Bus Station Plan Moves Forward Despite Controversy in Roanoke

Angry public outcry wasn't enough to stop the Roanoke City Council from unanimously approving an ambitious transit station reconfiguration in downtown Roanoke.

1 minute read

January 24, 2019, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Roanoke

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

"The Roanoke City Council approved two land transactions Tuesday night to allow construction of a new open air bus station on Salem Avenue and Third Street despite the objections of neighbors who called the station a “crime magnet” that would undercut the area’s safety," reports Matt Chittum.

Planetizen picked up the news about the city's plan to add a new bus station, train depot, and mixed-use development to its downtown earlier this month.

"The vote moves forward a process that will likely take years but, according to city officials, solve multiple issues: providing a new and improved bus station to replace a dated and unpleasant one, a needed passenger train station, and redevelop a large, underused parcel in the center of downtown," according to Chittum.

Officials from the Virginia Museum of Transportation were among the rowdy opponents on hand to protest the project.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 in The Roanoke Times

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