DATA Stories: Transit in the New River and Roanoke River Valleys & Beyond

Welcome to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s Data Stories, and thank you for signing up! This monthly series aims to find the narrative in data DRPT collects and uses, highlighting Virginia’s rail and transit community. Data Stories returns to the “Tour de Virginia”, which last covered our transit partners in Southwest Virginia. This month, Data Stories moves further along the I-81 corridor to take a closer look at our transit partners in the New River and Roanoke River Valleys (and beyond)!

The New River and Roanoke River Valleys are home to big cities, small towns, and rural communities, nestled along the Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills. This region is home to major universities, rail facilities operated by Norfolk Southern, one of the oldest rivers in the world (that someone decided to name the New River), and beautiful countryside. Transit plays a vital role in connecting people across this diverse part of the Commonwealth.

Defining the Region & Transit modes

The past two Data Stories on the “Tour de Virginia”, that reviewed public transportation in Tidewater and Southwest Virginia, used VDOT’s construction districts. This Data Story follows that same pattern, using the Salem construction district to define the region, with one exception. VDOT’s Salem construction district includes Bedford County, directly west of Lynchburg. Transit in Bedford will be included in a future Data Story covering that region. The map below shows the localities included in this Data Story:

This Data Story breaks down transit ridership by mode. Transit mode refers to the method or means of transportation, such as what vehicle was used for public transportation. This Data Story includes the following modes:

· Bus – All*

· Bus – Demand Response

· Bus – Fixed Route/Local

· Paratransit

*Beginning in fiscal year 2024, DRPT began to differentiate bus ridership by specific service type, breaking out commuter bus, demand response bus, and fixed/route bus from the prior “bus-all” definition.

With that out of the way, let’s dive right into the transit providers, going by alphabetical order:

Pulaski Area Transit

On the other side of the New River Valley from Blacksburg is Pulaski, where locals get around on transit provider Pulaski Area Transit (PAT). PAT operates both fixed route and paratransit bus services in Pulaski, with local routes serving the town and longer routes connecting to major destinations like the New River Valley Community College or beyond to nearby Radford. Through calendar year 2025, Pulaski Area Transit transported nearly 32,000 people. The chart below shows PAT’s ridership over the past five years:

RADAR

RADAR is the operating name of the Unified Human Services Transportation System, Inc. RADAR’s services extend into numerous regions in Virginia, including Greater Roanoke, Alleghany County, Rockbridge County, and Martinsville. The agency even operates the Ferrum Express Shuttle – the shuttle bus for Ferrum College in Franklin County! This chart visualizes RADAR’s ridership since 2021:

Radford Transit

Between Pulaski and Blacksburg lies the City of Radford, situated along the New River. Radfordians and students at Radford University alike get around with Radford Transit. Radford Transit started out as Tartan Transit, only providing transit services to Radford University, before expanding throughout the city starting in 2011. Radford Transit offers fare-free transit services, thanks in part to a DRPT Transit Ridership Incentive Program grant, and saw a rapid growth in ridership between 2023 and 2024, growing by over 25%. Radford Transit’s rad ridership over the past five years is shown on the chart below:

Valley Metro 

Last but certainly not least, is the Star City’s public transportation provider, Valley Metro. (Not to be confused with the identically named Valley Metro that operates public transportation in Phoenix, Arizona.) Valley Metro is the operating name of the Greater Roanoke Transit Company, a nonprofit public service corporation that has provided fixed-route bus and paratransit services in Roanoke, Salem, and into Vinton, since 1975. Valley Metro also operates commuter bus services (through The Smart Way Bus) into nearby Christiansburg and Blacksburg, connecting the New River and Roanoke River Valleys. The chart below shows Valley Metro’s ridership over the past five calendar years:

Calendar Year 2025 Ridership

This Data Story covered a lot of ridership data from Calendar Year 2025 for the individual transit agencies in the Roanoke and New River Valley region. But what about statewide ridership? There are more good news and even better data there. In 2025, Virginia’s public transportation operators moved over 154 million people, nearly 13 million more than in 2024. Want to see more data about ridership in Virginia? Check out DRPT’s Transit Performance Data Dashboard to see more!

Building Connections Across Southwest Virginia

The New River and Roanoke River Valleys showcase how diverse and adaptable public transportation can be across Virginia. From student‑focused networks to regional commuter routes and rural mobility services, each agency plays a critical role in supporting the communities it serves. As ridership continues to grow statewide, these transit partners are helping drive a more connected Commonwealth.

DRPT’s mission is to connect and improve the quality of life for all Virginians with innovative transportation solutions. Our vision is a connected Commonwealth with an integrated multimodal network that serves every person, every business, and every need. DRPT’s Six-Year Improvement Program provides funding for rail and public transportation initiatives across the Commonwealth, enabling Virginia’s rail and public transportation network to thrive. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up to get Data Stories directly in your inbox! Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Follow Us