Sustainable Mobility Goals in Reach in Richmond

Ethan Goffman takes a closer look at mobility in Richmond, Virginia, which has a combination of fixed-route transit and shared ride service managed by the Greater Richmond Transit Company. Bus ridership has increased by 17 percent, or a million riders, in the last year, and carpool and vanpool ridership is five times what it was 15 years ago. 

Last year, the agency revamped and upgraded its bus system and added a bus rapid transit line called Pulse that runs through the city center. Goffman notes that the redesign also involved balancing service on high-demand corridors and to areas farther away from the city’s activity centers.

The city’s RideFinders agency handles shared ride service, including carpool and private vanpool options for travelers. It also conducts public outreach, collaborates with local businesses, and promotes biking, walking, and telework. "Rose Pace said that the agency is beginning to examine the possibility of microtransit that, in contrast to today’s RideFinders vanpools, would be designed to provide first and last mile connectivity supporting fixed bus routes," notes Goffman.