ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke residents and city officials are discovering both opportunities and obstacles in their transportation system during the Week Without Driving Challenge, an initiative revealing the daily realities of life without a car.
“People who ride the bus pay what we call a time tax,” says Laura Hartman, president of the Bus Riders of Roanoke Advocacy Group (BRRAG). “It’s not just that the bus itself is a little slower, which of course it will be, it’s that the buses only come once an hour. And so depending on the alignment of my different appointments, it may or may not work out for me on a given day.”
The city’s transit system includes multiple services: regular fixed-route buses through Valley Metro, the free Star Line downtown trolley, the Smartway bus to Blacksburg, STAR paratransit service, and MetroFlex for evening and Sunday transportation needs. However, geographic limitations exist.
“Valley Metro Transit currently serves three municipalities,” Hartman explains. “It serves the city of Roanoke, it serves the town of Vinton, and the city of Salem. But there’s one place you can’t get to on any of these buses and that is Roanoke County.”
Joe Cobb, who participated in the challenge, has explored various transportation options.
“When this ends on Sunday, I have utilized Valley Metro, MetroFlex, Starline Trolley, carpooling, cycling, and walking,” he says.
“I love the Starline Trolley,” Cobb adds. “I love the connectedness of our public transit, and the bus operators are phenomenal. They’re so friendly and helpful.”
The challenge has highlighted both personal and systemic issues.
“I think the biggest challenges are just being able to plan out transportation according to where you need to go,” Cobb notes. “Knowing what the bus route schedules are, knowing what MetroFlex schedules are, if you have accessibility to a bicycle, or access to a supportive system of friends or family.”
Cobb said infrastructure improvements are underway.
“We’re working on making sure that all of our major corridors have good pedestrian safety crossing zones that are well lit and well-marked,” Cobb explains. “Downtown, we just finished a project which makes the cutouts at the corners and the crosswalks for everybody, including people in mobility devices, much safer.”
BRRAG, founded in 2022, advocates for expanded service.
“We need to stop thinking about transportation as an individual choice,” Hartman emphasizes. “When we move from a private space in our home to some other place, we’re moving through public space. And that public space needs to serve everyone, not just an individual.”
Studies indicate about 30% of Americans are non-drivers, making public transit crucial.
“Whether you ride the bus or not, you benefit from the bus,” Hartman says. “Because somebody, maybe somebody who cleaned your building or somebody who made your sandwich, those people needed the bus. Someone in your web and your network needs the bus. Because we are all that connected.”
The social aspects of public transportation have emerged as a key theme.
“I realized this week how solitary driving a car can be,” Cobb reflects. “Usually it’s just one person in the car. And for me, that’s where I spend a lot of my time. But riding on the trolley, carpooling, riding on the bus, these are all ways that you connect with people and have that sense of community.”
“When we look at these access points of transportation through the eyes of other people, we can better understand what the challenges and the blessings are,” Cobb concludes.
The initiative concludes with a public meeting on Tuesday, October 7th at 5:30 p.m. at the Melrose Library, where community members will discuss their experiences and potential improvements to Roanoke’s transportation system.
For more information on Bus Riders of Roanoke Advocacy Group, visit their website.