GRTC board votes to select north-south Pulse route

The GRTC Board of Directors voted Oct. 12 to approve GRTC’s recommended path for a new north-south Pulse bus rapid transit line that will run from Henrico to Chesterfield.

Selection of the alignment, created in partnership with consultants from Michael Baker International, represents the culmination of a year of outreach and research and establishes a corridor for further study for an expansion of GRTC’s rapid transit network.

The alignment will run from its northern terminus at the intersection of Azalea Avenue and Chamberlayne Avenue in Henrico, south through Richmond across the Manchester Bridge to Hull Street, then west along Midlothian Turnpike to its southern terminus near Chesterfield Town Center.

“Today’s vote is truly an exciting development for the Richmond region,” said GRTC Chief of Staff Adrienne Torres, who has been leading the project. “The success of the existing Pulse shows that this is a region that wants rapid transit connections, and a vote of approval takes us one step closer to realizing this critical north/south rapid transit connection.”

GRTC began its existing east-west Pulse service in June 2018. That 7.6-mile route includes 14 stops between Willow Lawn in Henrico's Near West End and Rocketts Landing in Eastern Henrico, with service at each one every 10 minutes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays and slightly less frequently during a number of off-peak and weekend hours. The north-south route will provide similar service.

Approval of the LPA sends GRTC on to more detailed traffic planning, route design, and environmental impact study – as well as future rounds of public engagement.

For project updates, click here.