Ingredients for better bus stops: hard work, skill and regional cooperation
Anyone who has waited for a bus in the heat or cold, rain or dark knows that when it comes to bus stops, amenities – like a covered shelter and lights – matter. For many years, GoTriangle, the regional transit authority, has been working to build and improve the network of bus stops across Durham, Wake, and Orange counties to get travelers where they need to go in safety and comfort.
Bus stop improvements continue to be a valued and expanding program throughout the Triangle, says GoTriangle Senior Engineer-Construction Willie Reid. After conducting field surveys, GoTriangle hires contractors to improve or build stops where needs exist and monitors the projects through completion, he says.
“It’s an ongoing process,” Reid says. “We look forward to more ways we can help our partners as well as the community.”
Since 2018, GoTriangle has built 172 bus stops in Wake, Durham, and Orange counties, and many more stops are in the pipeline. GoTriangle has jurisdiction to build or improve its own bus stops spread across several counties as well as GoDurham bus stops funded by the Durham Transit Plan. Although bus stops seem simple to build, they’re not, because a number of factors have to align. Getting a stop built or improved may require the approval of private individuals and governmental agencies. Before a stop can be built, GoTriangle looks at a number of factors, including anticipated ridership and whether there is adequate space to provide access to people with disabilities. Despite the obstacles, putting bus stops in the right place can make a world of difference to the communities they serve, as the recently constructed Woodcroft Parkway bus stops in Durham illustrate.
Funded by the Durham Transit Plan, the Woodcroft Shopping Center bus stops located near the intersection of NC 751 and Woodcroft Parkway are the result of GoTriangle’s coordination with the property owner, the City of Durham, the NC Department of Transportation and Duke Energy. Improvements to these bus stops were constructed in 2024 to serve the nearby shopping center and residential communities. The stop includes a new transit bus shelter and trash receptacle, added concrete sidewalk, a newly installed safety handrail along with a new installed crosswalk. It is located near a park-and-ride lot that serves passengers traveling to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Hospitals.
“Durham Transit Plan dollars, in particular, are delivering a project that is a complete package of bus stops: the park-and-ride access as well as access to the shopping center and nearby apartments,” says GoTriangle Service Planning Manager Jay Heikes.
For UNC and the local community, the primary benefit is an ADA-accessible, safe way to access the bus stops and a comfortable place to wait for the bus.
“It will also provide improved access to transit service for residents who do not live within walking distance to a bus stop through the park-and-ride, providing improved travel options for students, employees, patients and visitors to UNC. Without this park-and-ride, the other option is to drive farther, through traffic, to park-and-rides at Southpoint or in Chapel Hill,” Heikes says.
To bring about the Woodcroft Bus Stop, GoTriangle’s Planning and Capital Development, Real Estate, and Operations staff worked with staff at the City of Durham departments of Transportation, Water Management, Stormwater, Public Works, and Planning. The N.C. Department of Transportation and Duke Energy employees were also involved.
“This site was particularly tricky given the presence of a floodplain, a stormwater culvert, a sewer line, and steep slopes—necessitating the safety handrail at the eastbound bus stop. [There were overhead electric power lines, and an in-design project [was required] to improve the intersection of NC 751 and Woodcroft Parkway and extend Woodcroft Parkway,” Heikes says.
How can a bus stop requested?
Anyone can request a bus stop be created or improved by calling 919-485-RIDE to make your request to the Regional Information Center that serves all transit agencies in the Triangle. In the summer of 2022, a student at Riverside High School put in a request for seating at bus stop 6607, located on Rose of Sharon Road in front of the high school. What followed shows the difference one student made for others at the school, says GoTriangle Transportation Planner Ruiqi (Bonnie) Guo.
“Collaborating with Durham Public Schools, our bus stop improvement team identified an optimal location for seating and future amenities and decided to relocate the bus stop in front of the baseball field,” Guo says. “The team visited the site and determined the type of seating that could be provided, considering the limited sidewalk width. After coordinating with various internal and external departments, two two-seat benches were installed in front of the school during the first quarter of 2023.”
But the benches are just a temporary solution, says GoTriangle Senior Engineer-Design Bong Vang, noting that GoTriangle is working on improving the stop further.
“We have completed design of the Riverside High School bus stop and submitted it to City of Durham for construction permit and then final approval from NCDOT,” he says. “We will provide a bus shelter with a bench and solar light, and there will be another solar light pole outside of the shelter.”
Interested in learning more about the Bus Stop Improvements Program? View our Bus Stop FAQs and browse our Bus Stop Improvements page for a map showing improvements since 2018.