First Uptick in Bus Service after Sales Tax Increase

GoRaleigh bus along Martin Street

I’m posting this here purely for posterity. If you didn’t see it recently, bus service is starting to expand, including changes on the weekends. This comes as a direct result from the one-half cent sales tax increase that was voted on in the Fall of 2016.

Go GoRaleigh!

Starting Aug. 6, GoRaleigh will:

  • Increase Sunday service to Saturday levels, with the exception of no departures after 11 p.m. on Sundays.
  • Increase frequency on Route 7, which runs along South Saunders Street, to every 15 minutes Monday through Friday.
  • Add Sunday service to Route 3 along Glascock Street, Route 10 along Longview and Route 15L to Trawick Road. Route 31 to New Hope Commons will drop Sunday service, however.

GoTriangle improvements include:

  • Increasing frequency on Route 100 between the GoRaleigh Station and the Regional Transit Center (RTC) in Durham to every 30 minutes Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and starting at 6:40 a.m. Saturday. Route 100 stops at N.C. State University and RDU before continuing to the RTC, where riders can catch a GoTriangle Route 700 bus to Durham or a Route 800 bus to Chapel Hill.
  • Adding midday trips, Saturday trips and new night and Sunday service between Raleigh and Cary on Route 300.

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9 Comments

  1. I look forward to seeing if we’ll also see an uptick in the actual number of riders due to these changes. Does anyone know if there an “release ” timetable for future bus service expansion for the whole GoTriangle or GoRaleigh service?

  2. I’m happy to see improvements but it’s still not enough. We need to invest further as a community.

    I would happily commute to work using the bus system and my bike if it was reasonable. Right now, GoRaleigh estimated my trip from Capital at Calvary Dr to Lake Boone Trail would be 90 minutes each way. It’s currently 15 mins by car to go the 8 miles.

    Buses should arrive every 5-10 minutes and there should be more route options.

    Either that or we’ll have to invest in rail, which I’m fine with as well. But, I really would like to see better public transportation.

  3. I fully agree with Paul…I too would love to see more improvements to Go Raleigh and Go Triangle transit Buses. I will give up driving so that I can commute to Work Everyday. I work in Morrisville and it takes me 20 minutes by Car, I would like to see the same time by Bus. I had to take my car to the shop and ride the Bus to work, it took me almost two Hours getting to work and back home. Honestly The State should invest heavy in Rail, Raleigh is growing at a steady pace and if Better Bus improvements do not increase you are going to have a nightmare on the Highways. I just cant see why people would rather drive than take Mass Transit, where is the logic in that. I too would really like to see Better Transit, Bus Shelters throughout the City w/maps showing where they are, and Better weekend service, not Bits and pieces of it.

  4. This is probably the best place for me to post this. I’m looking to buy a house in the next 12 months and plan on working in downtown Raleigh for at least the next 10 years. Problem is that downtown prices are out of my price range (max 350). I know there are some houses east of downtown that are that price but right now I just can’t imagine living in that area. I’d like to live in a nicerish area. I don’t mind taking the bus either as long as the ride/wait is under 30 minutes. In a perfect world I’d live near downtown Cary and take a rail line but who knows when that will happen. What would y’all recommend?

  5. I’m happy to see increases in bus service. This is a step in the right direction. To maintain and improve efficiency we must continue investing in transit and implementing development that supports it.

  6. William, Properties can and do come up for sale but you are right, finding a detached home in that price range in the high end areas of downtown/ITB can be a challenge. You may have to sacrifice and put some sweat equity info a fixer to get your location at that price. Or look a little farther out. But if you are set up with the local MLS system you can watch the market and see your options over time and be alerted the moment new properties come on the market that fit your criteria. Since it sounds like you have 12 months, you will have time to observe and wait for some potential properties to surface. I would bee happy to help. Been selling real estate for over 10 years locally.

  7. Paul & Maverick,

    The improvements that Leo posted about here are just the very first (read: easily implemented) improvements to the bus system as part of the $1B+ Wake Transit Plan. If you read it, there will be some 20 miles of true BRT service and another 60 miles of frequent bus service, where a bus will come in 15 mins or less – all day. These improvements and additions will be implemented over the next 10 years.

    As a daily user of the GoRaleigh Bus system, these improvements should drastically improve the ‘usability’ of the system. Mid-day frequency improvements and frequent service across the city are a game changer for the usefulness of the system at large. Most of the challenges that you have alluded to can and will be addressed by the planned improvements.

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