CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- They brought out the "big scissors" at LaPrade Library on Hull Street in Chesterfield Monday morning — officially cutting the ribbon on GRTC's LINK microtransit program in the county.
The addition of microtransit is the most recent expansion of public transportation options in Chesterfield.
LINK microtransit works like a rideshare program but in a given geographical area. Riders can use the GRTC On the Go app or call to request a ride, and a shuttle will show up at that address within 20 minutes. It takes riders to any location within that zone, which includes connections to other bus routes within the GRTC system.
The Clover Dale zone, located in Chesterfield, runs along and around Hull Street from Chippenham Parkway near the line with the city of Richmond to just past Route 288.
"It just opens so many doors for so many people," said Jessica Schneider, a new member of the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors who represents portions of the LINK Clover Dale zone. “It just gives so many people opportunities to get places they couldn’t before unless they had a car.”
Beyond connections to jobs and other commerce, Schneider said LINK gives people a way to safely commute short distances near their neighborhood.
Walkers and cyclists face plenty of safety concerns since many drivers zoom down Hull Street, a main artery to stores, schools, and services for many neighborhoods.
“I don’t think they’re doing it because they want to [take the risks]. It’s because they don’t have an option," Schneider said.
Earlier in the year, GRTC expanded its 1a route eight miles into Chesterfield down Midlothian Turnpike. The LINK launch in the county is the latest example of public transit growth within county lines.
Del. Debra Gardner (D - Chesterfield County) has lived in Chesterfield for 30 years and remembers when public transit faced plenty of pushback. She welcomes the LINK project and any expansion of transit options.
"People complained so much; people didn’t ride it because they didn’t advertise it. So, I’m really excited about the change that’s coming and opening up Chesterfield. For a long time, we’ve been a bedroom community, where people would come here to sleep and do somewhere else to work," Gardner said. "It’s easier to go to an appointment or go get groceries or go get medication. . . Mobility and accessibility are what helps us thrive here in the county.”
LINK microtransit is free while GRTC remains zero fare through at least next summer. You can download the GRTC On the Go app or call (804) 358-4782 to arrange a trip.
GRTC is colloquially calling this the "month of microtransit," as the Clover Dale zone is just one of three launching this month. LINK microtransit is available in both Ashland and Powhatan now, with similar launch events planned over the next two weeks. A fifth zone in eastern Henrico is scheduled to come online later this year.
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