GRTC tells Powhatan supervisors microtransit pilot is expanding countywide; ridership and outreach remain key to sustainability

GRTC officials briefed the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors on July 28 about their Link microtransit program and the pilot now covering the entire county. Richard Troxell, a lead supervisor with GRTC, described Link as an app‑enabled, on‑demand shared public transportation service that operates within defined zones and delivers curb‑to‑curb trips.

Troxell showed zone maps and ridership charts indicating low but growing use in Powhatan after outreach and the June 29 expansion that extended service across the county and added a connection to a fixed‑route transfer point. For the June–July period he said average daily riders in Powhatan remained modest — often single‑digit daily averages in earlier weeks — but increased as outreach at farmers’ markets and local events boosted awareness.

GRTC said it measures multiple KPIs, including completed trips, cancellations, no‑show rates, wait times, shared versus unshared rides, and cost per passenger. Troxell reiterated GRTC’s performance goal: roughly 1.8 riders per revenue hour — a threshold that would represent about 24 riders per day for a single vehicle running ~13 revenue hours — and said Powhatan is currently averaging well under that benchmark.

Funding was a prominent topic. GRTC said initial pilot funding included DRPT awards and ARPA support, enabling an operating cost reduction from earlier estimates; the presenter cited an estimated current operating cost of about $200,000 a year for Powhatan as implemented. Officials cautioned that TRIP funding (a federal/state grant referenced during the presentation) steps down the match over five years and that demonstrating pilot success is key to competing for future grants. GRTC encouraged local coordination and local matching strategies if the county wants the service to continue past pilot funding.

Outreach plans include continuing farmers’ market booths, social media, email notifications to account holders, partnerships with health clinics, churches and social service agencies, and targeted marketing to older residents. May Barbosa, GRTC’s community outreach staff, said GRTC is building local contacts and will pursue events and church partnerships to reach residents who do not use apps.

Supervisors asked for a written outreach plan and clarification of funding timelines and match requirements. GRTC committed to additional coordination and to developing measurable outreach metrics so the county can track which strategies successfully increase ridership.

Next steps: GRTC and county staff will reconvene to draft a local outreach/coordination plan and measure pilot performance against GRTC’s 1.8 riders per revenue hour target before the county considers committing local match funds for long‑term sustainability.