GoDurham, formerly Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA), is the public transit system serving Durham, North Carolina. It is currently operated by First Transit, managed by GoTriangle, and funded by the City of Durham. It was renamed under the consolidated GoTransit branding scheme for the Research Triangle region. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 5,417,000, or about 15,800 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
Formerly | Durham Area Transit Authority |
---|---|
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 | 15,800 (weekdays, Q4 2023)[1] |
Annual ridership | 5,417,000 (2023)[2] |
Fuel type | Diesel, Hybrid, & Electric |
Operator | First Transit |
Website | godurhamtransit |
The City of Durham assumed the operation of the local Duke Power bus system in 1991, naming it Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA).[3]
To benefit more riders in safety and accessibility, DATA purchased 31 new Gillig Low Floors in 2002. The first bus arrived on April 16, 2003. The next day on April 17, the bus ran in revenue service on Route 7. The first bus ran through all routes to attract passengers of the fleet. These included LED destination signs, longer 40-foot buses, and automated announcements.[4]
In 2005, DATA collaborated and funded with Capital Area Transit (now GoRaleigh) and Triangle Transit Authority (now GoTriangle) to create a route connecting the DATA Downtown Terminal with the Brier Creek Shopping Center in Raleigh. The new route, designated 15, began in November 2005.[5]
The downtown terminal, located at Great Jones St and W Main St, was relocated to a new transportation center, named Durham Station. This also serves the GoTriangle and Greyhound Lines buses on February 22, 2009. It later served Megabus and FlixBus. The building was designed by the Freelon group.[6] Triangle Transit decided to merge operations with DATA in 2010. As a result, DATA was dissolved, with Triangle Transit (now GoTriangle) handling management, planning, and marketing. The first major thing they did was in 2011, when DATA, along with GoTriangle began the Designing Better Bus Service project, a project offering the following improvements:
These revamped routes debuted in two phases. Phase One, which affected routes 1 (became 1/1A/1B/1N), 6 (became 6/6B), and 11 (became 11/11B) began on September 29, 2012. The rest of the routes were changed on January 9, 2013.[7]
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.[8] To plan enhance service, GoTriangle introduced GoDurham's Short-Range Transit Plan in April 2019.[9] This plan intended to speed up service while the original 2017 and current revision of the Durham Transit Plan were being done. These improvements were:
They offered the changes GoDurham can in the upcoming years. The plan was done by late 2019 and by January 2020, the new routes began running service. However, the implementation of the plan was slowed and eventually halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, GoDurham service ran normally until March 20. Service was reduced, as service was scheduled to end at 9:30 pm, similar to Sundays. On March 22, fare collections were suspended, and rear-door boarding was allowed. However, on March 30, GoDurham severely reduced service as operators start to drop. The following service changes included reductions of service to hourly or every 2 hours.
In April, bus capacity was reduced to 16 passengers max. Seats were taped off from buses to prioritize social distancing. However, in May, they reduced service to a modified Sunday schedule. This took effect on May 4. This was short-lived as on May 18, some service was restored. By June 29, GoDurham restored all bus service back to pre-COVID service patterns. In October 2020, GoDurham expanded service with the Short-Range Transit Plan, adding 15-minute service to Fayetteville St and adding better weekday evening and weekend service to various routes.
On June 29, 2021, service was reduced due to another operator shortage. The following service reductions included, reversing the improvements and suspending certain routes. However, in late 2021, GoDurham slowly restored service again. Such as the 5K and the 10B routes restored.[10]
During 2022, further service restorations occurred. To provide lost service to Croasdaile Crossings previously served by the 1 route, on February 1, 2022, route 6 service was extended to serve Croasdaile Crossings during weekday daytime hours.[11] Major restorations occurred on October 28, when GoDurham restored 15-minute service, discontinuing the 5K route again, minor changes to the 11/11B routes, and restoring the 12B route.
Service started to be mostly restored in February 13, full service returned on route 7.[12] On June 24, routes 2, 8, 11/11B were restored to full frequencies and service. In October, GoDurham plans to get full service restored by early 2024.[13] On November 11, routes 1 and 4 will have restored overnight service, Frequent Service Network on route 5 will be active on Saturdays, and 10/10B will have expanded service.[14]
Currently GoDurham is fare-free until summer 2024.
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[15] Sunday-level service is also operated during New Years, MLK Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day.[15] There is no service on Christmas Day. Service operates on Christmas Eve, however, service ends after 7:30 pm.[15]
The fleet livery changed throughout the years. The first ever livery, prior to 2003, had buses utilized 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.
In 2010 with the delivery of new Gillig BRT Hybrids, a new livery was created, which featured a brighter color, arc scheme on the buses. As the result of the transition 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 trim. All buses delivered after 2017 lack any black trim. The slogan used for the buses was changed to Connecting the Bull City.
