Business View Magazine Feb 2023

184 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 2 that is our staple of us as an essential service. We haven’t done additional outreach, just to the workforce.As we go out to the community, we do reiterate the importance of transit to support the workforce and quality of life-related to that.” Community engagement is also promoted with help from groups like local Chambers of Commerce, and RVA Rapid Transit, an independent body advocating for transit options in the region. Currently serving the city of Richmond, as well as Henrico and Chesterfield County, GRTC will soon be implementing a micro-transit service to serve Ashland, Powhatan, New Kent, Chesterfield, and Henrico counties. Torres explains that this micro- transit will operate as an “on-demand” model, using smaller shared-use vehicles such as vans or shuttles, which can transport a few people at a time. “This will expand our current footprint, and also let us pilot a new mode. We are looking at doing a dual operating service, meaning that the micro-transit zones that are more rural will be a turnkey third party and then GRTC will operate the ones that are adjacent to our current footprint of fixed route service.” Torres stated. Greater Richmond Transit Company is also planning to introduce a north-south BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) in the near future, as outlined in its annual regional public transportation plan. Phase 1 study is currently underway. Continued investment into the vehicles themselves is also necessary, as John Zinzarella, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer remarks, “It’s capital intensive. We’re always refreshing our rolling stock as there are