Free rides on GRTC buses, including Pulse and CARE vans, will continue for at least 12 more months, the bus company’s six-member board of directors agreed Tuesday.

The board, led by the Rev. Benjamin P. Campbell of Richmond, made the free fare decision in approving nearly $100 million in operating and capital expenditures for fiscal year 2021-22.

The approved budgets include $5.8 million in federal relief dollars that will replace the money riders would have paid in fares, according to Julie Timm, GRTC’s chief executive officer.

GRTC’s budget year begins July 1 and ends June 30 the following year.

For at least 90 more days, riders still will be required to wear masks to board, GRTC spokeswoman Carrie Rose Pace noted.

While the state’s mask mandate will end June 30, Ms. Pace said the federal mask mandate for passengers on buses, trains and planes will not be lifted until Monday, Sept. 13, at the earliest.

In fiscal 2018-19, riders paid $6.8 million in fares, with GRTC spending $1.6 million to handle the collections, leaving a net of $5.2 million in income, budget documents show. Federal Cares Act funds have filled in the revenue and allowed the bus company to avoid the collection expenses.

GRTC was less affected by the drop in transit use during the pandemic than other ground and air transit operations.

“Although bus ridership did decline in 2020 across the nation during the pandemic, GRTC local ridership drops were modest by comparison,” Ms. Timm told the board, adding that ridership is recovering and is approaching pre-COVID levels. 

Ms. Timm cited three reasons GRTC is starting to see a rebound.

She said the free rides have continued to make buses an attractive option, and she noted that the 2018 redesign of the network has proven itself in creating better connections to workplaces.

She also noted that GRTC has proven to be a safe way to get around due to the protective measures the company imposed, including the mask requirement for riders.