Service Change Overview

After reviewing travel markets and existing ridership patterns and gathering public input, GoDurham has created a new short-range transit plan that should improve the reliability, on-time performance and passenger experience on GoDurham routes. The Durham City Council reviewed this plan and incorporated it into the city budget, which was approved in June 2019.

Now, GoDurham would like your feedback on the proposed service changes. This feedback will be incorporated into the final changes, which the City of Durham and Department of Transportation will approve in August. If approved, these changes would be implemented Jan. 25, 2020.

The comment period has closed.

Service Change Highlights

  • More routes would provide service every 15 minutes.
  • Four high-demand routes would get new service every 30 minutes at night.
  • New arrival and departure times at Durham Station would ensure easy transfers.
  • Several routes would be combined to make their schedules less confusing and improve performance.
  • Route 12 would be restructured to provide connections to Research Triangle Park and the Regional Transit Center, where connections to GoTriangle routes can be made.
  • The Bull City Connector would no longer run in order to make other improvements throughout the system.

Additional Service Change Details

GoDurham currently has three corridors where buses arrive every 15 minutes during the day Monday through Saturday, providing more reliable and convenient service for passengers:

  • Chapel Hill Street Corridor served by Routes 10A and 10B.
    • Runs Morehead Avenue/Chapel Hill Road/University Drive from downtown to South Square (Shannon Road).
  • Fayetteville Street Corridor served by Routes 5 and 5K.
    • Runs Lakewood Avenue and Fayetteville Street from downtown to Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.
  • Holloway Street Corridor served by Routes 3, 3B and 3C.
    • Runs along Holloway Street from downtown Durham to The Village (Raynor Street).

The short-range transit plan would add two 15-minute corridors:

  • East Main Street Corridor served by Routes 2, 12 and 12B.
    • Would run East Main Street from W. Chapel Hill Street to Alston Avenue.
  • West Main Street/Erwin Road Corridor served by Route 11 and Route 11B.
    • Would run West Main Street from N. Duke Street to Broad Street, Hillsborough Road and Erwin Road.

Operate service every 30 minutes at night on four high-demand corridors:

  • Route 3/3B: Holloway Street to The Village
  • Route 5: Fayetteville Road to Southpoint:
  • Route 11/11B: Main Street and Erwin Road to LaSalle Street
  • Route 2/12/12B: East Main Street to Alston Avenue

Several arrival and departures times would be shifted to increase frequency on some routes and to make it easier to transfer on others. Most routes currently arrive and depart on the hour and half-hour (for example, a 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.) Three routes arrive and depart at :15 and :45 past the hour (for example, 2:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.)

The short-range transit plan would create this schedule of arrival and departure times Monday through Saturday until 7 p.m. at Durham Station:

  • Routes departing on the hour: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9A, 10, 11, 12
  • Routes departing :15 past the hour:1,  2, 3C, 5K, 10B, 11B
  • Routes departing :30 past the hour: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9B, 10, 11, 12B
  • Routes departing :45 past the hour: 1, 2, 3B, 5K, 10B, 11B

On nights and Sundays, the schedule would be:

  • Routes departing :00 on the hour: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12
  • Routes departing :30 past the hour: 2, 3B, 5, 10, 11B

Routes 1, 1A and 1B would be combined into one route that serves each stop every 30 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays.

  • Route 1 would no longer serve the Hillandale stops in front of Croasdaile Commons.
  • First inbound trip would begin at North Pointe Shopping Center instead of Horton Road at Guess Road.
  • Last outbound trip ends at North Pointe Shopping Center instead of Horton Road at Guess Road.
  • Route 1 will leave Durham Station at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past the hour.
  • Route 1 will arrive to Durham Station at 30 minutes past the hour and on the hour.
  • On nights and Sundays, Route 1 will depart and arrive on the hour.

Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Every 30 minutes
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Hourly
  • Sunday: Hourly

Route 2 and 2B would be combined to improve on-time performance and increase frequency to Brier Creek.

  • Route 2 would operate on Main Street between Durham Station and Alston Avenue, serving the current Bull City Connector stops.
  • Route 2 would remain on Angier Avenue, turn right on Miami Boulevard then left on TW Alexander Drive and follow Route 15’s current alignment through Brier Creek.
  • Weekdays and Saturday before 7 p.m., Route 2 would leave and arrive at Durham Station at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past the hour.
  • Nights and Sundays, Route 2 would arrive on the hour and depart on the half-hour. This would allow it to provide service every 30 minutes on Main Street when combined with Route 12.
  • The first two inbound trips would begin at TW Alexander Drive and Miami Boulevard instead of Brier Creek.

Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Every 30 minutes
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Hourly
  • Sunday: Hourly

Route 2B would be eliminated and its service shifted mostly to Route 3C. This will provide a connection between Angier Avenue, Driver Street, Taylor Street and The Village.

  • Route 3C would travel along Route 3’s routing to The Village. (See route 3C for map.)
  • There would no longer be service along Geer Street or Miami Boulevard.
  • Route 3C will not operate on night or Sundays.

Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Hourly
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: No service
  • Sunday: No service

Route 3B would gain hourly night and Sunday service to serve East Durham and increase service frequency between Durham Station and The Village.

  • On nights and Sundays, Route 3B would replace Route 23.
  • On nights and Sundays, Route 3B would work with Route 3 to provide service every 30 minutes from Durham Station to The Village. It would arrive and depart Durham Station on the half-hour.

Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Hourly
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Hourly
  • Sunday: Hourly

Route 3C would be restructured to serve The Village then continue to the intersection of Angier and Alston avenues via Taylor and Driver streets. This change will shorten trips between East Durham, NCCU and the Research Triangle Park via a transfer with a restructured Route 12 and Route 12B.

  • Route 3C would travel along Holloway Street until The Village, then serve Driver Street, Taylor Street and Angier Avenue.
  • Route 3C would no longer travel along Holloway Street past The Village.
  • Service would be provided to East Durham in an OnDemand Zone. (See OnDemand Zone)

Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Hourly
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: No service
  • Sunday: No service

Add 30-minute service on nights and Sundays.

  • Trips would be added after 7 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and all day on Sundays. These trips would arrive and depart Durham Station on the half-hour.
  • On weekdays and Saturday, the first three inbound trips would begin at Fayetteville Road at Crooked Creek Parkway instead of at the Streets at Southpoint.

Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Every 30 minutes
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Every 30 minutes
  • Sunday: Every 30 minutes

Combine Route 6 and Route 6B into one route that would serve each stop every 30 minutes. Shorten its routing to allow the bus more time to return to Durham Station for passengers who need to transfer.

  • Route 6 would follow its current routing to the Duke and VA Medical Centers, but turn around at the Crest Street neighborhood.
  • Routes 11 and 11B would replace Route 6 service to Morreene Road and American Village. Bennett Place and Operations Drive would no longer be served.
  • Route 6 would depart Durham Station on the hour and 30 minutes past the hour. The route would arrive at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour.

Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Every 30 minutes
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Hourly
  • Sunday: Hourly

Simplify routing to provide faster travel times.

  • Routes 9 and 9A would not serve Duke Regional Hospital via Crutchfield Street or N. Duke Street. The routes would continue to serve the stops on Roxboro Road and Horton Road.
  • The 11 p.m. outbound trip of Route 9 would end at Foxfire Apartments instead of at JFK Towers.
  • On Sundays, the first inbound trip of Route 9 would begin at JFK Towers instead of at the Foxfire Apartments and the 8 p.m. outbound trip of Route 9 would end at Foxfire Apartments instead of at JFK Towers
  • During evening and Sundays, Route 9 would depart on the hour and arrive at Durham Station on the half-hour.
  • On weekdays and Saturdays, the first two trips of 9B would begin at JFK Towers instead of at Northern High School.

Route 9 Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): No service
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Hourly
  • Sunday: Hourly

Route 9A Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Hourly
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: No service
  • Sunday: No service

Route 9B Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Hourly
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: No service
  • Sunday: No service

Alter schedules and eliminate some stops to provide more regular service to South Square.

Route 10

  • Route 10A would be renamed Route 10 and provide a consistent all-day schedule between Durham Station and New Hope Commons.
  • On weekdays and Saturdays, the first two inbound Route 10 trips to Durham Station would begin at South Square instead of at New Hope Commons.
  • On nights and on Sundays, Route 10 would no longer serve James Street or Nation Avenue.
  • On nights and on Sundays, Route 10 would depart Durham Station on the half-hour and arrive on the hour.

Route 10B

  • Route 10B would no longer serve Pickett Road.
  • Service to Carolina Outreach, James Street and Nation Avenue would be provided hourly on Route 10B. No night or Sunday service would be provided.
  • The first inbound trip of Route 10B would be removed.

