Greater Richmond Transit Company continues to report increased ridership along most routes and attributes the success to the zero fare program implemented in spring 2020, near the start of the pandemic.

The fare-free initiative led GRTC to become one of the fastest-growing public transportation systems in the country, according to Henry Bendon, GRTC spokesperson. In July, Consumer Affairs ranked Richmond No. 4 of the top 10 cities for public transportation, based on cost, efficiency and safety.

“Ridership is fantastic, growth is positive, and we’re able to expand this freedom of transit to more communities, into especially more vulnerable communities, who are facing increasing burdens with rent and other transportation costs,” Bendon said.

Over 10.9 million riders used the bus system in the last fiscal year, across all routes. Ridership is expected to increase by 60% in the next decade as more routes are added, according to Bendon.

“The last time we broke double digits was 2009, under a very different structure,” Bendon said. “That’s before

Uber existed and the impact  of increased transit ridership is huge.”

Richmond resident Josh Henderson waited to catch the Pulse bus on a late Monday afternoon. The Pulse is a rapid transit system with designated stops along a 7.6-mile route, versus stops every block. It was originally projected to move 3,500 people daily and now has over 6,000 passengers daily, according to GRTC.

Henderson uses the bus daily and uses it to go everywhere. He was a GRTC rider before bus fares were free. Henderson’s dad was a GRTC bus driver, he said.

“It’s convenient because it’s free … it’s made it more convenient for me to get around,” Henderson said.

Community members who rely on the bus as their sole means of transportation worry less because of the zero fare program, he said.

“You can make it to where you got to go, without one less problem of paying something,” Henderson said.

Henderson estimated he could sometimes spend about $20 on his daily commute, which included buying transfers to get on another route.

Faith Walker is the executive director of RVA Rapid Transit, an organization that advocates for a high-quality regional transit system.

“Richmond is ranking the highest in ridership in the whole state of Virginia for the first time in a long time and that is because of zero fare,” Walker said.

That growth has led to increased state funding, she said.

“So not only is it helping local people, people who use the bus every day, but it’s also bringing additional dollars to our region,” Walker said. “So you can, in some ways, say that zero fare is paying for itself.”

Free fares help offset the increased cost of living and directly benefit workers, Walker said.

Forty-five percent of riders use the bus to get to their jobs, according to the 2024 State of Transit Report by RVA Rapid Transit. The other top reason is recreation, at 33%.

GRTC future plans include a permanent transfer station, bus upgrades, expanded microtransit – passengers can request rides in specific zones – and a north-to-south Pulse route, according to the GRTC board’s August report.

Safety ambassadors, who are unarmed and non sworn civilians, recently started riding the Pulse and No. 5 bus routes, in coordination with the Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department.

There already was a plan for GRTC to train its own safety ambassadors before recent reports of violence, according to Bendon. Ambassadors are on the buses to answer questions, support the operators and assure rider safety.

GRTC tracks physical and verbal assaults that take place on the bus, in addition to complaints. There were a few violent incidents in August, including a shooting on the bus and stabbings in proximity to a bus stop, according to Richmond Police.

“We find the incidents that happened in August to be utterly reprehensible, that’s not acceptable, but also not reflective of the standard of service that you can expect or the standard ridership experience,” Bendon said.

Any narrative that correlates free fares to increased crime puts people who rely on public transportation at risk, and stunts potential growth for Richmond’s economy, according to Walker.

“That’s the dangerous part and blaming it on those things and narratives like that have capped progression when it comes to public transportation,” Walker said.

There is currently no data from GRTC or RVA Rapid Transit that shows the correlation between crime or violence and free fares, both Bendon and Walker said.

GRTC will continue to implement zero fares until further notice, according to Bendon.

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture.