‘Safety Is Always First’: Safety concerns prompt bus service change at South Crater Road

PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- The City of Petersburg announced the discontinuation of the Route 1 Walnut Hill bus stop at the Family Dollar at 2803 South Crater Road.

The city announced the discontinuation in a social media post on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

"The route revision was not originally designed to cover the stop," the post reads. "The operators were instructed to service the stop due to the already passing location."

The bus service was assigned that stop to aid the Route 6 bus because it was experiencing strain. Since then, Route 1 has seen significant ridership growth which called for larger 35-foot or 40-foot buses to accommodate the increasing passenger count.

"The length of the bus has made it difficult and unsafe for the operators to enter back into traffic and maintain the needed lane for the next left onto E. South Boulevard," a spokesperson explained.

Passengers who regularly use this stop will now need to use the Q-Beauty stop located at the intersection of S. Crater Road and Morton Avenue, which will serve as the last stop for Route 1.

"Safety Is Always First," the City of Petersburg emphasized in their announcement.