By now you’ve probably heard about the extremely exciting plans for extending bus service in Henrico to Short Pump. This is a fantastic first step for the County and a definite move towards building a truly regional public transportation network.

We wondered what this proposed route could look like and what kinds of things would be accessible by it, so we asked our GIS intern, Helen, to put together a quick map. Note that this is not the actual routes or stops that will be proposed by Henrico County. This is our theoretical look at what could be—think of it as a way to get your transit pumps primed for whenever Henrico decides to launch this new service. I’ll let Helen take it from here:

A possible extension of the W. Broad Street bus line (the present day #19) will connect a significant number of people to commercial enterprises and connect nearby residential areas to the rest of the City of Richmond. A radius of half a mile—an average adult walks half a mile in 10 minutes—was used to determine probable people and places impacted by the bus line.

This extension will serve:

Workers
Shoppers
Business owners and employees
Health workers

In total, within a half mile of these possible stops, 173 commercial enterprises operate, many within Short Pump Town Center. The half mile radius around also includes 1,106 high-density housing buildings—meaning often more than one family lives in each. This buffer zone, as shown on the map, cuts across four census tracts with higher than average numbers of foreign-born residents for the city of Richmond. In addition, 791 single family homes lie within this area. Along this 3.7-mile stretch of Broad Street, there is a hospital, many standalone businesses, Short Pump Town Center, several health clinics, several schools, and many restaurants.

An extension of this bus line will increase access for the businesses and people residing nearby, as well give access to this area for folks living along other bus lines in the region.

Helen Richardson, RVA Rapid Transit GIS Intern

Helen is a University of Richmond student passionate about public transportation, reformed theology, and maps.