Alerts • News • Information

All the news & service alerts from City of Rocky Mount's Tar River Transit

Transit Service Alerts

Scheduling Change – Rural General Public (RGP) and Night Shuttle Programs

Rural General Public (RGP) – Starting 10/6/2025, all schedules for the Rural General Public program must be made by 12:00 pm the day prior to your trip. Trip reservations for Mondays must be made by 12:00 pm the previous Friday.

Night Shuttle – Starting 10/6/2025, all schedules for the Night Shuttle program must be made by 12:00 pm the evening of your trip. Trip reservations for Monday evenings must be made by 12:00 pm the previous Friday.

Veterans Ride for Half Price Starting July 1

Beginning July 1, 2025, Tar River Transit will offer U.S. military veterans half-price fares on all Fixed Route services. Eligible veterans can ride for just $0.60 by presenting valid military or veteran credentials at the time of boarding.

This new fare policy reflects the City of Rocky Mount’s ongoing commitment to honoring those who have served in the armed forces. By improving transit access, the city aims to better connect veterans with medical appointments, job opportunities, and community resources.

Veterans must provide proper identification to receive the reduced fare. For more information, call 252-972-1555.

Tar River Transit announces Ride TRT - mobile, contactless ticketing

The city of Rocky Mount’s Tar River Transit has partnered with Modeshift to announce Ride TRT, a new contactless fare collection system for transit riders. The new system will be available July 1, 2025 on a majority of the transit fleet, marking a major step forward for the fixed-route bus system.

“This launch of Ride TRT is a significant milestone in modernizing public transit in Rocky Mount,” said City Manager Elton Daniels. “By allowing riders to pay with a smartphone or reloadable smart card, we’re making Tar River Transit more convenient, more efficient and better aligned with the needs of today’s passengers.”

Modeshift is a leading provider of contactless fare collection systems. The account-based fare collection system will empower Ride TRT with real-time data insights and enable cashless options for faster boarding.

“With Tar River Transit joining our growing network of transit partners, we’re thrilled to bring digital fare solutions to Rocky Mount,” said Miroslav Katsarov, CEO of Modeshift. “Our goal is to empower agencies like TRT with scalable tools that serve both riders and transit staff, ultimately creating a more inclusive and sustainable transportation ecosystem.”

Key Features of the New Fare Collection System:

Mobile Ticketing: Riders will be able to plan, purchase, and validate trips using their smartphones via TRT’s free app, which will be available for iOS and Android.
Smart Cards: Reloadable fare cards will be available for those without mobile devices, providing a convenient option to pay and ride.
Web Portal: Riders will also have access to online trip planning, fare purchases and account management from any internet-connected device.
Smart Pay Accounts: Passengers can create personalized profiles to manage favorite routes, view transaction history and reload passes easily.
Data-Driven Insights: The digital platform will equip TRT with valuable data to optimize routes, improve decision-making and deliver a more responsive transit system.
Automated Vehicle Locator Capabilities – Riders will have the ability to track vehicles in real-time utilizing TRT’s free app, which will be available for download on iOS and Android.

“Ride TRT will give our riders access to more convenient, flexible and modern tools to navigate our city’s transit system,” said Todd Gardner, Tar River Transit Administrator. “By streamlining our fare collection process, we will improve the rider experience and build more efficient operations behind the scenes.”

Ride TRT will focus on TRT’s fixed route buses, giving riders easier ways to plan trips, buy tickets and board using a smartphone or a reloadable smart card.

Tar River Transit Upcoming Holidays

Tar River Transit will be closed and transit will NOT run on the following days to observe the holidays

Friday, July 4 – Independence Day

Monday, Sept. 1 – Labor Day

Tuesday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day

Thursday – Saturday, Nov. 27 and 29 – Thanksgiving

Wednesday – Saturday, Dec. 24 – 27 – Christmas

Thursday, Jan 1, 2026 – New Years Day

Transit Service Alerts

Scheduling Change - Rural General Public (RGP) and Night Shuttle Programs

Rural General Public (RGP) – Starting 9/1/2023, all schedules for the Rural General Public program must be made by 2:00 pm the day prior to your trip. Trip reservations for Mondays must be made by 2:00 pm the previous Friday.

Night Shuttle – Starting 9/1/2023, all schedules for the Night Shuttle program must be made by 2:00 pm the evening of your trip. Trip reservations for Monday evenings must be made by 2:00 pm the previous Friday.

Face Masks No Longer Required on Transit

Effective immediately, wearing a face mask on Tar River Transit is not mandatory but instead your personal choice.

No Cost Transportation To get the COVID-19 Vaccine

Available to and from COVID-19 vaccination appointments in Nash and Edgecombe Counties, Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Call one day in advance to schedule a pick-up:
252-972-1174
252-972-1514
252-972-1515
252-972-1516
252-972-1517
Available Now!

News

Coronavirus Awareness and Prevention

Tar River Transit Is Taking Active Measures to Maintain a Safe Environment

We are committed to keeping our customers and employees safe and will follow all recommendations from health officials. We encourage our community to seek out and follow updates and instructions from the Nash and Edgecombe County Public Health Department to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Full Notice on Safety from Disease on Tar River Transit

Read notice to learn how Tar River Transit is maintaining a safe environment and your role to prevent the spread of communicable diseases

Read information at NCDHHS for updates on COVID-19

Safe Road Conditions - Operations Policy

Tar River Transit Operation’s Safety Measures

Tar River Transit will not operate vehicles when there are unsafe road conditions. TRT’s concern is for the safety of its riders and employees. While every effort will be made to operate vehicles according to published schedules, weather conditions may cause roads to be unsafe or impassable.