Winston-Salem leaders are weighing proposed changes to the city’s public transit system.
At a public hearing Monday, city transportation staff said their plan would increase service on major routes, with some lines running every 30 minutes instead of once an hour. To make that possible, seven lower-ridership routes would be eliminated.
“The driving factor there is, how many jobs can we access if we run buses more frequently?” said Director of Transportation Jeff Fansler. “Does that expand our reach?”
Fansler said one route would be replaced with microtransit, an on-demand shared public ride service that operates within a defined zone.
The proposal also includes two new express lines designed to avoid downtown. One would link Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to the Hanes Mill area. The other would connect Salem Gardens to Hanes Mall.
Several residents spoke in favor of the changes, including Craig Richardson, an economics professor at Winston-Salem State University.
“I think it's wonderful that we've become serious about economic mobility in the city, improving transportation flexibility through more direct routes, rather than the hub and spoke system. This is key.”
Council is set to make a final decision on the changes on April 6.