GRTC prepares for Downtown Transfer Plaza update

Due to nearby construction zones, the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) will update the Downtown Transfer Plaza with new bus bay locations on 9th, Clay and 8th Streets to preserve bus rider connections at night and on Sundays.  

Several bus stop shelters, benches and trash cans will be relocated to new bay locations on Clay and 8th St., and wayfinding maps will be posted nearby for riders. New on-board announcements will explain the bay locations and routes serving them when buses approach the plaza. GRTC expects the updates may be necessary as soon as February 2022. 

Four bays will not change at all – A, B, C and D. However, bays E and F will relocate to Clay and bays G, H and I will relocate to 8th St. Bus Stop #2522 at 9th and Marshall will become Bay J. Because of nearby construction, some pedestrian pathways may be closed. Riders should only use marked pedestrian crossings at the Plaza. 

“I appreciate the city of Richmond’s support to help us coordinate necessary operational updates at the Downtown Transfer Plaza so that we can continue reliably serving customers and keep everyone safe from nearby construction zones,” said GRTC CEO Julie Timm. “We were able to ensure essential infrastructure of shelters, benches and wayfinding signage will be available at the new bus bays on 8th and Clay Streets. Our riders have been dealing with detours and other service adjustments downtown recently, and we ask them once again to please pardon our dust as we work around obstacles to connect them with their jobs, homes, shopping, health care, education and other community resources.” 

This week, GRTC staff will begin installation of new bus bay stop signs, post new wayfinding materials and coordinate with construction crews on relocation of shelters, benches and trash cans in advance of sidewalk closures. 

The Downtown Transfer Plaza opened in 2014 on 9th St. to ensure bus service could operate during major events on Broad St. in 2014 and 2015 and remained on 9th St. while efforts to secure a permanent transfer site continued.  

With the network redesign in 2018, the Downtown Transfer Plaza is now primarily used on Sundays and at nights when connecting buses have lower frequencies (longer waits between buses) and need well-timed connections for bus riders to transfer between 30-minute or hourly bus routes. 

Another temporary update to the Downtown Transfer Plaza is expected later in 2022 when bays will move within the 8th St. surface parking lot between 8th and 9th Streets, and Leigh and Clay Streets, fully relocating bus bays from on-street to a designated lot out of the flow of general traffic. The city of Richmond and GRTC are collaborating on the updates in 2022 and continue joint efforts with other stakeholders to plan for a permanent Downtown Transfer Center in the future.