn — on West Broad Street between Staples Mill Road and Libbie Avenue — to the Fountain Square shopping center, near the intersection of West Broad Street and Parham Road.
GRTC and Henrico officials hosted an open meeting Tuesday at the Libbie Mill Library to share details about the project. GRTC spokesperson Henry Bendon told VPM News that the meeting was one of many opportunities for residents to offer their input on transit projects.
“We’re in the early stages of this project, but it's important that we hear from folks directly about how we can best serve their community,” Bendon said.
GRTC launched the Pulse line in 2018. The 7.6-mile route connects Richmond and Henrico, running from Rocketts Landing to Willow Lawn — primarily along Broad Street.
Extending service further into Henrico has long been one of the company’s goals, as identified in 2017 in the Greater RVA Transit Vision Plan. That goal was later affirmed by a study of the West Broad Street BRT Corridor conducted by GRTC and regional planning authority PlanRVA in 2023.
The westward Pulse extension would serve one of Virginia’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas. In August, Henrico supervisors approved the land purchase near Old Parham Road that will become a western GRTC transfer station.
GRTC CEO Sheryl Adams called the purchase approval “a fantastic day for transit.”
“Henrico County is a fantastic partner, and we are thrilled to be working with them to expand the freedom the Pulse provides to thousands of residents, employees, and visitors to Henrico County,” Adams said in a statement.
This extension of the Pulse will add eight new stations and dedicated bus lanes — similar to the ones along Broad Street in central Richmond — as well as new features, such as a dedicated park-and-ride location and improvements to bicycle and pedestrian access.
But Bendon said the county and the transit system still have a long way to go before achieving their goals; the project isn’t expected to be complete until 2028.
And another GRTC project that runs through Henrico — a North-South BRT line running from Azalea Avenue into Southside Richmond, then traveling west along Hull Street and Midlothian Turnpike — is slated for construction from 2028–2031.
“We still need to secure local, state and federal funding in order to make this happen,” Bendon told VPM News. “Today’s meeting is more about learning from residents what they want to see change. So far what we’ve learned is people love the bus.”
Bendon said most of what GRTC staff heard was excitement that the company has taken steps towards providing additional access to transit stops and that the county will help improve infrastructure along its roads and sidewalks.
Residents at Tuesday’s meeting were encouraged to suggest what they’d like to see happen along the proposed route. Richmond’s Caroline Tobe told VPM News she was happy to see transit activists’ needs being addressed.
Tobe was diagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder that affects her ability to drive, so like many others in the Richmond area, she is a full-time transit rider.
“I'm an avid bus rider, since I'm physically unable to drive,” Tobe said. “I'm also a full-time volunteer advocate going to these events, GRTC board meetings and city council meetings, to turn my frustration and issues with transit into action.”
To ensure GRTC’s routes remain accessible for all people, especially those with greater accessibility and transportation needs, Tobe makes it a priority to attend GRTC meetings whenever possible and make her feedback known.
“I'm excited to see [bus routes] extend not only north-south, but on the western routes into Henrico and further out in the suburbs for people to have further community engagement, employment and entertainment opportunities,” Tobe said.
Faith Walker, executive director of advocacy group RVA Rapid Transit, said opening new BRT lines and extending Pulse service is a must for a growing city like Richmond. According to RVA Rapid Transit’s 2024 State of Transit report, 45% of surveyed riders said they ride the bus to get to and from work.
BRT speeds up bus travel along highly-trafficked routes by limiting the number of stops. Instead of stopping every few blocks, a bus might make one stop in each neighborhood along the route.
The lines also tend to run more frequently. While delays happen, Pulse stops are scheduled for service every 10–15 minutes during the day, and every 30 minutes at night. Route 1A, which runs along Midlothian Turnpike — covering part of the planned North-South BRT corridor — runs every 30 minutes during the day and once an hour at night.
Walker said that means if a person living in Northside or Henrico wants to get to Southside, access to rapid transit buses could reduce the trip time by more than half.
“Infrastructure like this, designed throughout our entire city, allows someone to navigate the city at a faster pace,” Walker said.
She added that the proposed North-South BRT route doesn’t currently share a stop with the Pulse: “In a perfect world, I would want them to connect.”
The North-South line is slated to stop at the Downtown Transfer Center, which will move to a permanent location at the site of the former Public Safety Building, while the Pulse stops a few blocks away, next to City Hall.
