Introduction
The GRTC is one of the oldest operating transit companies in America. Founded in 1860 as the Richmond Railway, the GRTC has gone through 161 years of history. What started as trolleys, then became electric streetcars, then evolved all the way to busses. The GRTC has persevered through the Civil War, World Wars, segregation, and everything in between. The GRTC has felt the full effects of history and in many ways has shaped history.
But change, like evolution, is bound to happen. The growing world is always in need of change to occur for new technology and methods to come apparent. This, one of the reasons the GRTC has switched locations. Allowing them to have much more space than before and a new start to expand their company
Richmond Times Dispatch Newspaper Article GRTC Honoring Rosa Parks. Photo courtesy of the University of Richmond.
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But my most memorable is when we were over on Robinson street. And that's when we were really a tight knit. Tight-knit. In that time you would get off of work and stay at the job for another three to four hours.
Veronica
Shadows of people pass by an old wall with overlays of old historical GRTC photos. Shows how time moves on with history.
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It was a very, very high sense of family, and that was a really, really strong feel of leadership, to me. When [CEO Eldridge Coles] came in, we felt very together. Very, very strong time, to see someone come from the very bottom, to the very top, and he still treated you the same way he did when he was a bus driver.
Kyle Atkins