Rocky Mount secured a $3 million grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to introduce a commuter bus service aimed to assist with easier travel to Raleigh.
The city is located on the U.S. Highway 64 corridor of Interstate 95—midway between the Triangle and the coast. The idea continued to gain traction following earlier efforts to connect the region.
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Recent expansion led community leaders to search for more convenient alternatives for traveling to the city.
The Commuter Bus Initiative hopes to help save commuters money, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and enhance their ability to attract talent from outside of Rocky Mount.
Future plans for the Commuter Bus system are to link the eastern portion of North Carolina, the hub being in Rocky Mount, to urban transit centers such as Raleigh, Wilmington and the smaller places in between.
It will run during peak hours on weekdays, establishing a dedicated route between Rocky Mount and Raleigh, though the launch date remains unspecified.
Over time, the goal is to create a broader eastern North Carolina transit network—linking communities such as Wilson, Greenville, Roanoke Rapids, Elizabeth City and others.
The $3 million NCDOT grant provides critical startup funding for vehicles, operations and marketing. City leaders and regional partners are working to finalize details.