Moore Square Bus Station Relocation— Is It Time?

By Lauren Kruchten & Gina Stephens

Inside the push to rethink Downtown’s transit hub

It’s clear to Downtown Raleigh stakeholders that the current situation at the Moore Square Bus Station (now formally known as the GoRaleigh Station) has moved beyond an efficiency issue and become a significant impediment to DTR’s growth. While the station itself has no residents, its role as an unintended “hub” for nonriders is linked to rising crime and safety concerns that spill over into surrounding retail and restaurant corridors—prompting conversations around its future.

The transit system itself is essential to the community. Having seen a 42% increase in ridership from fall 2024 to fall 2025, it is now the second-fastest-growing transit agency in the U.S., according to the American Public Transportation Association. The station is critical to Raleigh residents who depend on it for access to food, jobs, health care and community—resources that simply wouldn’t be available to them without transit. 

“It also brings diversity and energy into Downtown,” says Maggie Kane, founder and executive director of A Place at the Table, “and from our perspective, strong, well-supported transit is essential to a thriving and inclusive Raleigh.” 

That said, the Moore Square station is both a lifeline and a challenge. 

“Some guests have shared that the bus station can feel chaotic or overwhelming at times, especially during long waits, extreme weather or crowded moments,” adds Kane. “When things feel chaotic, it can make it harder for people to feel comfortable riding the bus—or even spending time Downtown.” 

Last year alone, the City of Raleigh and Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) spent over $1 million on private security to supplement the police department—a massive expense for a single address that reportedly receives more police calls than any other in the city. Those funds, combined with minimal or no “choice riders” (people riding by choice rather than need) suggest it may finally be time for a new model—whether that means shifting to multiple hubs instead of a single central system, or building a safer, better-designed station elsewhere Downtown. 

Built in 1988, the Moore Square station was designed as a centralized Downtown hub for the city’s original Capital Area Transit system when Raleigh was expanding transit and needed a single place for routes to converge and passengers to transfer easily. Moore Square made sense at the time—it was already a high-traffic area for pedestrians, businesses and cultural destinations. But it was a different Raleigh back then—and the city’s population has since doubled.

“The station and location were great when we were just a municipal city that closed at 5 o’clock, but that’s not Raleigh anymore,” says Matt Coleman, DRA board member and owner of The Davie, located just a couple blocks from the Moore Square station. “We need to take a different approach to how we structure the bus station.”

From his vantage point, Coleman is an eye witness to the challenges and crime surrounding the transit center. While he acknowledges the situation has improved, he agrees it’s time to make a real change—potentially with a new bus station elsewhere Downtown—arguing that private security isn’t sustainable. 

Downtown Raleigh Alliance President and CEO Bill King agrees that something has to be done. “It’s not working,” he emphasizes, adding DRA spends a great deal of man hours and resources on the bus station and Moore Square.

In 2023, crime near the transit center became impossible to ignore—and, in response, the city beefed up security. The city entered into a three-year, $3+ million contract for armed security inside the station during operating hours. Meanwhile DRA was spending an additional ~$350K a year on private security to supplement patrols outside the station and throughout the Downtown core, until that work was folded into its Ambassador team, King tells RM. 

Despite an increase in security, crime at the transit center has continued to rise year-over-year—averaging ~13 incidents per month last year alone. Instances of assault jumped from 27 in 2019 to 96 in 2025; sexual offenses increased from one to six; and robbery rose from one to 10.

“There are so many levels, so many corners, so many dark spots—it’s the perfect place if you’re a bad actor to make your home base, your launching pad,” says local developer Gregg Sandreuter of HM Partners (400H, Skyhouse). “And so by closing Moore Square Bus Station, it doesn’t solve crime Downtown, but what it would do is deny bad actors an easy place to stage their bad actions.”

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In an ongoing effort to reduce crime and improve public safety Downtown, RPD Chief Rico Boyce established the Hospitality District in May 2025—a four-by-five block area stretching from Morgan Street to the north, Lenoir Street to the south, Person Street to the east, and Salisbury Street to the west—with a dedicated captain, lieutenant, and several sergeants and officers focused on increasing safety, visibility
and engagement.

“A lot of resources from RPD alone are put into securing the GoRaleigh Station,” says Boyce. “We are spending a lot on those resources. Twenty officers for a small geographical footprint is a lot, but that’s what’s needed to keep that area safe.”

Despite significant investments from RPD, the city and DRA, the transit center continues to face ongoing crime. On Jan. 6, around 5pm, a suspect was arrested and charged after allegedly pointing and swinging a machete at another person. Less than a month later, another person was stabbed inside the station and taken to the hospital.

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Although the station received a major renovation in February 2016—including an expanded bus platform and enhanced lighting and security—stakeholders say the design is now outdated and virtually impossible to secure. 

With multiple access points along Wilmington, Blount, East Hargett and East Martin streets, the station remains physically open even after bus service ends at 11:30pm daily (11pm Sundays). By contrast, the new GoTriangle Station across town has only two entrances, both gated when the center is closed.

“The [new GoTriangle Station] was designed with some thought,” says King. “The Moore Square station lacks a lot of that, and that leads to a lot of the challenges. There are some people going there who may have used the bus to get there, or they might not have—they might just be there because the space is very difficult to secure.”

Beyond infrastructure, there’s also a general lack of appeal surrounding the station. “That building is not designed well,” insists Carly Jones, CEO of nearby Artspace. “It has become an eyesore, a place that people avoid—certainly families. Folks like us that constantly have events for families, that’s one of the things we hear about.” 