GoDurham's fixed-route service currently runs 58 vehicles, running on 21 routes. GoDurham currently operates Gillig Low Floor, Gillig BRT, and Gillig Low Floor Plus buses, They currently run diesel, hybrid and electric buses. As part of the clean-energy program, 20 Gillig BRT Hybrids were delivered to the city in 2009–2010.[16] Bicycle racks are fitted to the front of all buses to increase efforts for public transit. All buses are equipped with Wi-Fi on board. USB ports were introduced with the 2018-2019 units. On 2019, GoDurham placed an order for six electric buses. Two of these buses were delivered on Earth Day 2021. The rest of the fleet arrived in 2023, to replace aging units.[17][18] Further, in February 2024 it was announced that 18 more electric buses are to be received in the following two years.[19] As of now, this is the current fleet as of April 2024.[20]
Image | Year | Bus Name | Fleet Numbers | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Gillig Low Floor 40' Diesel |
801-806 Total: 6 units |
| |
2010 | Gillig BRT HEV 40' |
1001-1020, 1201-1204
Total: 23 units |
| |
2012 | ||||
2017 | Gillig Low Floor 40' Diesel |
1701-1712 Total: 12 units |
| |
2018
2019 |
1801-1803, 1901-1904 Total: 7 units |
| ||
2021 | 2103-2110 Total: 8 units |
| ||
Gillig Low Floor Plus EV 40' |
2101-2102 Total: 2 units |
| ||
2021 | ||||
2023 | 2301-2306 Total: 6 units |
|
Image | Year | Bus Model | Fleet Numbers | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
N/A | 1992 | OBI Orion I (01.507) |
9201-9232 (32 units) |
|
N/A | 2000
2001 |
Gillig Phantom 30' Diesel |
0001-0008
0101-0103 |
|
2003 | Gillig Low Floor 40' Diesel |
0301-0331 (31 units) |
| |
2005 | 0501 (1 unit) |
|
Here is the list of routes in the current system. Refer to the GoDurham site for more information.[21] Service can run at 15 minute, half-hourly, or hourly depending on route and time. Select routes run under the Frequent Service Network program, which provides 15-minute service during daytime hours and 30-minute service during evenings and weekends.
Route | Terminal | Streets Served | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Horton Rd Guess Rd |
North Pointe Dr, Northgate, & Guess Rd |
| ||
2 | Brier Creek Shopping Center | E. Main St, Angier Avenue, & Brier Creek |
| ||
3 | Glenview Station Walmart |
Holloway St, The Village, & E Geer St |
| ||
3B | Southern High School Freeman Road |
Holloway St, The Village & Freeman Rd | |||
3C | Alston Avenue Main Street |
Holloway St, The Village, & Alston Ave | |||
4 | Horton Rd North Duke Crossing |
N. Roxboro St & N. Duke St |
| ||
5 | The Streets at Southpoint | Fayetteville St, NCCU, & Renaissance Pkwy |
| ||
6 | Douglas St Pratt St |
W. Chapel Hill St & Flowers Rd |
| ||
7 | Forest Hills Shopping Center MLK Jr. Pkwy |
S. Roxboro St, Weaver Av, & MLK Jr. Pkwy |
| ||
8 | Capps St Alston Avenue |
S. Roxboro St, Lawson St, & Briggs Av |
| ||
9A | Riverside High School | Dearborn Dr, N. Roxboro Rd, & Horton Rd |
| ||
9B | Northern High School | Dearborn Dr, Ben Franklin Rd, & N. Roxboro Rd | |||
10 | New Hope Commons | Chapel Hill Rd, University Drive, & Garrett Road |
| ||
10B | South Square | via Chapel Hill Rd, University Drive, & Westgate Dr |
| ||
11 | Hillsborough Rd US 15-501 SB |
W. Main St, Hillsborough Rd, & Erwin Road |
| ||
11B | Constitution Dr Neal Road |
W. Main St, Hillsborough Rd, & Neal Road |
| ||
12 | The Streets at Southpoint | E. Main St, NCCU, & Renaissance Pkwy |
| ||
12B | GoTriangle Regional Transit Center |
E. Main St, NCCU, and Regional Transit Center |
|
Route | Terminal A | Terminus B | Streets Served | Notes & Replacements | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BCC | Bull City Connector |
| |||
1A | Croasdaile Crossing | North Pointe, Northgate, & Croasdaile Crossing |
| ||
1B | Horton Rd Guess Rd |
Northgate, Guess Road, & Willowdale | |||
1N | Northgate Mall & Durham Station |
| |||
2 | Page Rd Angier Av |
E. Main St, Angier Ave, & Page Rd |
| ||
2A | Angier Ave & Page Rd | ||||
2B | The Village Shopping Center | Angier Ave, Eastern Durham, & The Village |
| ||
3T | Holloway St, The Village, & Glenview Station |
| |||
5 | South Square | Fayetteville St, NCCU, & South Square |
| ||
5K | MLK Jr. Pkwy Fayetteville Rd |
Fayetteville St, NCCU, & MLK Jr. Pkwy |
| ||
6 | Hillsborough Rd | Duke/VA | American Village |
| ||
