Recently Virginia Clean Cities and Dominion Energy had the pleasure of participating in a ride
along with the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) on their new Ashland demand service. This service area has connected stops within the Town of Ashland and also connects Ashland to Virginia Center Commons. Virginia Center Commons is the northern terminus of the #1 bus, which allows riders to travel down Brook Road into the City of Richmond. This ride along was to learn more about GRTC’s
operations and also to try out GRTC’s new Ford E-Transit van which is operating on some of
these smaller point to point services.
Virginia Clean Cities is working with Dominion Energy on Project Share Your In-Route Charge
(SYNC) which may use this type of van for similar service in the Northern Neck, Middle
Peninsula and the Charlottesville region. Our driver mentioned that from downtown Richmond
to Ashland took about 15 percent of the battery charge, but there is charging in Ashland at multiple gas
stations and Level 2 charging at the Ashland Municipal Building. VCC applauds GRTC for both its
innovative use of small area plans, alternative fuels and vehicles. Project SYNC
aims to leverage Dominion Energy and VCC expertise to bring this to rural transit as well.