Yes many people bad mouth BP, but BP itself is not the problem. It is how you use BP. Backpage is only an ad site. While it is full of scams, robs, bait and switches, and even some LE stings, there are also some great gals on there. In some areas of the country, BP is actually the best place to advertise. The key if you are using BP, is to not take anything at face value. In fact you should assume an ad is fake until you can prove it real (rather than vice versa). Use google image search to check the photos. Google the phone number, name in the ad etc, to look for red flags or reviews. Search for reviews here or other review sites using the name, phone number, or other id info from the ad. There are many well reviewed TER gals who advertise on BP.

But there are still other options. Have you tried eros and cityvibe. There are ads for Richmond on both those sites. You should still do the checks I mentioned above, as those sites also can have fake ads, scams etc.

Did you try right here on TER? You should start here. The "other cities" ad board has 15 ads in the last 30 days for Richmond, including one today.

All that said, sometimes when you live in an area that is not heavy on provider supply, the best bet IS to drive to the nearest bigger city.

Fair number of touring gals list RIC as a stop.  Should have some great GFE options each week