Freedom Riders NM seeks public comment on Bus Burning Site

News Release Date:
September 5, 2024

Contact:Patrick Gamman

Contact:William Karlovetz

ANNISTON, AL - On September 9, Freedom Riders National Monument will launch public commenting on preliminary management and development concepts for a Master Plan for the Bus Burning Site, six miles west of Anniston, Alabama along Old Birmingham Highway. The site is the location where, on May 14, 1961, a Greyhound bus carrying Freedom Riders seeking to desegregate interstate public transportation was viciously attacked and set ablaze.

Initial public commenting on preliminary master plan concepts will open from September 9 to October 9, and include opportunities to submit written comments and participate in public open houses. An informational newsletter will be available for review and comment at the project website beginning September 9: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/FRRI_Bus_Burning_Plan. "We are pleased to offer this opportunity for the public to provide early input on future development and management at the Bus Burning Site," said acting Superintendent Patrick Gamman. "Since the park's establishment in 2017, the National Park Service (NPS) has worked closely with park partners to identify opportunities to provide quality visitor experiences and thoughtful commemoration and interpretation of the Freedom Rides and Freedom Riders at the Bus Burning Site. Feedback we gather from the public and stakeholders during this planning process will help us know if we are on the right track, and where improvements might be needed."

Public open house sessions will be held in Anniston to discuss preliminarily ideas about the master plan on September 24 at the Greyhound Bus Station in Anniston, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the Anniston City Meeting Center (Room C), from 4 to 7 p.m. The meetings will follow an open house format; there will be no formal presentation during the meeting. The public is welcome to arrive and meet with park staff and NPS planners at any time during the meeting hours. During the meetings, NPS staff will explain the plan process, collect public comments on the draft concepts for the site, showcase methods for further public comment, and answer participants' questions. More information about the meeting locations and format can be found on the project website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/FRRI_Bus_Burning_Plan.

Beginning on September 9, written comments may be submitted by visiting https://parkplanning.nps.gov/FRRI_Bus_Burning_Plan and selecting "Open for Comment" on the left menu bar and selecting "Preliminary Concepts Newsletter."

Written comments may also be submitted by mail to:

National Park Service
Denver Service Center
Attn: Freedom Riders NM Plan / Charles Lawson
1 Denver Federal Center, Building 50
Denver, CO 80225

Written comments on the initial phase of the plan must be submitted online or postmarked by October 9 to be considered. Additional opportunities for commenting and public engagement will be offered throughout the project.

About the Freedom Riders National Monument Bus Burning Site Master Plan

Freedom Riders National Monument was designated on January 12, 2017, through Presidential Proclamation 9566. As a new unit of the national park system, the national monument is developing a master plan for the management and development of the Bus Burning Site in Calhoun County, Alabama. The document will identify the park's long-term goals and will guide visitor experience, management, park facilities development and park operations at the Bus Burning Site for the next 20 years and beyond. Once developed, the Bus Burning Site will serve visitors as the second of two primary venues managed by the national monument, the other being the historic Greyhound Bus Station in downtown Anniston. Work is ongoing to improve the visitor experience and exhibits at the Bus Station in a separate process.

Consultation and coordination among partner organizations and key stakeholders is vitally important to this planning process, and successful implementation of the park's future plans will depend on continued coordinated efforts with partners.

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