GoDurham
GoDurham, formerly Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA), is the public transit system serving Durham, North Carolina. It was rebranded under the consolidated GoTransit branding scheme for the Research Triangle region. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 5,304,400, or about 17,000 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2022.
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![]() GoDurham #801 deadheading to Durham Station | |
Formerly | Durham Area Transit Authority |
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Founded | 1991 |
Headquarters | 1907 Fay St, Durham, NC 27704 |
Locale | Durham, North Carolina |
Service type | bus service, paratransit |
Alliance | GoTriangle |
Routes | 21 |
Hubs | Durham Station Transportation Center |
Fleet | 58 |
Daily ridership | 17,000 (weekdays, Q4 2022)[1] |
Annual ridership | 5,304,400 (2022)[1] |
Fuel type | Diesel, Hybrid, & Electric |
Operator | First Transit |
Website | godurhamtransit |
History
The City of Durham assumed the operation of the local Duke Power bus system in 1991, naming it Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA).[2]
- 1891–1902 – Durham Street Railway Co.
- 1902–1913 – Durham Traction Co.
- 1913–1921 – Durham Traction Co. (Cities Service Co.)
- 1921–1943 – Durham Public Service Co. (Cities Service Co.)
- 1930 – streetcars discontinued
- After 1943 – Duke Power Company
In 2011, DATA, along with GoTriangle began to redesign all of DATA's existing routes. This is based on the Designing Better Bus Service project, which is offered by Triangle Transit. Many wanted better service, such as on-time performance, better bus range, and enhanced bus stops. These new routes debuted in two phases. Phase One, which affected routes 1, 6, and 11 was enabled on September 29th, 2012. The rest of the routes were changed on January 9th, 2013.[3]
In 2015, as part of the GoTransit naming scheme, DATA was renamed GoDurham. Total ridership, for the fiscal year 2015 was almost 6.3 million ridership.[4] The downtown terminal was relocated to a new transportation center (Durham Station) that also serves GoTriangle and Greyhound Lines buses on February 23, 2009. The building was designed by the Freelon group.
Fares & Service Hours
Currently GoDurham is fare-free until summer 2023.
Fare Type | Single-Way | 1 Day Pass | 5 Day Pass | 7 Day Pass | 31 Day Pass |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard | $1.00 | $2.00 | $8.50 | $12.00 | $36.00 |
Discount | $0.50 | $1.00 | $4.25 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
Student | Free with a GoPass | ||||
Seniors | Free without ID |
GoDurham currently runs in three service patterns. Weekday daytime hours which runs from 5:30 am to 6:00 pm, weekday evening hours which runs from 6:00 pm to 12:30 am, and Sundays which runs from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm[5] Sunday-level service is also operated during New Years, MLK Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day[5]. There is no service on Christmas Day. Service operates on Christmas Eve, however, service ends after 7:30 pm.[5]
Fleet
The fleet livery changed throughout the years. The first livery, prior to 2003, had buses uses double blue stripes over a white body. However, with the introduction of Gillig Low Floors in 2003, buses used a white body with red, yellow, and blue stripes. However, in 2010 with the delivery of Gillig BRTs, a new livery was made, featuring a brighter color, arc scheme on the buses. Bicycle racks are fitted to the front of all buses to increase efforts for public transit. Due to the rebranding to GoDurham, the livery was changed into a gray body with blue triangles in different hues. Retrofitted buses, which are the buses before the rebranding retain the black windows. All buses delivered after 2017 lack any black windows.
Second Livery - 2010-2016 | Red, yellow, and blue arcs surrounding a white body.
GoDurham Livery - 2016-Present | Blue triangle with different hues within a gray body.Current Fleet
GoDurham's fixed-route service currently runs 58 vehicles, running on 21 routes. GoDurham currently operates Gillig Low Floor & Gillig BRT buses, They currently run diesel, hybrid and even electric buses. As part of the clean-energy program, 20 Gillig BRT Hybrids were delivered to the city in 2009-2012.[6] In 2019, as part of a order of eight electric buses, GoDurham acquired two Gillig Low Floor Plus EV buses. They were unveiled on Earth Day 2021. However, the rest of the buses are expected to arrive by 2023, to replace aging units.[7][8] This is the current fleet as of March 2023.[9]
Image | Year | Bus Name | Fleet Numbers | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
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2008 | Gillig Low Floor 40' Diesel |
801-806 Total: 6 units |
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2010 | Gillig BRT HEV 40' |
1001-1020, 1201-1204
Total: 23 units |
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2012 | ||||
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2017 | Gillig Low Floor 40' Diesel |
1701-1712 Total: 12 units |
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2018
2019 |
1801-1803, 1901-1904 Total: 7 units |
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2021 | 2103-2110 Total: 8 units |
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Gillig Low Floor Plus+ EV 40' |
2101-2102 Total: 8 units (under delivery) |
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2021
2023 |
Routes
Current Routes
The service list for GoDurham are as follows. These are the current routes as March 2023. See GoDurham site[10] for more information.
Some services are operated under the Frequent Service Network program, which provides 15-minute service during daytime hours and 30-minute service during evenings and weekends on select routes. All routes end in Durham Station, except for route 20.
Route | Terminal | Streets Served | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Horton Rd Guess Rd |
North Pointe Dr, Northgate, & Guess Rd |
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2 | Brier Creek Shopping Center | E. Main St, Angier Avenue, & Brier Creek |
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3 | Glenview Station Walmart |
Holloway St, The Village, & E Geer St |
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3B | Southern High School Freeman Road |
Holloway St, The Village & Freeman Rd |
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3C | Alston Avenue Main Street |
Holloway St, The Village, & Alston Ave |
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4 | Horton Rd North Duke Crossing |
N. Roxboro St, N. Duke St, & E. Geer St |
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5 | The Streets at Southpoint | Fayetteville St, NCCU, & Renaissance Pkwy |
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6 | Douglas St Pratt St |
W. Chapel Hill St, Flowers Rd, & Hillandale Rd |
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7 | MLK Jr. Pkwy Shopping Center |
S. Roxboro St, Weaver Av, & MLK Jr. Pkwy |
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8 | Capps St Alston Avenue |
S. Roxboro St, Lawson St, & Briggs Av |
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9 | Riverview Shopping Center | Dearborn Dr, N. Roxboro Rd, & Horton Rd |
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9A | Riverside High School |
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9B | Northern High School | Dearborn Dr, Ben Franklin Rd, & N. Roxboro Rd[note 2] | |
10 | New Hope Commons | Chapel Hill Rd, University Drive, & Garrett Road |
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10B | South Square | via Chapel Hill Rd, University Drive, & Westgate Dr |
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11 | Hillsborough Rd US 15-501 SB |
W. Main St, Hillsborough Rd, & Erwin Road |
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11B | Constitution Dr Neal Road |
W. Main St, Hillsborough Rd, & Neal Road |
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12 | The Streets at Southpoint | E. Main St, NCCU, & Renaissance Pkwy |
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12B | GoTriangle Regional Transit Center |
E. Main St, NCCU, and Regional Transit Center |
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20 | Woodcroft, South Square, & Duke & VA Limited[note 3] |
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NHS | Northern High School Tripper[note 3] |
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- Due to operator shortages, daytime service is hourly until further notice.
- During the PM rush, two 9B trips makes no stops from Northern High School to Durham Station. While considered 9B trips, they are identified as the NHS Tripper route.
- Due to operator shortages, Route 20 and the NHS Tripper is temporally suspended until further notice.
History
Route | History |
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1 |
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2 |
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3 |
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3B |
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3C |
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4 |
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5 |
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Former Routes
These routes have either been merged into one route or discontinued due to DATA's bus redesign on September 27th, 2014.
