GRTC Pulse

File:Theatrical District, Richmond, Virginia, 1923.jpg was Richmond, Virginia's first notable mass transit system.]]

Before the bus rapid transit system, the city was served by conventional buses operated by the Greater Richmond Transit Company. Bus service in the city began on February 1, 1923, and replaced the city's streetcar system when it ceased operations in 1949. From 1888 until 1949, the city was also served by streetcars via the Richmond Union Passenger Railway.{{cite web |url=http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:Richmond_Union_Passenger_Railway,_1888 |title=Milestones:Richmond Union Passenger Railway, 1888 |author=IEEE Richmond Section |date=February 1992 |work=IEEE Global History Network |publisher=IEEE |access-date=August 9, 2014}}

Original plans for rapid transit in Richmond originated as early as the 1990s, with case studies for light rail and bus rapid transit being studied by the City of Richmond. In 2003, Richmond's Department of Transportation conducted a two-year feasibility study on commuter and light rail in the Greater Richmond Region. The studies found that the lines would be moderately successful, but population in Richmond was not dense enough to demand either said service. Since the studies, other independent groups have begun their own series of studies given Richmond's higher than expected population growth and the region's expected population growth.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

In 2010, formal studies began to test the feasibility of a bus rapid transit line, rather than light rail line. The decision to pursue BRT rather than LRT prompted mostly negative reactions from the community, who primarily preferred light rail over bus rapid transit.{{cite web|last1=Ned|first1=Oliver|title=At Least They Didn't Call it Blynk|url=http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/richmonds-new-rapid-transit-line-will-be-called-the-pulse/Content?oid=2188763|website=Style Weekly|access-date=March 29, 2015}}{{Failed verification|date=March 2022}} The Greater Richmond Transit Company has remained open about upgrade the Pulse's initial line to a light rail line in the foreseeable future, should ridership dictate capacity beyond that a BRT system. Feasibility studies, stakeholder analysis, alternative assessments, and environmental impact studies, research was complete in mid-2014.

In late 2014, GRTC unveiled the first set of bus rapid transit plans, which involved several stations stretching from Willow Lawn down to Rocketts Landing. The Main Street Station would serve as the central transportation hub for the Pulse, linking the line with Amtrak, Transdominion Express, Megabus and Central Virginia Express.

On March 17, 2015, GRTC announced that the line would be called the Pulse.{{cite web|last1=Moomaw|first1=Graham|title=Richmond bus rapid transit system named GRTC Pulse|url=http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_103969cd-4cde-5a49-918c-f202e6f28bb5.html|website=Richmond Times-Dispatch|publisher=Richmond.com|access-date=March 29, 2015|date=March 17, 2015}}

The project had an estimated construction cost of $53 million to provide service from Willow Lawn in the west to Rocketts Landing in the east, including fourteen stations and over three miles of dedicated travel lanes. Half of the final design and construction costs came from the federal TIGER grant ($24.9 million). The other half came in the form of a 50% match funded by both state and local sources. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) provided 34% ($16.9 million) with the remaining 16% provided by the City of Richmond ($7.6 million) and Henrico County ($400,000). Operation of the service was estimated to cost $2.7 million per year. Some of the operating cost would be covered by fares and the remainder to be provided by local funding sources.{{cite web|url=http://www.ridegrtc.com/brt/study-history|title=Study History - GRTC|website=www.ridegrtc.com|access-date=January 9, 2018}}

In August 2016, construction began on the BRT line with a goal to complete the service by October 2017.{{cite web |date=July 13, 2016 |title="GRTC Pulse" Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): Frequently Asked Questions |page=1 |url=http://ridegrtc.com/media/main/BRT_FAQ_7-12-16_FINAL.pdf |publisher=Greater Richmond Transit Company |accessdate=December 8, 2022}}{{cite web|last1=Zullo|first1=Robert|last2=Robinson|first2=Mark|title=Prepare for the Pulse: Richmond's bus rapid transit system launches June 24|url=http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/prepare-for-the-pulse-richmond-s-bus-rapid-transit-system/article_b6d76b44-b8ba-5f9b-bd01-344f3127be22.html|website=Richmond Times-Dispatch|access-date=May 9, 2018|date=April 30, 2018}} The opening was delayed by several months due to difficulty in relocating utility lines at the stations. The Pulse began service on June 24, 2018. The opening ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Richmond, Virginia, Levar Stoney; the Chairperson of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors, Frank Thorton; and the Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam.{{cite web |last1=Lilly |first1=Shannon |title=GRTC Pulse launches in Richmond; riders offer first impressions |url=https://wtvr.com/2018/06/24/grtc-pulse-service-begins/ |website=CBS 6 News |publisher=WTVR |access-date=June 25, 2018 |date=June 24, 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Bolster |first1=Karina |title=State, city leaders celebrate opening of GRTC's Pulse service |url=http://www.nbc12.com/story/38502818/state-city-leaders-celebrate-opening-of-grtcs-pulse-service |website=NBC12.com |publisher=WWBT |access-date=June 25, 2018 |date=June 24, 2018}} Stoney stated that the $65 million project will generate $1 billion in economic activity over the next 20 years, resulting in a $15 return on investment for every dollar invested.{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Mark |title=Local, state leaders celebrate launch of GRTC Pulse bus rapid transit line |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/local-state-leaders-celebrate-launch-of-grtc-pulse/article_069d6efd-efc9-5c80-8435-1dea7ace07fd.html |website=Richmond.com |publisher=Richmond Times-Dispatch |access-date=June 26, 2018 |date=June 24, 2018}}