Chief Boyce has heard the concerns and acknowledges it’s an old structure with a lot of nooks and crannies. “If I had the resources to build a new transit mall I would,” he adds. “It’s a challenge to physically secure based on how it’s built.”

Beyond being a primary source of instability Downtown, Raleigh’s transit model is increasingly misaligned with how people move around the city. At the center of the problem is the hub-and-spoke framework itself, which routes riders traveling across the city—say, from West Raleigh to Triangle Town Center—through the Moore Square station to transfer buses, even when their destination lies well outside Downtown. 

The location compounds the issue. Buses must funnel in and out via East Martin and East Hargett streets—narrow roadways that date back to the city’s 18th century origin. As bus volume has increased, those constrained access points have become chokeholds, contributing to delays and congestion.

“We’re a growing city and we need transit that reflects that,” says Jones—“and right now we’re playing catchup, and we’re not playing it quickly. The growth of the city is outpacing the solutions. In order to be able to continue to do what we do and serve our citizens here in Raleigh, we have to have transit that works. It’s just a basic need.” 

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You can’t talk Raleigh transportation without talking about Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Touted as a faster, more efficient commuter option, the city and county are fully invested in the model, which will connect outside Moore Square station. But BRT’s success in cutting down on car traffic is dependent on choice riders, stresses Sandreuter.

“What I’ve woken up to is the notion that the BRT system is actually threatened by the Moore Square Bus Station,” he adds. “If this new system has to go through there, it’ll be uncomfortable enough to encourage people to just stay in their car. So I think they will fall short on achieving their ridership potential—which means they’ll fall short on achieving their mobility potential.” 

Beyond crime concerns, conditions at the transit center have had ripple effects on nearby businesses and the broader perception of Downtown.

According to recent data from DRA, Downtown has rebounded to 93.8%* of prepandemic foot traffic and 111% of 2019 sales, while Moore Square District lags behind at 82%* and 76%**, respectively.

“The way the bus station is currently set up, it’s setting businesses up for failure,” says Coleman. “Business owners have to spend a lot more time working with the police department than on their business to keep things safe.”

To wit, Sandreuter argues that “Downtown’s future renaissance—its ability to have another urban rebirth—will not happen with the Moore Square Bus Station in place.”

For some longtime Downtown operators, the strain has already reached a breaking point. Ashley Christensen recently closed her longtime South Wilmington Street restaurant Beasley’s. “Downtown has evolved in unexpected ways since the pandemic,” she said in her closing announcement. “While we’ve seen encouraging growth, the current Beasley’s model no longer fits into the new landscape.”

While the city maintains there is no plan to relocate the Moore Square station at this point, DTR stakeholders continue to push for change. Coleman argues that “it would be very beneficial to bring vibrancy back to Downtown for that bus station to close and move.”

Kane echoes the notion: “If a redesigned station within Downtown improves rider experience and safety, and better integrates support services, that’s good on my end. What matters most is that any change centers [around] the people who rely on it, while also supporting Downtown businesses and organizations.”

And stakeholders agree that the need for change is imminent. The question becomes how do we do it—and how do we do it quickly. 

Sandreuter has done the math, and—with time—closing the current bus station and building a new one would largely pay for itself. 

For instance, he suggests a $20 million transportation bond as one workable path forward to purchase a new site and build a new station. Selling the existing Moore Square property could bring in ~$12 million, leaving $8 million in bonds to be serviced. A new development on the site, he says, would likely generate upward of a half-million dollars in property tax revenue to the city, which—combined with  savings from reduced security costs—could cover original investment.

“This won’t pay for itself immediately,” maintains Sandreuter. “But in four years it all works out—[the city] has to make the investment.” 

With the current transit station gone, the developer says the ripple effects could extend well beyond Moore Square. “You’ll have people investing in their properties, new businesses opening and more land assemblages,” he predicts. He adds that renewed perceptions of cleanliness and safety could also draw residents from outside Downtown back to the city core—whether for dinner or even to rent an apartment. 

Most importantly, Sandreuter emphasizes the move wouldn’t harm anyone, cost people their jobs, force businesses to close or displace residents. “What I do see,” he says, “is the displacement of bad actors.”

All signs point to the need for a next step. A formal audit would allow city leaders to assess the Moore Square Bus Station’s realities—its design, safety challenges and rider needs—alongside long-term solutions. With City Council already considering a transportation bond, the timing is ideal for a more honest conversation about whether rethinking Raleigh’s transit system could help move Downtown forward while better supporting the people it exists to serve.

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Comparable Cities

Cities across the country facing similar challenges around their central bus stations have taken varying approaches to address them.

Nashville, Tenn.
As part of its transportation improvement initiative Choose How You Move, Nashville is reworking how buses move through the city by redirecting routes that currently funnel through WeGo Central. The plan includes building multiple new transit centers, allowing some routes to bypass downtown altogether—saving riders time and easing congestion. 

Columbus, Ohio
After shuttering its downtown Greyhound station in 2023, Columbus briefly shifted operations to a temporary site on the city’s west side—an arrangement that drew complaints about crime, traffic and noise. Greyhound moved back downtown earlier this year, just a few blocks from its original location—so far with no major issues.

Houston, Texas
Houston opted for a systemwide reset. About a decade ago, the city scrapped its hub-and-spoke model in favor of a grid-based bus network, redrawing routes from scratch to improve connectivity. Popular routes were consolidated, underused lines eliminated, and riders gained more direct paths across the city. 

*Placer.AI; **Wake County Tax Assessor data