Bold means these routes remained from the DATA takeover in 1991. However, were affected by the plan. The list will not mention any existing routes that were either cut/extended and routes suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Route | Destination | Streets Served | Notes & Replacements |
---|---|---|---|
BCC | Bull City Connector |
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1A | Croasdaile Crossing | North Pointe, Northgate, & Croasdaile Crossing |
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1B | Horton Rd Guess Rd |
Northgate, Guess Road, & Willowdale | |
1N | Northgate Mall & Durham Station |
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2 | Page Rd Angier Av |
E. Main St, Angier Ave, & Page Rd |
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2A | Angier Ave & Page Rd | ||
2B | The Village Shopping Center | Angier Ave, Eastern Durham, & The Village |
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3T | Holloway St, The Village, & Glenview Station |
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5 | South Square | Fayetteville St, NCCU, & South Square |
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5K | MLK Jr. Pkwy Fayetteville Rd |
Fayetteville St, NCCU, & MLK Jr. Pkwy |
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6 | Hillsborough Rd | Duke/VA | American Village |
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6B | Constitution Dr | Duke/VA | Sparger Road | |
7 | Highway 55 Sedwick Dr |
Fayetteville St, S. Roxboro St, & NC-54 |
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9 | Oxford Commons | Dearborn Drive, Durham Regional Hospital, & Oxford Commons |
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10 | University Place or New Hope Commons or Woodcroft Pkwy |
Woodcroft & New Hope Commons |
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10A | New Hope Commons | University Drive, South Square, & New Hope Commons |
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10L | University Place Stop A - |
Jordan High School Link |
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12B | Lowe's Grove Middle School | Lowe's Grove Middle School |
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13 | The Village Shopping Center Stop A - |
Durham Technical Community College & The Village |
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14 (First) |
NCCU Campus Shuttle[12] |
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14 (Second) |
The Streets at Southpoint Stop A - |
NC-54 | The Streets at Southpoint | Woodcroft Pkwy |
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15 | Brier Creek |
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16 | Southern High School Stop A - |
Southern High School & The Village |
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16A | Southern High School | The Village, NC-98, & Southern High School | |
16B
(Second) |
Rummel St Highway 98 |
The Village, Birchwood, & Ross Road |
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16B (First) |
Neal Middle School Stop A - |
Neal Middle School & Southern High School |
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17 (First) |
South Square Loop |
Westgate Dr, Garrett Rd, & Chapel Hill Rd |
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17A | Lakewood Roxboro St - |
Fayetteville St, Cornwallis Rd, & University Dr[13] | |
17 (Second) | Horton Rd Stop A - |
Snow Hill Road & Horton Road |
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23 | Angier Av Stop A - |
The Village & NC-98 Loop & East Durham |
|
Future
GoDurham Better Bus Project
The GoDurham Better Bus Project is a program created in 2019 by the City of Durham to plan and improve current bus stops, crosswalks, and roads to both make bus stops more comfortable for riders and to speed up GoDurham service. The 18-month plan, which has six projects plans to improve major corridor routes, more attention on both Holloway Street and Fayetteville Street bus lines.[15]
Currently, GoDurham's planned projects are shown here, expected to be planned and finished by 2023-2024:
- Bus Access Project[16] - Will allow easier access to bus stops by adding sidewalks 1/4th mile from a GoDurham bus stop.
- Bus Speed and Reliability Project[17] - Allows for the improvement of bus service by prioritizing buses in traffic, pavement markings, and better signage.
- Durham Station Transit Area[18] - This project will evaluate current streets in Downtown Durham taken by GoDurham buses and improving those streets to speed up service to/from Durham Station
- Fayetteville Street Corridor[19] - This project would allow major improvements around Fayetteville Street like enhanced bus stops, better traffic, and safer access which will increase reliability, safety, and will speed up the route.
- Holloway Street Corridor and Village Transit Center[20] - This project will allow the same enhancements on Holloway Street. This will also allow major upgrades on The Village Shopping Center.
