Whether your favorite get-out-of-the-house plans involve biking, beers or books, add a twist to your typical trip this month and let the bus be your ride.
September is Try Transit Month across the nation, and GoDurham wants to help residents participate by offering tips and suggested trips for all types of people, be they adventurers, intellectuals, tour guides or foodies. GoDurham even is offering a Fare Free Day on Saturday to get your ride off right.
Which type are you? Take our personality quiz at godurhamtransit.org/trytransit to find out then see what hotspots along GoDurham routes we’ve picked out for you to try.
For intellectual types, a stop at the Hayti Heritage Center may be in order. The Nasher Museum of Art could be the place for adventurers and Foster’s Market for foodies. You the tour guide of the family? The Scrap Exchange awaits.
To have more time and money to explore those experiences, maybe a cheaper and easier commute to work would help. As Durham, Orange and Wake counties go forward together with new transit investments, the ever-expanding regional network is making it even more convenient for Triangle residents to get where they need to go.
“Many people who ride the bus quickly realize that they can enhance their incomes by several hundred dollars per month just from using the car less or ditching it all together,” says Doug Middleton, GoDurham’s general manager. “They also benefit from reduced stress, become more productive using Wi-Fi on the bus and help the environment at the same time. There are numerous other benefits of riding transit that are often overlooked as well. For example, you can meet other people and make new friends while riding the bus.”
Get ready for Try Transit Week Sept. 22-29 by heading to godurhamtransit.org and using the trip-planning tool to find a route to work. If you log your new commute online at Share the Ride NC, you’re even eligible for monthly prize drawings through GoTriangle’s GoPerks program.
To make it even easier to try transit, GoDurham is offering riders free fare on Sept. 22. Need help planning a route? Call 919-485-7433.
And no one ever need waste time waiting at bus stops. The free TransLoc app shows buses moving in real time and offers arrival predictions and proximity alerts. Learn about TransLoc at godurhamtransit.org/transloc.
“Riding the bus is really inexpensive from the get-go, but if you want your first transit riding experience to be free, try riding on Saturday the 22nd on no fare day,” Middleton says. “As the saying goes, don’t knock it until you try it! You might just wish you tried it sooner.”