Research Triangle Park, NC (March 11, 2019) – A new North Raleigh express bus route, more park-and-ride lots and a move toward mobile ticketing and free rides for those over age 65 are some of the highlights of GoTriangle’s next package of proposed service improvements as we go forward with our community investment in transit.
The proposed changes will provide more connections and easier ways to use transit in Wake, Durham and Orange counties. The community can review and comment on GoTriangle’s fiscal year 2020 proposals here starting today through March 29.
The feedback will be incorporated into final recommendations that will be presented to the GoTriangle Board of Trustees in April. If approved, most of these service changes would be implemented Aug. 4, 2019.
“Giving our community the opportunity to help shape their investment as we implement the transit plans they voted for is an important part of our work,” says Mike Charbonneau, director of Marketing and Communications at GoTriangle. “It’s exciting to look back on all the ways we’ve worked together to make transit more accessible and better connect the region since Orange, Durham and Wake counties approved transit-designated investments, and we’re looking forward to the coming changes that will be the next steps in having a unified regional transit network.”
The proposals for fiscal year 2020, which starts July 1, include:
New routes/park-and-ride lots
- North Raleigh Express (NRX) – The new express route on I-540 will run at peak times along Interstate 540 from Triangle Town Center to the Regional Transit Center, where riders can catch other GoTriangle buses to Durham and Chapel Hill if needed. A second park-and-ride is being offered at Bent Hill Shopping Center on Falls of Neuse Road. This route would replace Route 201 service.
- 310W – This new route would run between the Wake Tech RTP Campus and the Regional Transit Center on weekdays every 30 minutes. In 2020, when the McCrimmon Parkway extension is finished, the route would be extended to connect to the Cary Depot serving Morrisville and the Wake Tech RTP campus with service every 30 minutes during peak hours and every 60 minutes during midday and evenings.
- FRX – A new park-and-ride lot at Wake Tech’s southern campus will be directly served by GoTriangle’s FRX express route to and from Fuquay-Varina. This lot will replace the current Hilltop Shopping Center Park-and-Ride Lot.
Other general changes
- Chapel Hill-Raleigh Express (CRX) – Schedule changes
- Durham-Raleigh Express (DRX) – More trips and other schedule changes
- 102 – Replace with GoRaleigh Route 20, an all-day weekday route with hourly service (September implementation)
- Knightdale-Raleigh Express (KRX) – Replace with GoRaleigh Route 33, an all-day weekday route with hourly service (September implementation)
Fare changes
In an effort to improve the passenger experience, increase pass distribution and better coordinate among transit agencies, GoTriangle, GoRaleigh and GoCary are working to make fare pricing structures, policies and fare technology offerings (mobile ticketing) consistent across agencies.
- Seniors 65 and older will ride free.
- Regional and express fares will be the same.
- Mobile ticketing is planned for early 2020.
RTP service changes
- Go OnDemand services will be discontinued and replaced with “Transit Connect.” Transit Connect will provide up to $10 per trip for customers transferring to or from a public transit route within a designated RTP zone.
- Route 311 will be realigned to serve Kit Creek Road and Davis Drive.
GoTriangle’s public involvement staff members will be popping up at transit stations and popular bus stops throughout the public comment period to talk about the plans and to give riders a chance to offer feedback as well.
Plan a trip using GoTriangle transit services at gotriangle.org.