Proposed Service Changes
Winston-Salem Transit Authority Route Study
Public Meeting on October 16, 2024
The City of Winston-Salem is completing a Route Study for the Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA).
The primary goal of the Route Study is to plan for changes to the WSTA bus system that create services that are faster, more frequent, and expand job opportunities for City residents and strengthen labor markets for area businesses.
The study will take a close look at the current bus routes and propose changes to improve the way we do things, from more frequent bus routes to new technologies. It is our vision to create a more connected community for all residents and visitors.
Please read the content below and share your comments by taking our brief survey.
What’s new since 2023?
Since the last WSTA public meeting in 2023, there have been several improvements to WSTA, the biggest of which was hiring RATP DEV, a leading transit operations company that will now oversee all WSTA operations.
With new leadership on board, the vision for a new and improved transit system is beginning to take shape.
Take a look at some of the changes we are proposing:
Restoring night service on several routes. Beginning November 2024
Changing routes that make bus service faster and more direct. Beginning early 2025
Increasing frequency on popular and heavily used bus routes, decreasing your wait times for the next bus. Beginning early 2025
Real-time bus tracking and mobile ticketing. TBD in 2025
To deliver these improvements, there are also some changes that will impact a small number of WSTA passengers.
WSTA plans to discontinue the low ridership routes 99, 100, and 110. The buses from these routes will be used to serve other areas of the city where the need for bus service is much greater. These changes will occur in early 2025.
Do you currently use a route that may be eliminated or changed?
Check out the Route Service Maps below to learn how you can still get to where you need to go.
Route Service Eliminations
“I am a rider on one of the routes proposed for elimination. How will I get to my destination?”
For those routes proposed for elimination (Routes 99, 100 and 110), we have put together maps to show what other routes provide service to the same areas. Even without these routes, our riders will still be able to get to most of their destinations using our system. You can see the alternative options in the maps below!
ROUTE 99
ROUTE 100
ROUTE 110
Night service returns on Novemer 11th
Routes that WILL have night service after November 11th:
80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89
90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97
101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109
Routes that will operate without night service after November 11th:
88, 95, 98, 99, 100, 102, 110
You Spoke. We listened
Routes with service changes.
83
Will increase frequency from 60-minute headways to 30-minute headways
106
Will travel south on N Patterson Avenue instead of Greenway Avenue so it is easier to transfer to Route 87.
Current
Proposed
95
Will no longer serve Knollwood Street.
87
Will increase in frequency. It currently runs every 30 to 45 minutes, and it will now run every 15 to 30 minutes. In order to accommodate this, the bus will no longer serve Highland Avenue. Other routes will still serve the Department of Social Services.
Current
Proposed
107
Will increase frequency from 60-minute headways to 30-minute headways.
Current
Proposed
90
Will increase frequency from 60-minute headways to 30-minute headways. In order to accommodate this, the route will be streamlined:
The bus will no longer serve Arbor Acres and will stay on University Parkway to Thurmond Street.
The bus will no longer enter the Wake Forest University campus, but will still serve the campus at the intersection of Polo Road and Long Drive.
Current
Proposed
Together, Our Vision
All of the proposed changes fit into the future vision of bus service in Winston-Salem.
A primary goal of this vision is to greatly expand the number of job opportunities that can be reached within 60 minutes when riding the bus.
Here’s how we plan to do this:
Make your trip faster with more direct, re-designed routes that move across the city quickly
Introduce new crosstown routes that provide more convenient transfers from one route to another outside of downtown
Provide more frequent service
Implement new technologies, like mobile ticketing and real time tracking of your bus.
How the WSTA Vision will increase access to job opportunities.
WSTA Vision
Current WSTA Service
The current bus service includes:
31 total routes
29 routes with 60-minute headways
2 routes with 30-minute headways for part of the day
WSTA Vision Service
The WSTA Vision service includes:
26 total routes
10 routes with 15-minute headways
11 routes with 30-minute headways
5 routes with 60-minute headways
This increased service frequency will significantly shorten the wait time between buses.
