Six major carriers with nonstop and direct flights to more than 200 cities serve Richmond International Airport (RIA), which is located 10 minutes, via Interstate 64, from the center city. Airlines include American, Delta, US Airways, Continental, NWA and United. The airport offers complete executive and general aviation services. More than 2.7 million passengers are estimated to pass through RIA in any given year, spurring current expansion plans to add air carrier gates, new roadways and a terminal extension. As an alternative to the busier RIA, general and corporate aviation services are also available at the Chesterfield County Airport.
Crisscrossing the metropolitan area are major north-south and east-west interstates. Interstate-95 provides ready access to markets up and down the East Coast. I-64 is a major corridor from St. Louis to the port of Hampton Roads. I-295 connects with I-95 to the north and south of Richmond. Intercity bus service, freight shipments, and express shipments are provided by Greyhound.
Rail passenger service is provided by Amtrak, serving the East Coast and points west with six passenger trains daily, plus four additional trains on selected days. Amtrak opened a new downtown Main Street Station in fall 2003, restoring a train station that was originally opened in 1901. The new station integrates bus, trolley, airport shuttle, taxi, limousine and train services within a multi-modal transportation hub that returned passenger train service to downtown Richmond.
The Richmond area is served by a well-planned and well-maintained network of expressways, cross-town arteries, and streets that make the use of private vehicles convenient. The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) operates a fleet of buses on a radial network of routes that include park-and-ride lots and express service during peak hours. GRTC offers specialized services such as CARE and C-Van to provide access to riders with mobility issues, while the Ridefinders program matches carpool and vanpool candidates. From June through November, a trolley system connects sites in the different areas of downtown.