VCU, GRTC team up to provide transportation to students, employees

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Virginia Commonwealth University and GRTC have signed a three-year agreement to fund transportation access on the Pulse Bus Rapid Transit for all VCU, VCU Health System and Virginia Premier students and employees.

The agreement will become effective Aug. 1.

“This longer-term agreement with VCU solidifies the great partnership we have been building over the past year,” Gary Armstrong, chair of the GRTC board of directors, said in a release.

In a recent survey, 95.4% of students and employees supported the continuation of a partnership VCU and GRTC had been testing since 2018.

“Since January, VCU community members have accounted for approximately 12% of GRTC’s total ridership, averaging 87,400 trips a month. GRTC ridership has increased 17% during the past year amid a national trend of declining transit ridership,” a release said.

VCU will pay GRTC “$1.42 million for services in the first year, $1.57 million for the second year, and $1.65 million for the third year to cover the cost of ridership for students and employees on local routes and the Pulse and to maintain 10-minute headways for the Pulse.”

Riders will continue to present their GO Pass, receipt and identification card when riding Pulse.

VCU will cut its Campus Connector transportation service on July first to help with the costs of the new partnership.

“VCU’s partnership with GRTC reflects our shared commitment to the Richmond community as a whole,” Meredith Weiss, Ph.D., VCU vice president for administration, said in a release. “Consistent and reliable transit contributes to a healthy and active community by improving accessibility, connectivity and mobility — goals of our ONE VCU Master Plan. We look forward to more innovative collaborations with the city of Richmond and other community partners as we implement our new master plan.”

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