Pulse North-South BRT

The GRTC Pulse North-South BRT corridor was selected based on the GRTC North-South Bus Rapid Transit Study (2023), which identified and screened alignments for a reliable, higher-frequency north-south transit connection.

The study paired public input with analysis of demographics, employment, multimodal connectivity, and existing transit service. GRTC selected the preferred Phase I corridor alignment for further conceptual design and environmental review. As part of the corridor study, 1st Street, 2nd Street, Belvidere Street, Lombardy Street, and Broad Street were screened out during analysis. This route begins on Midlothian Turnpik and continues along Belt Boulevard, Hull Street, Commerce Road, 8th Street and 9th Street, Leigh Street, Chamberlayne Avenue, and Azalea Avenue

Pedestrian and cyclist safety will be a key focus in the GRTC Pulse North-South BRT project. Stations will be strategically placed near existing or proposed traffic signals with crosswalks—as well as near existing and proposed bicycle lanes and trails—to enhance safety and accessibility. Three new traffic signals will be added on Midlothian Turnpike at Old Warwick Road, Giant Drive, and Queen Anne Drive, providing new signalized pedestrian crossings. Additionally, as the City of Richmond finalizes the Fall Line Trail route, GRTC will continue to coordinate with the City to seamlessly integrate the trail into the North-South BRT design.

The GRTC Pulse North-South BRT project will impact street trees, but several measures will be taken to mitigate these effects. Initially, the Chamberlayne Avenue median was designed to be significantly narrower to make space for new curbside bus lanes, raising concerns about pedestrian crossings, corridor safety, and loss of tree canopy. In response, the project team narrowed travel lanes, and redesigned the median to be at least 6 feet wide to allow for tree replanting after North-South BRT construction. More than 400 new street trees will be replanted in the median on Chamberlayne Avenue, following the City’s Urban Forestry Division guidelines. This replanting will exceed the number of trees removed and will plant native tree species more suitable for the road median environment. These measures will help fill gaps in the tree canopy and reduce heat island effects.

The GRTC Pulse North-South BRT project will alter on-street parking along segments of the proposed North-South BRT corridor. The GRTC project team identified 1,056 existing on-street parking spaces and loading zones along the proposed North-South BRT corridor, with an additional 3,978 on-street and 4,797 off-street parking spaces located within one block of the North-South BRT corridor.

The GRTC project team developed and presented parking mitigation measures to stakeholders and the community to address the anticipated parking demand. After implementing these mitigation measures, on-street parking is expected to be reduced in the corridor by 13%. Much of the impacted on-street parking was observed to be underutilized, and the project’s increased transit service may reduce future parking demand along the North-South BRT corridor.

You can use this page to stay up to date with community engagement activities, review the conceptual design and other resources, learn more about the project details, and sign up for email updates.

Share information with neighbors, friends, and family to help make everyone aware of the project’s progress. Your participation is crucial in creating a transit system that meets the needs of the growing Richmond region—connecting people to jobs, schools, grocery stores, doctors’ offices, and other destinations.