You do have to pay to ride transit but that fare isn’t collected in advance in exchange for a paper ticket. One may have a card in the wallet, or an app on their phone, or cash in their pockets, etc. If someone comes to the station, you really have no idea when and if they are actually riding the bus. You also have no idea where they are heading. It’s not like the airport where they have to see your reservation before entering a holding area.
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This seems to work when viewing things from a 10,000 foot level but not when viewing it on the ground. There’s a kiosk where you can get information and buy tickets if you don’t use the app or self-service station. The public restrooms are for the public, not just ticket riders.
Dare I say, this is public property so, you know, the public, should have access to it.
It won’t solve homelessness or poverty but I still advocate for our GoRaleigh route system to start migrating away from a hub-and-spoke model to having more crosstown routes. Instead of creating a central hub where hundreds of people are gathering and transferring, let’s look at a grid of routes that take you between major destinations with key transfer points. This, I feel, could actually be done in our lifetimes.
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That’s a pretty limited viewpoint and may be what you’re here for, but isn’t for everyone.
I find that it’s more about being aware of the changes/growth of our city and sharing ideas and opinions about that growth. Sure, one of the big factors is economic development, but so are deciding what kind of place we want to be and discussing ways to make that happen.
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We are not trying to solve world hunger, but reducing crime and poverty in DTR should be open for discussion on this site, and needs a more comprehensive approach then “Just running the bum’s out of the Bus station”. It becomes whack-a-mole. So you kick them out of the Bus station and they end up in Union Station, Or Glenwood South, or somewhere along Hillsburough or New Bern.
Moving the problem around to a different location does not solve it.
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This is the problem:
One side refuses to address the root cause, thinking it all boils down to “personal responsibility.” The only acceptable intervention is policing and punishment.
The other refuses to address the symptoms because they want the problem to be as visible and bothersome as possible in hopes of spurring some movement on solving the root causes. Accelerationism, in short.
This is a false dilemma. Let’s put down the politically charged posturing and DO BOTH.
Let’s properly fund and implement programs addressing homelessness, mental health, persistent poverty, and street violence. Let’s also consistently enforce the rules on use of public spaces and public transportation that keep them safe, orderly, and pleasant for the thousands of people who use them every day.
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That’s a big ask for Raleigh’s road system
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completely agree with you here, but some others on here won’t. Calling something “systemic” is like one of those cheesy “I BeLiEvE in sCiEnCe” catechism flags people post in their front yard in colorful rainbow fonts…And I say “cheesy” as a gay myself. (Those flag things are AW-FUL, but I digress.)
Some (like me) use this forum as a Raleigh area development update tool, while others seem more connected and relationship-oriented to others who post here. It seems beyond downtown as we have topics about RTP, malls, RDU, and other things in the thriving 'burbs.
If anything could be seen as “universal” regarding the hobos/vagrants/homeless people that either get violent or make people uncomfortable (intentionally or unintentionally), I’d say it’s people desperately beset with mental health issues…especially at the bus station and Moore Square.
That very well includes personal responsibility, yes, but acknowledges there are some crazy folks that are part of any downtown US city, but with more people downtown, the ratio of normal to crazy won’t be as bad.
Many of them don’t want “help” but need it. That’s a subject for somewhere else, too.
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Why does it feel like people think tackling this issue is an either or thing? We’ve got to deal with both the immediate issues and the bigger causes. Places like GoRaleigh are public, so people have a right to be there, but it’s also important to keep them safe and functional for everyone.
The police station going in above the bus station should help with some of the immediate problems, but that’s only part of the solution. To really make progress, we’ve got to look at the root causes, like homelessness and lack of resources, while also handling the day-to-day challenges. It’s about finding the right balance.
One thing at a time. I doubt people will be as willing to loiter or do crime directly in front of a police station. I’ll walk over there and take some pictures today if you guys would like to see the progress from last time.
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I can reach out in a bit to see where they are. There’s at least light on andbtheyve got windows. There is also a group of police officers hanging out directly below
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Does anyone have good reading on the history of the GoRaleigh Station/Moore Square Station? I know there was a big renovation in 2017 and looking over iMaps, it says it was built in 1986 but I can’t find much on the situation it was built in and what transit in Raleigh looked like before it. iMaps also names it the site of “Moore Square Station Parking Deck” which is fascinating to me but sounds about right.
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I’m pretty sure it was the old Lightner Arcade. Beautiful old building that unfortunately burned down.
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I believe the Lightner Arcade is part of the station, the Hargett St exits. I can’t recall what elsdle was on the block that got torn out for the deck et. al. Sanborn maps anyone?
I’ve been trying to remember where the buses all met downtown before this was built, and can’t. I want to say it was just along a street. I do recall this being a big deal for the city. There were fountains, and parking, and it was going to bring people downtown. Heady times my friends.
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iMAPS has both 1981 and 1988 aerial views. Looks like there was a smaller parking garage on the southern part of the site, which was replaced with the current garage.
If you’d like to view the plans, they’re at NCSU Special Collections:
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How was it burned down?
Fire, probably 
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Probably “excused” arson, given the time period.