Up To Speed

If you're new to learning about the GRTC Pulse, here's a quick starting place to get you up to speed!

Project partners, along with GRTC, remain committed to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project called “GRTC Pulse.” We value public feedback and encourage people to continue providing input. These comments will undoubtedly benefit the region with a successful project. Check out this quick read on the history of the project, and if you want to dig deeper, Study and Public Meeting documents can be found HERE. 

These Letters of Support reiterate the themes of why this project will be critical to the region, such as access and connectivity to major employment, health care, education, retail, and housing along the route. Bus Rapid Transit will offer a faster, more reliable travel option to get people to work, school and community destinations. Safety and access will be improved for all modes of transportation, not just for bus riders. Cities thrive when efficient, safe transportation is accessible, frequent and easy to use. Multi-modal choices increase the quality of life and attract new residents to our region. This means that Richmond and Henrico County can expect continued economic development and redevelopment, as well as stimulated property values.

As the Project Partners continue to move through the 30% design phase, the team continues to return to the following basic principles and goals of design, which were created in collaboration with the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC):

• Safety and use for all
• Conservation of parking on Broad Street
• North-South connectivity and access (including for pedestrians and bikes)
• Adequate median and lane widths (these are the tools to meet the previous three criteria)

As we continue to receive public participation, these are the recurring themes upon which all parties agree. Current bus riders also want more frequent and more weekend service, of which the GRTC Pulse service will provide, operating every day of the week from Willow Lawn to Rocketts Landing, with a bus arriving at each station every 10 minutes on peak and every 15 minutes off-peak. Planned hours of operation will be 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays and 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekends. This type of service will increase redevelopment along the corridor and more mixed-use development, stimulate an improved jobs-housing balance, and provide enhanced economic opportunities. Between September 2017 and October 2017, BRT operations will be tested and accepted. Final BRT operations will begin by October 2017.

Please note the 4th/5th Street station is potentially becoming the 3rd/4th Street station.

(CLICK HERE TO ENLARGE)

Since 2010, public participation has been encouraged with opportunities to participate in the Public Comment and feedback process. Public Meetings were advertised and held on: February 24 & 25, 2010; October 19 & 20, 2010; August 27, 2013; May 20 & 21, 2014; January 26 & 27, 2015; April 6 & 7, 2015. In between these meetings, public comment continued to be solicited. People can continue to submit written comments either via email to the project team or by mail.

Public Outreach efforts have been ongoing since 2010, and have increased during the 30% conceptual design phase, which is still happening now. Also right now in the project, GRTC is in the process of selecting a Construction Manager At Risk (CMAR). CLICK HERE to see the Procurement page. Once a CMAR is awarded by the GRTC Board of Directors, they will develop, in conjunction with the City of Richmond, Henrico County and the Project Partners, a specific construction timeline for each section of the entire project so that everyone knows how long they expect to be working and where, what they will be doing, and how they will continue to provide access. All of that will be communicated to the public prior to and during construction.  

Study and Public Meeting documents can be found HERE. Technical reports still in progress have an ETA publishing date listed online, as well, so that the public knows when to expect new technical information. Technical details will be increasingly refined during the 60% design phase next, with continued guidance and feedback from project partners, as well as participation from the public. The next Public Meetings for the project are scheduled for July 27 & 28, 2015.

GRTC knows its website is the reliable destination for customer information, and continues to update the BRT section often. However, in an effort to better address frequently asked questions and provide fun, quick access to project information, this new Blog was created this Summer. The blog will likely become the weekly and daily place for construction updates once construction begins in 2016. Additionally, updates will continue during the 60% design phase next, with ongoing public participation and refined details, such as loading zones and left-turn access. GRTC is committed to responding to the needs of the communities served, will continue to welcome public feedback and provide exceptional customer service.