- Bus Stop Balancing Study - Will remove low ridership stops and modify existing stops to increase service reliability.[21]
Durham Transit Plan
The Durham Transit Plan is the plan for GoDurham's long-term future bus improvements for the city by 2040.[22] In April 2011, Durham County added a sales tax for public transit to allow this plan to happen. This plans allows for the improvement of bus stops, acquire electric vehicles, and increased 30 and 15-minute service. Durham was recently awarded $10.8 million in funding, which will allow GoDurham to advance with this plan.[8]
Current Progress
The program is currently in its middle phase. This has affected the system already. Current changes since November 2022 are:
- Creating brand new bus terminals in The Streets at Southpoint and Glenview Station as part of their Bus Stop Improvement program.[23]
- Improving 90 bus stops with benches and/or adding shelters.
- Order six electric buses, two of them have since been delivered.
- Increasing 30-minute service on overnights and Sundays on routes 1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 10, and 11.
- Adding all or some 15-minute service or Frequent Service Network on routes 5, 3/3B/3C, 2/12/12B, and 11/11B.
- Microtransit on the East and North Durham Zones.
Future Progress
The Final Plan is currently done. It will await voting later in the year and will be implemented by summer 2023.
Funding has been approved for these services, which the changes could happen in a year. These changes would be:
- Create a crosstown route connecting Duke/VA Hospitals and Duke Regional Hospital. (route 16)
- Extend service on routes 9A/9B to midnight, thus route 9 service would only run partially in Saturday and only run all day on Sunday.
- Improve 75 bus stops are scheduled to be improved, with 114 more being planned.
- Increase frequency on route 3 and add midday service on GoTriangle's 405 route.
These are the planned changes for the next five years. These are:
- Increase all service to 30-minute frequency during weekdays, evening, and weekends
- Create a crosstown route (route 17) between The Village and NCCU.
- Add route 4 and 9 to the Frequent Service Network program.
- Increase service to GoTriangle's 400 and 700 routes.
- Extend route 4 to Danube/Herbon.
- Help fund GoTriangle's commuter rail project.
- Rebuild Durham Station, which will provide double the lanes, weather prevention improvements, and increased security.
These other ideas are being considered to be added in the far future. These include:
- Create a transit center in North Duke Crossing [4/9/9A/9B]
- Acquire more buses for increased service.
- Relocate GoTriangle's Regional Transit Center.
- Extend Chapel Hill Transit's D route to Patterson Place.
- Provide ideas for North Durham [4/9/9A/9B/16] and Chapel Hill Rd [10/10B] Transit Corridors.
References
- "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2022" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- "About & History | GoDurham". godurhamtransit.org. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- "Designingbetterbus » Partners » Go Local » GoTriangle". web.archive.org. 2012-08-13. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- "US Federal Transportation Administration – NTD Database".
- "GoDurham Holiday Hours | GoDurham". godurhamtransit.org. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- "2009 Durham Buses".
- "GoDurham Adds Two New Electric Buses on Earth Day".
- WRAL (2022-03-15). "City of Durham to receive $10.8 million grant for public transit upgrades". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
- "GoDurham Fleet Plan 2023-2028". Meadhunt - GoDurham Fleet Plan FY23-28. January 10, 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "GoDurham Maps & Schedules".
- "GoDurham Short Range Transit Plan" (PDF). GoFoward. April 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Route 14" (PDF). web.archive.org. 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- "Wayback Machine" (PDF). web.archive.org. 2003-03-31. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
- "Wayback Machine" (PDF). web.archive.org. 2005-11-16. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
- "GoDurham Better Bus Project | Durham, NC". www.durhamnc.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- "Bus Access Project | Durham, NC". www.durhamnc.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- "Bus Speed and Reliability Project | Durham, NC". www.durhamnc.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- "Durham Station Transit Area | Durham, NC". www.durhamnc.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- "Fayetteville Street Corridor | Durham, NC". www.durhamnc.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- "Holloway Street Corridor and Village Transit Center | Durham, NC". www.durhamnc.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- "Bus Stop Balancing Study | GoDurham". godurhamtransit.org. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- "Durham Transit Plan | ENGAGE Durham". engagedurham.com. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- "Bus Stop Improvements | GoDurham". godurhamtransit.org. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
External links
Media related to GoDurham at Wikimedia Commons
- Official webpage
- GoTransit
- Freelon Design for the Transportation Center
- Downtown Terminal Groundbreaking Announcement
- Roster