![]() The last buses leave the station at 8:17 p.m. They complete their routes and return to the station at the top of the hour to repeat the cycle. All buses leave the Third Street Station at 17 minutes after the hour starting at 6:17 a.m. My downtown office is only a five-minute walk from the station. At about 7:54 a.m., Bus 92 picks me up, making frequent stops to its Third Street Station, which is the main hub. To reach my bus stop on Melrose Avenue, I walk a half-mile of rollercoaster hills. ![]() On Google Maps I selected the bus icon to find the best route and times for my destination. Not until I downloaded and printed the entire bus route map from could I make sense of the bus system. Well, that app was for Valley Metro of Phoenix, Arizona! The VMGO app for Roanoke Valley Metro, however, wasn’t very helpful either. Since I was a newbie to the bus system, I downloaded the Valley Metro app but apparently, there was no service in my area. One of my hobbies is collecting and restoring classic cars, and I serve as president of the Roanoke Valley Region Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA). I do occasionally drive an older car to work. Riding to work is not a problem as I’ve biked across America with Team Roll Over Cancer. How do I regularly get to work? On average, I ride my bicycle four days per week as long as it’s above 15 degrees. The learning curve can be steep for those new to buses and since the best way to learn is by doing, I decided to take the bus to work. Bus service sounded intriguing-a mystery to be solved. As a candidate, I tried to attend as many meetings and events as my busy schedule allowed. ![]() That all changed in September when the Bus Riders of Roanoke Advocacy Group (BRRAG) invited all Roanoke City Council candidates to attend one of their monthly meetings to learn more about bus service in the Roanoke Valley. In fact, I could not see a compelling need for bus service in the Roanoke Valley. ![]() How many of you have ridden a public bus to work, to the grocery store, or to a doctor’s appointment? Though I have lived in Northwest Roanoke since 1994, until last fall, I knew very little about Valley Metro and the behemoth buses barreling down the boulevard. By Maynard Keller Northwest Roanoke resident Maynard Kellerīe honest. ![]()
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