Pandemic forces Raleigh to suspend R-Line bus service downtown

Working from home means fewer people in downtown Raleigh during the coronavirus pandemic, and the city is shifting its services accordingly.

Starting Feb. 14, GoRaleigh will suspend its R-Line route, a free ride to restaurants, shopping and work downtown. The looped route connects popular destinations, such as the Glenwood South district and the Duke Center for the Performing Arts.

"It gets us from Point B to Point A," passenger Bruce Rayford said. "It's nice for you to take a tour to the Glenwood South area, to the downtown area."

Before the pandemic, the R-Line carried 20 passengers per hour. Now, it's down to just two an hour.

"Unprecedented times. Everyone is tired of that phrase for sure, but we think this is the best thing to do in the short term," said David Eatman, an assistant transportation director for Raleigh.

Eatman said the R-Line will resume in July. City officials will re-evaluate the situation to determine the hours of operation, he said, noting that will depend on the foot and vehicle traffic downtown.

“You think about this is happening globally,“ he said of the pandemic. "It's very mind-boggling to think about this affecting every downtown and city in the world."

"This is 2021. Hopefully, things will be coming back to normal," Rayford said.