GRTC continues upgrading bus stops throughout the system with new amenities through ETI Project

Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) continues to make progress on its Essential Transit Infrastructure (ETI) Project, laying the groundwork to improve bus stops throughout the system. 

The ETI Project focuses on installing new benches, shelters and ADA-compliant features to better serve riders at bus stops throughout the city of Richmond, Henrico County and Chesterfield County, Va. 

From April 18 and June 27, GRTC says it made significant progress installing upgraded amenities throughout the system. During this period, crews added five new benches for a total of 58, along with seven new shelters bringing the total to 31 and 11 new trash cans bringing the total to 56 across the service area.  

GRTC’s goal is for 50 to 75 percent of bus stops to have a shelter or seating by 2027. 

Shelter designs vary from stop to stop depending on the space and conditions at each location. In areas with limited space or physical constraints, open-air glass or fully cantilevered shelters are used for their smaller footprint. Where space allows, GRTC says it prefers to install three-sided shelters that offer better protection from rain, wind and other elements. 

Equity also plays an important role in prioritizing stops for upgrades. Each stop is evaluated using an equity score, which considers factors such as the number of routes serving the stop, the longest wait times between buses, frequency relative to overall network coverage and proximity to key community destinations like schools, libraries and medical facilities. The surrounding socioeconomic context is also considered, with priority given to areas where minority, low-income or Limited English Proficiency populations exceed the system-wide average. 

Some older shelters that have reached the end of their useful life are being removed and replaced as part of the project. Those are being updated with more functional and modern designs to better meet the needs of today’s riders. 

To help the public follow along with the five-year ETI plan, GRTC launched a public dashboard. The dashboard includes an installation status tracker and an interactive map showing which stops have been upgraded and which are scheduled next.