Within a year of its opening, the line was averaging around 7,000 daily riders – over double its initially projected ridership.{{Cite press release |date=May 5, 2019 |title=GRTC Reports 17% Ridership Increase During Past Year |url=https://ridegrtc.com/news-initiatives/press-releases/grtc-reports-17-ridership-increase-during-past-year/ |publisher=Greater Richmond Transit Company}}

In 2023, it was announced that GRTC would purchase four {{convert|60|ft|adj=on}} New Flyer XN60 articulated buses to relieve congestion on the route. GRTC plans to eventually replace all of the {{convert|40|ft|adj=on}} buses used on the Pulse with XN60 buses. The new buses were scheduled to go into service in 2025.{{Cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Jack |date=October 30, 2023 |title=GRTC to introduce larger, articulated buses on the Pulse line |url=https://richmondbizsense.com/2023/10/30/grtc-to-introduce-larger-articulated-buses-on-the-pulse-line/ |access-date=October 31, 2023 |website=Richmond BizSense}}

The Pulse runs along U.S. Route 250 (Broad Street) before shifting south to Main Street downtown via 14th Street. The initial Pulse line links suburban Willow Lawn to Rocketts Landing, both in suburban Henrico, with at least a dozen stations within the city limits of Richmond.{{cite map|title=System Map|publisher=Greater Richmond Transit Company|url=http://ridegrtc.com/media/main/1_SystemMap_25x37_181218_Approved.pdf|access-date=May 8, 2019|archive-date=May 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509033915/http://ridegrtc.com/media/main/1_SystemMap_25x37_181218_Approved.pdf|url-status=dead}} During the morning peak, midday, and evening peak on weekdays, buses come to each station every 10 minutes, with off-peak evening and weekend service every 15 minutes and late night service every 30 minutes.{{cite web|title=GRTC Pulse schedule|publisher=Greater Richmond Transit Company|url=http://ridegrtc.com/media/routes/Pulse_Frequency_Schedule_Sept_2018.pdf|access-date=May 8, 2019|archive-date=August 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828073535/http://www.ridegrtc.com/media/routes/Pulse_Frequency_Schedule_Sept_2018.pdf|url-status=dead}}

In 2022, studies began on a North-South BRT corridor, travelling along U.S 1{{Cite web |last=Schwartzkopf |first=Robin |date=November 7, 2022 |title=RIC Today |url=https://rictoday.6amcity.com/grtc-orders-study-north-south-rapid-bus-line-richmond-va |access-date=October 10, 2023}} In October 2023, the GRTC Board of Directors approved the recommended route for the proposed North-South BRT.

The North-South Pulse project aims to introduce 12 miles of high-capacity rapid transit, connecting northern and southern parts of the Richmond region via downtown. The route will run from Azalea in Henrico County, down U.S. Route 1, through downtown Richmond, and across the 9th Street Bridge to Southside Plaza. It will then continue along Belt Boulevard and the Midlothian Turnpike, terminating at Springline & Stonebridge. Studies on this Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor began in 2022, and by October 2023, the GRTC Board of Directors approved the recommended route. Currently in Phase 2, focusing on station location and environmental assessments, the project is slated to begin construction in 2029.{{Cite web |last=Oliver |first=Ned |date=October 16, 2023 |title=GRTC proposes route for north-south bus rapid transit line |url=https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2023/10/16/grtc-north-south-rapid-transit-route |access-date=December 12, 2023 |website=Axios Richmond}}

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• [http://www.ridegrtc.com/brt GRTC Pulse]

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Category:Transportation in Richmond, Virginia

Category:Bus rapid transit in Virginia

Category:2018 establishments in Virginia

Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 2018