GoRaleigh is temporarily suspending the R-Line Downtown Circulator route starting Aug. 9 because of low ridership.

The R-Line links popular downtown areas like the Raleigh Convention Center, State Capitol Building, and Seaboard Station. 

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According to a recent memo from Raleigh's city manager's office, the R-Line averages 5,000 monthly trips, down from a peak average of 30,000, and has seen a 50% decline in ridership compared to pre-pandemic levels. 

"Mobility options have expanded significantly. Recent data shows that scooter and bikeshare trips now total approximately 30,000 trips per month – closely mirroring the ridership loss observed on the R-Line," the memo said. 

The pause is set to last up to 18 months while city staff evaluate downtown mobility needs. Staff will also promote bikeshare, scooters, and other GoRaleigh routes during the pause, according to the memo. 

"City staff are going to go through that. They're going to figure out where people are coming/going, where the promising numbers are; they have their way going through that. I'm sure they're going to come up with a way to make it better," Executive Director of the Regional Transportation Alliance Joe Milazzo said.

It comes as GoRaleigh is seeing a systemwide bump in riders. The transit system reports that ridership increased more than 73% in Fiscal Year 2025 compared to the prior year. 

Elsewhere, the Raleigh leaders are spending millions on new Bus Rapid Transit routes along four corridors in the city. 

"Compared to any other city in the two Carolinas, it's the largest. The only cities larger in the entire southeast with more frequent service mileage would be metropolitan Atlanta, and southeast Florida," Milazzo said of GoRaleigh's system. 

GoRaleigh previously suspended free R-Line service in February 2021. When it returned, transit officials implemented a $1.25 per person single ride fare. 

A spokesperson for the City of Raleigh's transportation department said the latest R-Line suspension will not displace any GoRaleigh staff or equipment.

"All buses will be reassigned to other GoRaleigh service, and staff will be transitioned to other routes as needed," a spokesperson said in an email to WRAL.