SELC helps shape major improvements to Richmond transit

UPDATE (2/14/17): Richmond City Council voted unanimously to support the Richmond Transit Network Plan and its simultaneous implementation with the autumn roll out of the Pulse bus rapid transit line.

It has been decades since the last major update to the Richmond transit network, and it shows. There are often lengthy waits for infrequent buses along key routes, and important city locations take a long time to reach or aren’t connected to service at all.

Starting in October that will change. First, Richmond will launch the Pulse, a new Bus Rapid Transit system along Broad and Main Streets, one of the city’s main east/west corridors. The Pulse will offer more frequent service, with pick-ups scheduled every 15 minutes to connect popular destinations across the city and downtown.

Simultaneous to the Pulse roll out, the state, the city, and the regional transit provider are working to implement the Richmond Transit Network Plan. The plan re-envisions the city’s existing bus routes to drastically cut ride times and increase access to more parts of the city without increasing spending. SELC has worked with developers of the plan since its early stages.

SELC is also working to encourage transit-oriented development along the new routes, expanding the benefits of the plan well beyond those riding the bus. Changes such as zoning updates to focus mixed-use development near transit centers will allow retail and residents to take advantage of the easy access to public transportation.

Richmond City Council is scheduled to vote at its meeting Monday, February 13 on a resolution supporting the route updates and the plan to roll them out in conjunction with the launch of the Pulse.