Starting Friday, Raleigh residents will have a free way to get around downtown. The city has a new circulator bus that will run every 10 to 15 minutes around downtown-from Glenwood South, to the convention center, up Wilmington Street and down Peace Street back to Glenwood. Print a copy of the map below.
The downtown loop, also known as the R -Line, will be a free ride, made possible by a $365,000 annual grant from the federal government. Two hybrid busses sitting 36 people will serve the route. It will run 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2:15 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The new bus line, according to city transit administrator David Eatman, is part of the downtown revitalization. “There are both a lot of entertainment and restaurant venues available in the downtown area, and with the bus rides made free for the public, it adds on the experience,” said Eatman.
The day before the new line officially launches, bus regulars were already pleased. “With the bus system always taking a dollar here and a dollar there, it eventually adds up, with this now, it comes as a relief,” said 36-year-old Priscilla Hedgepoth while waiting for a bus at the Moore Square Station.
Print the R-Line route map:
Downtown Circulator Map
