RICHMOND, Va. -- Things are getting a little easier for Sydney Biggers. She had been spending a good chunk of her paycheck on Uber and Lyft rides to her job at Richmond International Airport.
"I was looking at $250 every two weeks just to go back and forth," Biggers said. "I had to stop working because I couldn’t afford transportation."
Then she found out she could order rides, for free.
Richmond's Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility offers free rides to work for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) eligible neighbors who live in Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) properties.
"[It's] federally-funded money and it’s for zero fare rides to work and for those eligible for TANF and those that have children that can’t afford transportation," Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility
head Dironna Moore Clarke."We really wanted to jump on that opportunity."
The $279,000 grant from the Virginia Transit Association.
"This service complements the fair-free transportation transit we have worked so hard to preserve," Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said. "It is part of the system of improvements designed to make getting around Richmond more convenient for those who need it the most."
Myra and Michael Griffin own the Community Transportation Corporation which has already provided 400 free rides to work and educational opportunities since this initiative started in October.
"It has been a joy to help so many people," Myra Griffin said.
City and community transportation leaders said they were pleased with the progress some of their riders have made,
"We’ve had some people already take advantage of the transportation and have gone to work every day and have been able to buy a vehicle that quick. All they needed was an opportunity," Griffin said.
"It gives folks a sense of security," RRHA CEO Steven Nesmith said. "You know, if I can’t get to the job, I can’t provide for my family. We are hoping here at RRHA to provide more funding so even more residents can have that security."
If you're in need of a free ride to work and qualify for this program, click here or call 804-646-3513 for more information.
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