RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmond is celebrating a milestone in its People’s Budget program with the completion of a new GRTC bus shelter. Located in Jackson Ward and Carver, the Lombardy Kroger shelter is the first project completed through the city’s first People’s Budget cycle and the 90th shelter installed through GRTC’s Essential Transit Infrastructure program. In 2025, Richmond’s nine City Council districts were allocated a portion of $3 million in funding based on factors such social vulnerability and community need, which are as follows: Districts 1, 2 and 4: $200,000 each Districts 3, 5 and 7: $300,000 each Districts 6, 8 and 9: $500,000 each The $50,000 shelter was selected by residents in the Second District, with nearly half of voters supporting the project. “One of the main factors that went into our decision making was, taking into account communities that were typically underserved in the budgeting process,” said District 2 commissioner Peter Berry. “If you could be sitting in a nice, clean shelter and getting out of the elements, I think that makes people feel pretty good.” City and GRTC officials said the new shelter will improve safety, comfort and access for riders along several key corridors. Civic association president Jerome Legions said residents love the new bus shelter. “In the past what we would see is people pull shopping carts out of Kroger, lay the shopping carts on the side of the street and then sit there as they were waiting for the bus,” Legions said. Legions said more money is needed to make meaningful changes. “They want an opportunity to say, ‘These are my ideas, I would like to be heard and let's turn this into a reality,’” said Legions. “If this community can do this with $3 million, imagine what they can do with $5 million?” Second District members said they’re looking to build another bus shelter on the other side of the street with people’s budget funds. ...read more read less