Bus Station Plan Moves Forward Despite Controversy in Roanoke

"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.