Rocky Mount is moving forward with a commuter bus service that would carry workers between the city and Raleigh during peak weekday hours, after the North Carolina Department of Transportation awarded a $3 million grant to get the project off the ground. City officials are now searching for a qualified vendor to run the service, with plans to connect two of the state’s fastest-growing labor markets roughly 56 miles apart along U.S. Route 64.
According to CBS17.com, the Rocky Mount City Council has approved matching funds for the grant, and Mayor Sandy Roberson said the initiative addresses both employer workforce needs and transportation gaps for residents. “Employers need workers,” Roberson said, according to the outlet’s report, noting that some people lack reliable transportation to jobs. He added that the investment gives people more choices about where they live and work.
The grant itself traces back to a Special Statewide Allocation from the federal Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement program, structured by the city as a three-year pilot, according to City of Rocky Mount documents. That federal funding mechanism specifically targets projects meant to ease traffic congestion and cut vehicle emissions, rather than simply subsidize a new bus line indefinitely.
Why Rocky Mount Needs the Triangle’s Workforce
Roberson’s comments point to a broader economic push. He said companies are recruiting from a much larger geographic area than before, and the new commuter service expands the workforce available to Rocky Mount while moving the region closer to what he described as communities working together. The mayor framed the bus line as giving residents another option for connecting with good jobs…