The 2020 General Assembly in the Biennial Budget directed the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) to “evaluate enhanced public transportation services from the City of Roanoke to the Town of Clifton Forge for the purposes of enhanced connectivity to existing Amtrak service, including the potential ridership, cost, and feasibility of multimodal transportation options along the Interstate 81 and U.S. Route 220 corridors. The Department shall complete its investigation and report to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee no later than June 30, 2021." However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the General Assembly extended the study’s deadline to June 30, 2022.

As part of this study, DRPT analyzed existing and possible travel options between the City of Roanoke and the Town of Clifton Forge by evaluating trip time, trip distance, hours of availability, and ridership. Highway and non-highway modes were analyzed.