Apparently there is a service from the GRTC called the Richmond-Fredericksburg Express, which is only $6.00 for a round-trip. Taking advantage of the service, a commuter could connect with with the VRE from Fredericksburg and take it straight into the heart of DC.
Not exactly a bullet train, but at least it’s a step. Not being a long-range commuter, I’m not sure how alluring the service is. I wonder if it will be seen as a viable alternative to driving up to Fredericksburg and taking the VRE.
My other question is: Is this really new? I haven’t heard anything about the "new" Express bus service connecting Richmond and Fredericksburg, except for a mailer I received promoting it as…well, NEW…but also offering a free first ride if I fill out a quick survey. With all of the transportation issues in the news lately, why has this been completely under the radar? Also, I don’t see a press release on GRTC’s website…
New or not, I hope it helps. It’s nice to see that not one of the localities is opening up for the GRTC service, even if it is as far away as Fredericksburg. Now if we could only get Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover to get off their high horses and cooperate, rather than stigmatizing public transit.
Richmond’s mass/public transit system is long overdue for some updating. We are quite behind the times. On the other hand, Richmond hasn’t had the population density that most cities with good transit systems have, so the demand just hasn’t been as strong. Hopefully, baby steps like this will help build support for more and more public transit. That and the fact that gas under $3 is starting to be a comparative relief, thus overall cost effectiveness of mass transit is vastly improving.
Amazing what can happen when the invisible hand of the market demands it. 🙂