Greater Richmond Transit Company will display advertisements on bus stops, stations, benches and trash cans that will help continue the company’s free-fare program. 

Ashley Potter, a spokesperson for GRTC, said the placement of the ads is something the organization has never been able to do in the city. The initiative will help GRTC continue to provide free fares through Fiscal Year 2026. 

The revenue from the ads will fully go toward the free-fare program. The organization stopped requiring passengers to pay fares in 2020 and was able to keep it in place with the help of a grant from the State Department of Rail and Transportation and contributions from VCU. However, the state grant and VCU contributions ended this year. 

“Having this work long term is what we’re looking at,” she said, referring to keeping zero-fare in place with the help of the new ad placements. 

GRTC already has an advertising program that allows companies to advertise on the inside and outside of buses. Companies like Jackson Hewitt, Morgan & Morgan and governmental agencies like the State Department of Rail currently have ads in and on buses. 

Some organizations expressed potential interest in the new placement of the ads, but none have committed, Potter said.

City Council unanimously passed an ordinance allowing GRTC to place the ads last December. Courtney Farrar, an ambassador for RVA Rapid Transit, expressed support for the ordinance during public comment at the Dec. 9 meeting. RVA Rapid Transit advocates for accessible transit in the Richmond region. 

Contact Reporter Victoria A. Ifatusin at vifatusin@richmonder.org