In order to explore, live, and work in a city, you need to be able to get around easily without brekaing your budget. A city is only as good as its multi-modal transportation and dowtown Richmond has it all! Explore our Parking & Transportation guide below and get ready to choose your own adventure. Explore our unique cobblestoned streets. Go for a bike ride using the RVA bike share program. Check out GRTC's Pulse and hitch a ride to another part of the city. No matter how you get here, we hope you love your time in Richmond from above, on foot and all around.

The GRTC Pulse stops at 14 activity centers along its route with 8 stops throughout downtown! Buses arrive every 15 minutes (or better!) and run seven days a week, 6:00am – 11:30pm. The GRTC Pulse is the best option to navigate short trips throughout the city’s core and is made easy with ticket vending machines at every station. Did we mention there’s free Wifi on the bus?

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For more information about riding the Pulse, visit their website here.

Downtown's regular bus service routes, like the 1, 2, 3 and 5, are as convenient and accessible as the GRTC Pulse. With 15 minute service running from surrounding neighborhoods, our GRTC bus system makes coming and going in downtown one of the easiest options to navigate RVA!

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Explore GRTC's downtown bus service map here.

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Whether you commute to work, are a student, or you're just looking to explore all that downtown Richmond has to offer, GRTC has your public transportation needs covered. With 40 bus routes, the GRTC mobile app provides real-time bus arrival info and a Trip Planner tool and is available on their website. Our GRTC Transit System works hard to make sure your ride is a seamless experience and that you get where you need to be.

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For more information about GRTC, you can visit their website here.

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Access to Downtown Richmond's Riverfront

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Did you know that there are four GRTC bus stops on downtown Richmond’s riverfront? These bus stops allow for better riverfront access so that all Richmonders can enjoy the beauty, fun and culture of the James River downtown. Don't miss out on some of downtown Richmond's most scenic attractions found along the riverfront, like the Riverfront Canal Cruises or the Richmond Canal Walk.

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Getting to Richmond's riverfront is easy when you take the GRTC Bus Systems. Just take the route #87 bus across the Lee Bridge from the north side of the river to the new stops at 2nd Street and Brown’s Island Way near Tredegar or at 2nd and Spring Street. The route #87 bus runs every 60 minutes. On its way back across the river, the bus stops at 2nd and Spring Street and again at 2nd Street closer to the Virginia War Memorial. Just look for the GRTC signs!

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Download the Transit App to plan your trip, get bus route updates and enjoy your ride with peace of mind!

Did you know that there are over 20,000 parking spots in and around the downtown core?

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To locate accesible parking options in downtown Richmond, use our Downtown Map to find public parking lots.

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If you are looking for on-street parking, the majority of downtown’s spaces are pay-to-park.

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Time limit restrictions throughout the City are located on street parking signage and range from 15 minutes to 3 hours. The majority of downtown’s on-street parking spaces have 2-hour time limits. The restrictions are generally enforced Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. throughout the City. There are some locations that have weekend restrictions as well, which are specifically noted on the signs.

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Learn more about city parking and make life easier when you download the Passport Mobile Parking App.

Did you know that Richmond was built on seven hills just like Rome? Five of those hills can be found downtown, which makes for a great walk or a tougher hike depending on the direction, but they are well worth it!

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Our top picks for a stroll in the city are the Riverfront Canal Walk, T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge, The Virginia State Capitol and Belle Isle.

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Looking for walkable residential and historial neighborhoods? Check out some area favorites like Monroe Ward, Jackson Ward, Shockoe Bottom and Shockoe Slip, each of these neighborhoods has a Walk Score of at least 80/100.

Protected bike lanes are popping up all over downtown Richmond making it easier, safer and a better option to navigate RVA by bike than by car.

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Downtown’s newest protected bike lane can be found on Franklin Street, spans 15 blocks and is a separated lane of travel for two-way bike traffic traveling east and west through downtown Richmond between Belvidere and 9th Streets.

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There are over 10 bikeways throughout downtown, learn all about where they are with the RVA Bikeways Map found here.

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Don’t forget to check out the Virginia Capital Trail, which starts (or ends) in the heart of downtown at Great Shiplock Park and can be accessed via The Low Line.

Out of the 16 total RVA Bike Share stations, 7 stations can be found downtown:

• Canal Walk at 200 S. 14th St, Richmond, VA
• Brown's Island at 620 Tredegar St, Richmond, VA
• City Hall at 900 E. Broad St, Richmond, VA
• Center Stage at 619 E. Grace St, Richmond, VA
• Kanawha Plaza at 701 E. Canal St, Richmond, VA
• Biotech Park at 601 N. 5th St, Richmond, VA
• Abner Clay Park at 216 W. Clay St, Richmond, VA

Still have questions? Visit the RVA Bike Share website for more information or download the RVA Bike Share app.

Brand-new to Richmond are the Bolt e-scooters! These dockless, electric scooters can be accessed and found when you download the Bolt App. The scooters are free to unlock, but require a $5 deposit to start riding. The scooters will cost you 25 cents per minute on your ride and are accessible from 5AM to 9PM.

Ride the train into the heart of downtown at Main Street Station, the newly renovated transportation hub located at 1500 E. Main Street. Main Street Station provides Amtrak service on the Northeast Regional Train. North to south, service goes from Richmond to DC, New York, Hartford, Providence/Springfield and Boston and east to west to Norfolk/Newport News and Virginia Beach. Or, of course, you can head to DC and transfer to just about anywhere Amtrak serves.

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Amtrak now offers bike service on trains traveling to Williamsburg.

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For more information about schedules and Main Street Station, visit their website here.

RIC attracts nearly four million passengers traveling across the country each year and recently celebrated a 12-month streak of increased passenger travel!

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The airlines that fly in and out of RIC are American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, United and Allegiant making booking your flight to RVA convenient and affordable. For more information about Richmond’s airport, you can visit their website here.

Image Credit: Header Image - GRTC

Image Credit: "4th Best City for Commuters" - GRTC

Image Credit: "10 Walkable Girlfriend Getaways" - Dave Parrish Photography