Richmond doesn’t have trains or a subway — it gets around on buses, and right now, every one of them is free. A single agency, GRTC, runs the local routes, the Pulse rapid-transit line, an on-demand microtransit service, and paratransit. There’s no card to buy, no app to set up, and no fare gate to find. You just get on.
The basics
GRTC’s network has four pieces:
- Local and express buses — the core network, covering Richmond and the surrounding counties (Henrico, Chesterfield, and more), running daily from about 5am to 1am.
- The Pulse — Richmond’s bus rapid transit line, running between Willow Lawn and Rockett’s Landing along Broad and Main streets. It stops only at dedicated, platform-level stations and comes every 10 minutes at weekday peak, every 15–30 minutes otherwise.
- LINK microtransit — an on-demand, curb-to-curb van service inside a handful of zones (Ashland, Azalea, Broad Rock, Clover Dale, Powhatan, and Sandston — including the airport area). You request a ride through an app or by phone rather than waiting at a stop.
- CARE paratransit — ADA door-to-door service for riders who can’t use fixed-route buses.
How to pay
You don’t. GRTC is Zero Fare — local and express buses, the Pulse, LINK, and CARE are all free to ride, no card, tap, or ticket required. Just board at any open door. (The one exception is CARE On-Demand, a premium add-on for CARE-eligible riders that costs $7 for the first 6 miles plus $1.15 per additional mile — the standard CARE and CARE Plus trips themselves are free.)
Zero Fare started in 2020 as a COVID-era safety measure to keep riders away from the farebox, and GRTC’s board has renewed it every year since — most recently as part of the roughly $101 million budget it approved for fiscal year 2027. It’s funded through a mix of the agency’s own budget, state transit grants, and a donor-supported Transit Access Partnership. None of that is guaranteed forever, so if you’re reading this well after 2027, double-check ridegrtc.com before assuming rides are still free.
Fares
There’s nothing to pay. Every GRTC service — local buses, express buses, the Pulse, LINK, and CARE — is currently Zero Fare. The only cost on the system is CARE On-Demand, at $7 for the first 6 miles and $1.15 for each additional mile, and that’s limited to riders already eligible for ADA paratransit.
Getting from the airport
Richmond International Airport (RIC) is served directly by GRTC’s Route 7A/7B buses, which pick up at the airport’s upper departure deck and run to the Downtown Transfer Station. Combined, the two routes run about every 15 minutes, and — like everything else on GRTC — the ride is free.
If you land between 4am and 6am, before regular bus service ramps up, GRTC covers one free Uber ride per day between the airport and a GRTC bus stop in either direction — request it through the Uber app.
For rideshare pickup, Uber and Lyft use two separate spots at RIC: the Upper Departures level for travelers without checked bags, and the Lower Arrivals level at baggage claim for those with checked bags. Follow the green “Ride App Pickup” signs.
Apps to download
- GRTC On the Go — the official app for requesting a LINK microtransit pickup or booking a CARE paratransit trip.
- Transit — real-time arrivals for buses and the Pulse, plus step-by-step trip planning.
- Google Maps or Apple Maps — fine for basic trip planning, with GRTC’s routes and stops built in.
When it runs
Local and express buses run daily from roughly 5am to 1am. The Pulse runs every 10 minutes at weekday peak and every 15–30 minutes the rest of the time. LINK’s hours vary by zone — some run into the evening on weekdays with shorter Saturday hours and no Sunday service, others stop by early evening — so check the GRTC On the Go app or ridegrtc.com for your specific zone before counting on a late-night ride.
Accessibility
Every GRTC vehicle is wheelchair accessible, with low-floor boarding or a deployable ramp, and front-of-bus priority seating is reserved for seniors, riders with disabilities, pregnant riders, and adults with young children. CARE paratransit provides ADA origin-to-destination service for riders who can’t use fixed-route buses, with eligibility based on functional ability rather than age or diagnosis — riders 80 and older qualify automatically. Questions go to GRTC’s ADA coordinator at (804) 358-3871 ext. 434.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Enter at any open door — there’s no fare to tap, so there’s no reason to funnel through the front.
- No eating or drinking on board (sealed drinks and groceries are fine), and bikes, skates, and skateboards aren’t allowed inside the bus — use the front bumper bike rack instead.
- Headphones are required if you’re playing audio out loud.
- Pull the yellow cord or press the stop button well before your stop — the bus will announce “Stop Requested” to confirm.
- Because nobody’s paying, GRTC enforces conduct rather than fares: disruptive behavior can get you removed from a bus or banned from the system, and assaulting an operator is a felony.
Good to know
- It’s genuinely free, but it’s reviewed every year. GRTC’s board has extended Zero Fare annually since 2020 rather than making it permanent, and officials have said the current funding sources won’t last forever. If you’re visiting and the free rides suddenly aren’t there, the program likely lapsed — check ridegrtc.com for current fares.
- Richmond has no rail transit. If you see references to a “Pulse” train or light rail, that’s a mix-up — the Pulse is a bus, just a fast, frequent one with its own stations and lanes.
- LINK isn’t a regular bus stop. It’s request-only, booked through the GRTC On the Go app or by phone, and only operates within its own zone (though it connects to fixed routes for trips beyond that).