Research Triangle Park, NC (June 12, 2017) — Expanded bus service made possible with transit taxes that voters in Wake, Durham and Orange counties approved has made it even easier for Triangle residents to try transit on national Dump the Pump Day on Thursday, June 15.
Never ridden the bus? Find all you need to know at bit.ly/ridegotriangle then start by plugging in your address and the address of your destination at gotriangle.org. Need help planning a route? Call GoTriangle at 919-485- 7433.
Mark Durway of Cary dumped the pump last fall after his old truck broke down. He planned to take the bus from his home to his job as a state geologist in downtown Raleigh only until the truck was fixed. But as repairs promised in days stretched to weeks, Durway found so many things to love about his new daily commute on GoTriangle Route 301 that he knew he’d never go back.
“It’s nice to ride the bus and read a book or stare out the window or whatever, and it’s less stressful for sure,” Durway says. “It’s virtually as fast as driving in, and it’s saving me probably $5 a day just in gasoline. And I got a discount on my car insurance because I’m commuting.”
According to the American Public Transportation Association, a two-person household can save, on average, more than $10,100 a year by downsizing to one car. Each year in the United States, public transportation use saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline.
For Durway, taking the bus has had no downsides. The bus is always punctual and drivers are friendly and courteous, and he likes disembarking at an earlier stop so that he can get some exercise walking to his office on nice days.
“You have to know what the bus schedule is, whether there are any breaks during the day,” he says. “You have to develop confidence that it’s going to be reliable, and it is. You have to know what buses are coming and where to stand. That’s the main thing. After that, it’s real easy.”
The free TransLoc app can make it even easier. GoTriangle buses are equipped with GPS locators, so riders can see them moving in real time and get arrival predictions and proximity alerts. No one need waste time waiting at bus stops. Learn about TransLoc at gotriangle.org/transloc.
GoTriangle also has numerous park-and-ride lots to help those who don’t live near a transit stop connect with jobs, schools or doctors. Trips on a GoTriangle bus typically cost $2.25, but discount passes are available. Find out more at gotriangle.org/passes. Triangle residents also can dump the pump by choosing to bike to work Thursday. There are maps and other resources for bicyclists at gotriangle.org/bike.
Want to figure out how much gas money you would save by taking the bus? Try out this cool calculator at bit.ly/calculatefuel.
Another benefit to dumping the pump is that taking a bus is 10 times safer than commuting by car, according to the American Public Transportation Association, which sponsors Dump the Pump Day. A person can reduce the chances of being in an accident by more than 90 percent simply by taking public transit.
“Driving yourself is such a waste of time and a waste of gasoline,” Durway says. “And I don’t want to pay $45,000 for a new vehicle. I’ll keep taking the bus.”