Essential Transit Infrastructure Plan
Improving rider accessibility, safety, and comfort at bus stops around the Richmond Region
What is Essential Transit Infrastructure?
GRTC provides a range of Essential Transit Infrastructure (ETI) at stops including, benches, trash cans, and shelters. ETI elements are intended to provide comfort, convenience, accessibility, safety, and dignity to riders.
Benches
Trash Cans
Landing Pads
Shelters
What’s Happening?
Many bus stops across the region currently lack basic amenities, such as seating or shelter from the elements. Additionally, some stops present barriers to accessibility due to outdated infrastructure.
The ETI Plan addresses these disparities by cataloging existing conditions and identifying gaps in rider comfort, safety, and ADA compliance. The initial focus is on high-need locations, as identified by equity scoring.
This is one of several GRTC strategic initiatives planned that aim to address impediments to transit access. GRTC champions social and economic mobility by prioritizing connecting people to essential human services and needs. With proper operational and capital investment, transit is a factor that can improve overall quality of life.
Installation is now in progress throughout the service area. GRTC is using a scoring system that considers usage and equity to determine which stops qualify for improvements. The combination of amenities is tailored to site-specific needs, ridership, and available space.
This installation progress map has live updates. For a more detailed breakdown, visit our status tracker worksheet:
Installation Approval Process
1
GRTC staff perform site visits to evaluate on-the-ground conditions and the feasibility of preliminary installation goal.
2
GRTC staff coordinate with jurisdictional partners to see where opportunities exist to collaborate on grant applications and in-progress construction projects. Ongoing projects and funding sources will inform both installation goals and timelines.
3
GRTC coordinates with the jurisdictions on evaluating priorities that have been expressed to representatives, and those priorities are being incorporated into the plan.
4
Stops recommended for ETI installation in this updated list will move on to the next steps: conceptual approval by the jurisdictions and engineering.
Stop #257 at Belt – Wachovia Bank
Stop #3718 at Belt – Circle Plaza
Stop #681 at Chamberlayn & Calhoun
Stop #682 at Chamberlayne & Charity
Stop #1776 at Midlothian & Warwick
Stop #3582 at 25th S
Stop #3594 on 7
stop #3789 at Broad and Pump
Stop #370 at Broad and 4th (Westbound)
August 2022
Essential Transit Infrastructure Plan implementation was launched. 26% of stops had seating or a shelter. Half of the stops have ADA compliant landing pads.
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July 2027
50-75% of stops in the GRTC system will have seating or a shelter and ADA compliance at bus stops will be improved through coordination with the jurisdictions.
Prioritizing Stops For Improvement
GRTC uses a data-driven approach to determine which stops are upgraded first. Factors include:
- Ridership volume
- Equity scoring based on socioeconomic data
- The Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) within the City of Richmond
- Jurisdictional priorities
- Engineering feasibility to expedite progress.
Initial implementation focuses on Districts 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 in the City of Richmond. These areas have high ridership and elevated equity and heat vulnerability scores. Corridor-based batches will group stops by route to streamline installation, minimize disruption, and align with city goals.
Heat Vulnerability
Darker red areas represent the highest levels of vulnerability due to limited tree cover and dense pavement, where riders are more exposed to extreme heat while waiting. Installing shaded shelters is a public health intervention.
Equity
Areas shaded in purple indicate lower equity need, while areas in yellow highlight greater equity need. This helps to identify communities where transit infrastructure investments can have the most meaningful impact.
ETI Amenity Options
LANDING PADS – The paved level surface at bus stops, ideally connected to sidewalk, that provides a safe and stable location for riders to await, board and alight the bus.
TRASH CANS – Standard 36-gallon trash cans are placed by GRTC at bus stops in the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County. Henrico County installs trash cans at bus stops within its jurisdiction.
BENCHES – All shelters include either a bench or a lean rail as well as clear space for a wheelchair. They may have with three full glass walls, to offer maximum protection from weather, or, for stops with limited right-of-way, partial or no side walls.
SEATING OPTIONS – The standard seating option in the shelter is an aluminum framed bench. At the request of City or County Transportation Appointees, GRTC may opt to install a lean rail instead of a bench.
DISPLAY OPTIONS – Shelter may include a 4’ x 6’ ad wall or a 24” x 36” map case. To enhance visibility and sightlines, some shelters are installed without integrated displays.
SOLAR LIGHTING – Shelters may include an LED solar lighting kit. GRTC generally installs these kits at all locations that receive sufficient sunlight to power them.
Before
West Broad Street & Pump Road before ETI
After
Shelters, benches, concrete pad, and trash can installed
Project Documents
A guided presentation with audio narration, project overview, and progress updates from TAP into Transit Day, July 2025.
The August 2022 plan outlines implementation goals and strategies for the installation of Essential Transit Infrastructure (ETI) at GRTC local stops and transit facilities.
Original list of preliminary installation goals, considering only existing ETI and rubric thresholds, as approved by the GRTC Board of Directors.