News Release
Image Credit: NPS/Kevin Chandler
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ANNISTON, AL – On August 25, Freedom Riders National Monument releases and launches public commenting on the Master Plan and Environmental Assessment 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.
Public commenting on the Master Plan and Environmental Assessment is open from August 25 to September 24, 2025, and will include opportunities to submit written comments and participate in a public meeting to learn about the plan and provide comments directly to park planners. The NPS encourages the public to download and review the Master Plan and Environmental Assessment at the project website. Comments must be submitted online or postmarked by September 24, 2025.
A public meeting will be held at the national monument’s historic Greyhound Bus Depot site at 1031 Gurnee Avenue in Anniston on Tuesday, September 9th, from 6pm to 7:30pm. During the meeting, NPS staff will explain the planning process and content of the Master Plan and Environmental Assessment, discuss next steps for future implementation of the plan, collect public comments on the plan, and discuss methods for further public comment. The event will also include a presentation on the lasting impact of the Freedom Rides and reflection about the park’s planning effort by Freedom Rider Carol Ruth Silver, author of Freedom Rider Diary - Smuggled Notes from Parchman Prison. More information about the meeting and format can be found on the project website.
Written comments may be submitted by visiting the project website and selecting “Open for Comment” on the left menu bar and selecting “Bus Burning Site Master Plan and Environmental Assessment.” They 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
Last updated: August 26, 2025