Route 10 Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Every 30 minutes
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Hourly
  • Sunday: Hourly

Route 10B Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Every 30 minutes
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: No service
  • Sunday: No service

Restructure into Routes 11 and 11B to improve on-time performance during peak afternoon hours.

  • Route 11 would continue to serve LaSalle Street and Cole Mill Road. Route 11B would continue on Erwin Road to Morreene Road and then serve American Drive, Constitution Drive and Neal Road at stops currently served by Routes 6 and 6B.
  • On weekdays and Saturdays, each branch would operate every 30 minutes, which combined would provide service every 15 minutes from Durham Station to Erwin Road.
  • On nights and Sundays, each branch would operate every hour, which combined would provide 30 minute service between Durham Station and Erwin Road. Route 11 would depart and arrive at Durham Station on the hour, and Route 11B would depart and arrive at Durham Station on the half-hour.
  • Routes 11 and 11B would serve Main Street and the current stops used by the Bull City Connector instead of serving Buchanan Boulevard, Green Street and Broad Street.
  • At night and on Sundays, Routes 11 and 11B would no longer serve stops on Sparger Road or on Hillsborough Road west of Cole Mill Road.

Route 11 Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Every 30 minutes
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Hourly
  • Sunday: Hourly

Route 11B Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Every 30 minutes
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Hourly
  • Sunday: Hourly

Restructure schedule and simplify routing to provide more service on Main Street, a connection from East Durham to RTP and a direct trip to the Regional Transit Center, where connections to GoTriangle routes can be made.

  • Route 12 would have two branches: Route 12, which goes to Streets at Southpoint, and Route 12B, which would go to the Regional Transit Center.
  • Routes 12 and 12B would use Main Street to connect to Alston Avenue instead of NC-147.
  • Route 12 would use S. Alston Avenue to serve Falls Pointe Apartments and then travel west on NC 54 to serve Fayetteville Street and Streets at Southpoint.
  • Route 12B would continue to the RTC, going east on NC 54.

Route 12 Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Hourly
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: Hourly
  • Sunday: Hourly

Route 12B Frequency

  • Weekdays (Monday-Saturday before 7 p.m.): Hourly
  • Nights after 7 p.m.: No service
  • Sunday: No service

Eliminate route.

  • Route 14 would no longer operate. Most of its service would be replaced by Routes 5 and 12.
  • Woodcroft Parkway would no longer be served.

Consolidate with Route 2 to meet demand for increased service and improve on-time performance.

  • Route 2 would serve TW Alexander Drive and Brier Creek. Route 2 would operate every 30 minutes during the day on weekdays and Saturdays and every hour at night and on Sunday.
  • Stops along Ellis Road would no longer be served.

Reduce trips to improve productivity and cost-effectiveness.

  • The 6:50 a.m., 3:15 p.m., 3:45 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. trips to Duke would be eliminated.
  • The 7:08 a.m., 3:03 p.m. and 6:03 p.m. trips to Hope Valley Commons would be eliminated.

Proposed schedule

Eliminate and replace service with Route 3B.

  • Service to Driver Street and Taylor Street would be discontinued at night and on Sundays.

Eliminate and allocate resources throughout the system to make other improvements.

  • Service on Main Street from Durham Station to Golden Belt would be provided by Routes 2, 12 and 12B.
  • Service on Main Street from Durham Station to the Duke and VA Hospitals would be provided by Routes 11 and 11B.
  • Stops on Main Street from West Chapel Hill Street to North Duke Street would no longer be served.

Develop a pilot project in East Durham to connect customers to a bus route through a partnership with Uber, Lyft and/or taxi cabs.

  • The program would use Uber, Lyft or taxis to serve areas that have high transit need but are difficult to serve with buses because of a limited roadway network and low residential density.
  • GoDurham would pay for a portion of a trip on Uber, Lyft or a taxi for customers traveling within a specified zone. No subsidies would be given for ineligible trips, including a trip going outside the zone or trips that don’t begin or end at designated transit stops.
  • The program would serve customers living along the portions of Route 3C that would no longer be served (Wedgedale Avenue, Lynn Road and Ivywood Lane).
  • Customers would be able to book a ride using a smartphone-based app or by phone. Provisions would be made for customers without bank accounts, as well as for persons with disabilities.