The Winston-Salem City Council has approved a budget of $627.6 million for fiscal year 2022-23, a spending plan that includes raises for police officers, firefighters and other city employees.
Nearly 100 years ago a small business began operation in Winston-Salem. In the five decades that followed Safe Bus Company became a local fixture, and the largest transit system of its kind, in the world. Yet the story of Safe Bus remains a lesser-known portion of the city and state's history. On this episode of The WUNC Politics Podcast, Winston-Salem Transit Authority Marketing Director Tina Carson-Wilkins talks about the history of Safe Bus and recalls her memories riding on it as a teenager.
The state’s first African American-owned transportation company was formed in the mid-1920s and it continued operating until 1972 when it became part of the Winston Salem Transit Authority.
During segregation, bus routes in Winston-Salem that brought workers to the city’s major employers did not extend into Black neighborhoods. That often meant long walks to the main routes or trolley lines, until Safe Bus. The state’s first African American-owned transportation company was formed in the mid-1920s to service the East Winston community, and it continued operating until 1972 when it became part of the Winston Salem Transit Authority.