RICHMOND, Va. -- Riding the bus in Richmond will remain free for the next 12 months.
GRTC, which went fareless in March 2020 when the city shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Tuesday it would extend fareless rides through June 30, 2022.
"Although bus ridership did decline in 2020 across the nation during the pandemic, GRTC local ridership drops were modest by comparison and are already approaching pre-COVID levels," GRTC CEO Julie Timm said. "GRTC’s focus on connecting people to essential resources resulted in higher sustained ridership."
The free fares include rides on local buses, the Pulse, Express Bus, and CARE/Paratransit vans.
GRTC workers whose job it was to collect fares were offered other jobs within the company, according to a spokesperson.
