General Route Info
Routes
To find out which bus will take you where you need to go, locate (on the map) the route which comes closest to where you will be boarding and goes nearest your destination. Each route is identified by a number. The number refers to the path or streets that bus will be traveling, which direction the bus will be going and its destination.
In other words, there will be two buses on your route at the same time, but one will be going in one direction and the other bus in the opposite direction. For example, both the 16 bus and 15 bus travel along the same path; but route number 16’s destination is Third Street Station, whereas route number 15’s destination is Valley View Mall. So when you locate your route on the map, be sure to check its direction.
As another example, if you live off of Memorial Avenue near the Grandin Theater, and you work in downtown Roanoke, then you might take the 72 bus to work, and the 71 bus on your way home. Depending on where you live in that neighborhood, you might also take the 66 bus to work and the 65 bus home.
Many bus routes are linked to other routes, so that passengers may continue toward their destinations without having to transfer. Once route 55 reaches its destination, which is Tanglewood Mall, it starts from there as route 52 toward its new destination, which is Third Street Station. In this way, for example, a passenger boarding at Virginia Western Community College on 55 will arrive at Roanoke Memorial Hospital on 52 without having to change buses. In a few cases, more than one route might run along a short stretch of road, so you’ll need to make sure you board the appropriate bus. As the bus approaches, check the destination window on the front of the bus above the windshield. The destination window displays the route number, and the last stop along that route. Feel free to ask the operator of the bus for information if you are unsure.
Time Schedules
To find out when the bus will arrive at your bus stop, look at the map and locate the time points along your route. Find the time point number which points in the direction you are headed and is nearest your location. If that number is very close to your location, then refer to the time schedule, and listed under that number is each time of day that your bus will be at the point on the route. If there seems to be no time point near your location, then consider that it takes your bus half an hour to get from the end of the line which is Time Point # 3, to Third Street Station. If you’re not sure when your bus will arrive, just call the Information Center at 982-2222.