Community Open House #1 Summary

This page provides an overview of the Open House held on October 1, 2024, and a summary of the feedback received at the meeting.

View the full summary on the materials page.

Overview:

The first public open house for the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) Pulse Western Extension Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was held at the Libbie Mill - Henrico County Public Library on October 1, 2024.

The purpose of the meeting was to share project information with the community and gather ideas about station locations, connectivity and access needs, and more.

Outcome:

Approximately 70 people attended. They reviewed exhibit boards and corridor maps and provided feedback on existing safety concerns, potential BRT stops, and other relevant issues. There were 35 written responses to the feedback form (in person at the meeting, or online), which included the same questions as the activities at the meeting.

What We Heard:

Click the drop-down menus for a brief overview of what we heard regarding the following topics:

  • There was strong support for the extension and many of the proposed new stations.

  • While many support the proposed new stop locations, there were additional suggestions distributed throughout the extension corridor, with particular support for stations at Hungary Spring Road, Horsepen Road, and Bremo Road.

  • Participants emphasized the need for safer access to Pulse stops via walking and biking, frequently suggesting improved sidewalks, crossings, and protected bike lanes.

    • Improved sidewalks are needed throughout the extension corridor. Specific suggestions included maintenance and repairs for existing sidewalks, widening paths, ensuring sidewalks connect to each other and to the stations, and larger buffers from traffic.

    • More and improved crossings are also desired. In addition to a general need for more marked crossings, specific suggestions included adding medians, ensuring ADA compliance, and increasing pedestrian crossing times.

    • Areas of concern were distributed along the corridor, but key hot spots for safety concerns include the Hungary Spring Road area, the Wistar Road area, and the area around Glenside Drive and Emerywood Parkway.

Initial Response to Feedback:

Click the drop-down menus to view GRTC’s responses to public feedback regarding the following topics shared at Community Open House #1:

  • A strong desire was expressed to see a new BRT station at Hungary Spring Road, to provide closer access to government offices and businesses. This feedback was used in the decision to relocate the previously-proposed Wistar Road stop to Hungary Spring Road, as shown in the updated project corridor map.

  • One of our priorities is to improve multimodal accessibility and safety along the corridor as we build the BRT system. Henrico County has several projects underway to improve pedestrian infrastructure (sidewalks, crosswalks, intersections) and there will be additional projects considered.