GRTC takes next step on new transfer station

Molly Manning, News Editor

The Greater Richmond Transit Company and the City of Richmond have officially begun the search for a developer for their long-awaited new downtown transfer station. 

The station will be at the site of the city’s former Public Safety Building, downtown on 10th Street. It will bring together the busiest East-West GRTC routes in the city and will also connect with the new North-South Pulse Bus Rapid Transit line, according to a press release from the city.

The transfer hub will provide increased rider amenities and better operations through the construction of a 10-bay transfer hub and a private, mixed-use overbuild above it with housing, retail and other businesses.

GRTC spokesperson Ashley Potter said the biggest priority for the new transfer station is a better waiting area for riders. The current Downtown Transfer Plaza, the largest transfer station in the network, is between 8th and 9th streets, adjacent to the property where the new hub will be located. 

“Now what we have there is working great,” Potter said. “We have some bus stops with coverings over them. However, a lot of people are still left standing out in the elements, whether that be the rain or the snow. This will be covered entirely, so it will offer much more protection from the elements.”

GRTC, along with the City of Richmond’s Economic Development Authority, released a Request for Qualifications for the design and delivery of the new Downtown Transfer Hub in late November. Responses to the RFQ are due at the end of January, and final developer selection and negotiations are set to be completed by the end of 2026.

After the RFQ, the next step will be a Request for Proposals from the selected developer, Potter said. 

“This is a huge project, not just for transit, but for development in that area and in the downtown area and for the city in general,” Potter said. “So we’re super excited to be a part of that and we’re super excited to just make a more accessible and dignified waiting space really for our riders.”

Development teams must be qualified and financially capable to create the public transit facility and the private overbuild, per the RFQ. Public funding for the transit component is secured or advancing toward approval, and there are additional financing tools to support the mixed-use development, according to the press release.

“This project represents the kind of bold, future-focused investment that helps Richmond grow equitably and sustainably,” Mayor Danny Avula said. “By strengthening our transit network and activating a critical downtown site with new housing, retail, and public space, we are setting the stage for a more connected, innovative, and people-centered Richmond.” 

Richmonders have been able to ride GRTC buses for free since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. GRTC has secured funding to operate fare free through July 2026, but are now seeking alternative funding after their contract with VCU ended last summer, according to a previous report by The CT. 

GRTC fundraises through their Transit Access Partnership program, launched in 2023, to continue the “Zero Fare” program — TAP aims to raise $2 million from the community out of the annual $6.8 million it takes to operate fare free, according to GRTC. Much of GRTC’s riders are low-income, and the buses provide essential transportation to jobs, health care and grocery stores.

Potter said the goal is for Richmonders to be able to count on fare-free rides, and they’ll be able to as long as GRTC continues to identify funding sources moving forward. 

“Every year, every day really, we’re working toward these fundraising goals, but just looking at other funding sources within the community to see if we can maintain and sustain that effort,” Potter said.

Miriam Green, a nursing student at Reynolds Community College, said she takes the bus three times a week. She said while it is important to have a space for riders to stay away from the elements, more frequent buses would be a bigger improvement.

“The bus I’m taking now came like every 15 minutes, but a lot of buses are available every 40 minutes, an hour,” Green said. “It’s too much time to wait. I feel like I’m losing too much time that I can use to study or to do other things.”