New Crosstown Routes
The new WSTA Vision for bus service includes proposed crosstown services that make it easier to transfer without going downtown. These routes include:
Hanes Mill Rd to Atrium Wake Forest Baptist
Old Town to Ogburn
Sturmer Park to Park Terrace
Hanes Mall to Plaza Hollow Dr
Each crosstown route would touch multiple 15-minute services for easy transfers.
Funding the WSTA Vision
The City of Winston-Salem can begin moving towards the WSTA Vision network by making changes to the existing routes using current funding. The proposed changes for 2025 are the first step in this process.
Additional funding would be needed to deliver the full WSTA Vision.
When fully implemented, the WSTA Vision network will:
drastically expand the number of jobs accessible by bus in the same travel time
get residents to their current jobs even faster.
Now that you’ve learned about the proposed service changes for 2025 and the future WSTA Vision, share your comments by taking our brief survey.
FAQs
about Proposed
Service Changes
-
Route 83 will increase frequency from 60-minute headways to 30-minute headways.
Route 87 will increase frequency. It currently runs every 30 to 45 minutes, and it will now run every 15 to 30 minutes. In order to accommodate this, the bus will no longer serve Highland Avenue. Other routes will still serve the Department of Social Services.
Route 90 will increase frequency from 60-minute headways to 30-minute headways. In order to accommodate this, the route will be streamlined:
The bus will no longer serve Arbor Acres and will stay on University Parkway to Thurmond Street.
The bus will no longer enter the Wake Forest University campus, but will still serve the campus at the intersection of Polo Road and Long Drive.
Route 95 will no longer serve Knollwood Street.
Route 106 will travel south on N Patterson Avenue instead of Greenway Avenue so it is easier to transfer to Route 87.
Route 107 will increase frequency from 60-minute headways to 30-minute headways.
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The routes being eliminated have very low ridership, carrying fewer than 3 riders per hour on average. They were identified in a survey of WSTA drivers as well as in our study of WSTA’s system as some of the routes with the fewest riders.
These routes are proposed to be eliminated in early 2025.
In order to best serve the public, the hours from these eliminated routes will be added to routes that have more riders, are sometimes crowded, and need more service.
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Riders who use Route 99 can access the following WSTA Routes along the following streets:
• University Parkway – can use Routes 89, 91, and 97
• Shattalon Drive – can use Route 97
• Reynolda Road – can use Routes 88 and 109
• Silas Creek Parkway near Hanes Mall – can use Route 84
• Forsyth Tech Campus – can use Routes 82 and 85
Service along Silas Creek Parkway from Reynolda Road to Hanes Mall will not be replaced with another route. Other options for public transportation include PART vanpools (call (336) 883-7278 or visit https://www.partnc.org/157/Vanpool) and carpooling (find carpool partners at https://www.sharetheridenc.org).
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Riders who use Route 100 can access the following WSTA Routes along the following streets:
• South Stratford Road – can use Route 103
• Silas Creek Parkway – can use Routes 84 and 85
• Main Street from Waughtown to E Cemetery Street – can use Route 104
• Forsyth Tech Community College - can use Routes 82 and 85
Service along the following streets will require riders to walk to routes on other streets for service
• Miller Street - walk to Routes 80, 84, 95, 103, 107
• Main Street from Waughtown to Sprague Street - walk to Routes 101 and 104
• E Cemetery Street, E Salem Avenue, and Rams Drive - walk to Routes 86, 102, 105
Other options for public transportation include PART vanpools (call (336) 883-7278 or visit https://www.partnc.org/157/Vanpool) and carpooling (find carpool partners at https://www.sharetheridenc.org).
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Riders who use Route 110 can access the following WSTA Routes along the following streets:
• 5th Street from downtown to East 4th Street - can use Routes 86, 94, 96, 105
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive – can use Routes 86 and 105
Service along the following streets will no longer be provided:
• 5th Street from Maryland Avenue to Lowery Court
• Lowery Court
• Lowery Street
The Lowery Street facility will no longer be served by WSTA. Other options for public transportation include PART vanpools (call (336) 883-7278 or visit https://www.partnc.org/157/Vanpool) and carpooling (find carpool partners at https://www.sharetheridenc.org).