Research Triangle Park, NC AUG. 1, 2017 -- Just nine months after Wake County voters approved new investments in transit, GoRaleigh, GoCary and GoTriangle are rolling out expanded bus service that will increase access to transportation options, job opportunities and Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

The improvements, which begin Aug. 6, include adding Sunday service to all GoCary routes and increasing frequency on GoRaleigh Route 7 from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes and on GoTriangle Route 100 from hourly to every 30 minutes Monday through Friday. GoTriangle Route 100 begins at the GoRaleigh Station, stops several times at N.C. State University along Hillsborough Street and comfortably connects travelers to RDU.

All of the new service is part of the Wake County Transit Plan, which is funded with the voter-approved half-cent sales tax that went into effect April 1, a $7 vehicle registration tax and an $8 regional registration tax.

“The investments that Wake County voters approved will allow our agencies to continue to work together to create a strong regional transit system that means better access to opportunities and a better quality of life for everyone,” GoTriangle General Manager Jeff Mann said. “In addition to the expanded midday, evening and weekend bus service that starts in August, we’ll also soon be improving bus stops and adding park-and-ride options, making transit an even more viable option for nearly everyone.”

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Starting Aug. 6, GoRaleigh will:

  • Increase Sunday service to Saturday levels, with the exception of no departures after 11 p.m. 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.

“Fiscal year 2018 is an exciting year as it marks GoRaleigh’s first improvements associated with the new funding dedicated for improved transit services and infrastructure,” said David Eatman, City of Raleigh transit administrator. “GoRaleigh’s first year of improvements will include new buses, improved and expanded passenger shelters and weekend and midday service improvements. All of these improvements ranked high on our riders’ list of top priorities during our rider survey in early 2016.”

Find more information about GoRaleigh changes at goraleigh.org/news.

At GoCary, improvements include:

  • Adding Sunday service to paratransit and the agency’s six fixed routes.
  • Increasing midday frequencies to every 30 minutes on Routes 3, 4, 5 and 6 Monday through Saturday.
  • Offering students ages 13 to 18 half-price fares.

“As Cary grows, the town aims to provide access to all modes of transportation for our residents, and GoCary has continued to expand and improve right along with it,” said Ana Orlowsky, transit marketing specialist for the Town of Cary. “These extensions of service give residents access to employment, church services and community events. Our participation in the Wake County Transit Plan provides us with significant funding for the goal of managing continued growth successfully at GoCary.”

Find more information about Cary changes at townofcary.org/gocary/.

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.

To make it even easier for Wake County residents to take advantage of transit improvements and to connect with jobs, education and entertainment, GoTriangle provides numerous park-and-ride lots: two in Apex, three in Cary, two in Fuquay-Varina, two in Garner and one each in Knightdale, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon. Find maps, schedules and information about fares at gotriangle.org.

“We’re excited for our residents to begin seeing the tangible benefits of the transit plan that they helped develop,” said Wake County Board of Commissioners Chairman Sig Hutchinson, who is also a GoTriangle board member. “These improvements are just the start of a significant expansion in transit options for our growing county.”

The new service starting Aug. 6 kicks off a 10-year investment in transit that will connect all Wake County communities and increase access to frequent, reliable mobility options. Over the next decade, the Wake County Transit Plan includes:

  • Tripling bus service throughout the county.
  • Implementing bus rapid transit (BRT) in some of the most highly congested corridors. The plan involves building dedicated bus lanes on local roads so bus operators can bypass traffic and stay on schedule. Implementing BRT in Wake County also would include approximately 20 miles of BRT-related infrastructure improvements, such as raising platforms at stops so passengers with wheelchairs, strollers or bicycles can more easily board buses.
  • Building a 37-mile commuter rail transit system connecting Garner and Durham with stops that include downtown Raleigh, N.C. State University, Cary, Morrisville and Research Triangle Park. Plans call for using existing railroad tracks to provide comfortable passenger service that allows riders to skip driving during peak rush hours and relax or work on their way to key destinations.

Find a list of all Wake County Transit Plan improvements scheduled for fiscal year 2018 at bit.ly/waketransit18. More information also is available at waketransit.com. For a fun primer on how to ride the bus, check out GoTriangle’s video at bit.ly/ridethebusvideo.

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