Raleigh to close GoRaleigh station entrance in response to safety concerns
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The pedestrian entrance to GoRaleigh station on Wilmington Street in downtown Raleigh. Photo: Zachery Eanes/Axios
The city of Raleigh plans to permanently close the Wilmington Street pedestrian entrance to the GoRaleigh bus station next week.
Why it matters: The closure of the entrance is part of an effort, city leaders say, to address what they call real and perceived safety issues occurring at the downtown bus station.
Driving the news: The city will install a black, chain-link fence on either end of a pedestrian tunnel that connects Wilmington Street to the ticketing area inside of the station starting Aug. 26, a city spokesperson said.
- The fencing is being described as a permanent closure of the throughway and a way to reduce the number of entrances and exits to the station.
Zoom in: Captain Matthew Chestnut, of the Raleigh Police Department, told Axios that having multiple exits across the sprawling bus station often strains police resources.
- The Wilmington Street entrance in particular, he added, has become a busy gathering spot for people, many of whom might not be using the bus system.
- "The police department is having to split resources to be there on Wilmington Street and in the tunnel and on the [bus] platforms and in Moore Square," he said. "By limiting that, it cuts out the loitering that's going on, we're hoping."
State of play: The bus station — a vital cog in the Triangle's busiest bus system and one of the busiest parts of downtown — has become a lightning rod for criticism from residents and local business.
- There were 97 assaults reported at the bus station complex in 2025, The News & Observer notes, higher than before the pandemic. So far this year, there have been 41 assaults reported at the station, according to Raleigh Police data.
- In response, the city has beefed up patrols by police, added private security and upgraded security cameras and lighting.
What they're saying: Evan Raleigh, an assistant city manager for Raleigh, said the closure was a continuation of the city's efforts to improve safety.
- While the fencing is being described as permanent, he said, the city can still reverse course, depending on its results.
- "Ultimately the biggest measure of success is … less calls for service to the station," Raleigh said.
- "I think equally, and maybe even more important," he added, "is how the users of the station feel when they have to come through [it] and how people that just happen to work in the area or frequent the area … feel."
What's next: In addition to the new fencing, the city of Raleigh is studying what other design or safety features could be added to the bus station, which was last renovated in 2016.
- But the results of that study likely won't be ready for publication this year, city staff said.