6B | Constitution Dr | Duke/VA | Sparger Road | |||
7 | Highway 55 Sedwick Dr |
Fayetteville St, S. Roxboro St, & NC-54 |
| ||
9
(First) |
Oxford Commons | Dearborn Drive, Durham Regional Hospital, & Oxford Commons |
| ||
9
(Second) |
Riverview Shopping Center | Dearborn Dr, N. Roxboro Rd, & Horton Rd |
| ||
10 | University Place or New Hope Commons or Woodcroft Pkwy |
Woodcroft & New Hope Commons |
| ||
10A | New Hope Commons | University Drive, South Square, & New Hope Commons |
| ||
10L | University Place | ↔ | Jordan High School | Jordan High School Link |
|
12B | Lowe's Grove Middle School |
| |||
13 | The Village Shopping Center | ↔ | Birchwood Lynn Road |
Durham Technical Community College & The Village |
|
14 (First) |
NCCU Campus Shuttle[22] |
| |||
14 (Second) |
The Streets at Southpoint | ↔ | NC-54 Alston Av |
NC-54, The Streets at Southpoint, Woodcroft Pkwy |
|
15 | Brier Creek |
| |||
16 | Southern High School Freeman Rd |
↔ | The Village Shopping Center | Southern High School & The Village |
|
16A | Southern High School | The Village, NC-98, & Southern High School | |||
16B
(Second) |
Rummel St Highway 98 |
The Village, Birchwood, & Ross Road |
| ||
16B (First) |
Neal Middle School | Neal Middle School & Southern High School |
| ||
17 (First) |
South Square Loop |
↔ | Duke Medical Center | Westgate Dr, Garrett Rd, & Chapel Hill Rd |
|
17A | Lakewood Roxboro St |
↔ | New Hope Commons | Fayetteville St, Cornwallis Rd, & University Dr[23] | |
17 (Second) | Foxfire Apartments Horton Rd |
↔ | Durham Tech - North Campus Torrege Rd |
Snow Hill Road & Horton Road |
|
20 | Woodcroft Shopping Center | ↔ | Duke University VA Hospitals |
Woodcroft, South Square, & Duke & VA Limited |
|
23 | Angier Av Guthrie Av |
↔ | The Village Shopping Center | The Village & NC-98 Loop & East Durham |
|
NHS | Northern High School
Tom Wilkinson Road |
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.[25]
Currently, GoDurham's planned projects are shown here, expected to be planned and finished by 2023-2024:
The Durham Transit Plan is the plan for GoDurham's long-term future bus improvements for the city by 2040.[32] 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.[18]
The program is currently in its middle phase. This has affected the system already. Current changes since November 2022 are:
In the summer of 2023, GoDurham and GoTriangle provided the draft for the new Short-Range Transit Plan., which is planned to redesign the bus network in Durham from 2024 to 2028.[34] Funding has been approved for these services, which the changes would happen between 2024 to 2028. These changes would be:
Route | Terminal(s) | Streets Served | Changes/Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Riverside High School | North Pointe Dr, Northgate, & Guess Rd |
| ||
2 | Brier Creek Shopping Center | E. Main St, Angier Avenue, & Brier Creek |
| ||
3 | Glenview Station Walmart |
Holloway St, The Village, & E Geer St |
| ||
4H | North Duke Crossing Horton Road |
N. Roxboro St & N. Duke St |
| ||
4M | Tom Wilkinson Rd N. Roxboro Rd | ||||
5 | The Streets at Southpoint | Fayetteville St, NCCU, & Renaissance Pkwy |
| ||
6 | Constitution Drive | W. Chapel Hill St, Neal Rd, & Constitution Dr |
| ||
7 | Forest Hills Shopping Center MLK Jr Pkwy |
S. Roxboro St, Fayetteville St, & MLK Jr. Pkwy |
| ||
8 | Cornwallis Road NC-54 |
Lawson St, Briggs Av, Riddle Rd, & Cornwallis Rd |
| ||
9N | Herbon Rd Danube Ln |
Dearborn Dr, N. Roxboro Rd, Horton Rd, & Denfield St |
| ||
9G | |||||
9H | North Duke Crossing Horton Road |
Dearborn Dr, N. Roxboro Rd, & Horton Rd | |||
10 | New Hope Commons | Chapel Hill Rd, University Drive, & Garrett Road |
| ||
10B | South Square | via Chapel Hill Rd, University Drive, & Westgate Dr | |||
11H | Hillsborough Rd US 15-501 SB |
W. Main St, Hillsborough Rd, & Erwin Road |
| ||
11C | Douglas St Crest St | ||||
12 | Falls Pointe Apartments S. Alston Rd |
E. Main St, NC-55, & S. Alston Av |
| ||
13 | North Carolina Central University Alston Av |
↔ | The Village Shopping Center | Alston Avenue, Angier Avenue, & Taylor Street - Crosstown |
|
14 | Duke Regional Hospital | Duke University VA Hospitals |
Hillandale Rd, Horton Rd, & N. Roxboro St. |
| |
16 | Southern High School Freeman Road |
Holloway St, The Village & Freeman Rd |
|
These other ideas are being considered to be added in the far future. These include: