GoRaleigh Bus System, now and the future

So far everyone here has talked at some point about transit, Bus Rapid Transit ( BRT ) Bike share, Commuter Rail, light rail. etc…etc… SO…let’s seriously talk about GoRaleigh/GoTriangle buses here because, as a Car Dependant town we do need to talk about the future of Transit in this City. I have ride the GoRaleigh/GoTriangle buses now for Six months and I have seen some growth in users riding the Buses,but still see many cars on the roads. keep in mind that the buses need improvements and longer hours of service. Not everyone works 9am to 5pm. I challenge anyone to give riding the Buses a try and give their take on the matter. transit-main

5 Likes

I ride the bus or bike to work every day. I think the two biggest issues for me are route frequency and efficiency. Routes need to be going every 15 minutes so you don’t have to plan your day around them. Also, it really annoys me when people get on the bus and don’t have their cash ready. Then they take their time paying and walk all the way to the back of the bus. I wish there was a way to prepay and then have people sit down quickly to get the bus moving again.

3 Likes

I totally agree, I have that problem when I get on the Bus every morning…sometimes I almost miss my transfer Bus because of it. Back when I was Living in NYC…I buy a weekly or monthly pass at the Terminal, I think that folks need to keep that in mind and go to the GoRaleigh station and buy a weekly pass or monthly pass…it will save time and be more efficient in the way Buses travel. Also the Problem is that the Bus Drives stop for 5 minutes in order to keep up with their schedule frame which does cost me an extra few minutes. And Yes…they should Run every 15 minutes and not 30, same for weekend service too.

1 Like

Yep, my bus stops every morning for 1-2 minutes to make sure its not early. Very frustrating. Riding the bus in the morning I look at the app and walk to the bus stop once it turns a certain corner. In the afternoon I walk to the station 8-10 minutes before the bus is scheduled to leave.
I think the problem with people buying monthly passes is most people riding the bus can’t afford a month pass all at once. It’d obviously save them money if they could…

2 Likes

Yes…very true. I Often Buy a Weekly Regional 7 Day pass. I budget my $$$ carefully so as to buy a Monthly pass, it helps me a great deal. I walk to my stop Ten minutes before my Bus arrives, if a Bus is late I use the app to check the status of the Bus.

1 Like

The Need for Bus Shelters throughout the City… hate to stand out there in the Rain and Snow waiting for the Bus, and have been out there in the Rain waiting for one. City needs more Bus Shelters with maps indicating where they are and when the Next GoRaleigh/GoTriangle Buses are coming.article-2100912-11BB7D10000005DC-415_634x402

3 Likes

@maverick333
So, which person in the picture is you?
But I totally agree, some city stops have an awning of some sort, but most do not. Very sad and a great shame as I will not wait for a bus, in the rain with a wet seat…:cry:

I’m not in this Pic, this is Just an example of how Bus Shelters can Look. Sadly I had to stand out in the Pouring rain waiting for my Bus to arrive, in Snow too. I miss having my Car but This goes to show that the City needs to do A lot better in building these Bus Shelters throughout the City.

1 Like

Agreed 1000%
:sunglasses:

Is that a gang sign the dude is throwing out

2 Likes

Actually it does look like they’re all posing and not at all happy to be there…Lol :wink:

1 Like

Haa…haa…haa…True…I’m Sorry should of found a much better Pic.

1 Like

How about this…

this I got from raleighnc.gov second pic is not from Adopt a Shelter…But I do love the second on better. These pics show as part of Raleigh’s Transit future…there should be shelters like this all over the Triangle, Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Cary. Too often I see people standing out in the cold…wind…rain…snow… for who knows how long for a GoRaleigh/GoTriangle bus to arrive. I for one have done that, having to stand out in the rain for a Bus to arrive. AGAIN…City has to Invest into making Transit viable to the Region.

3 Likes

Wow, that second shelter is really beautiful. Do you happen to know where it is?

I Google bus shelters and the second pic came up, and I just downloaded.

Two articles today in TBJ about the future of autonomous/personal flight. With our tech nature we should be one of the first cities to begin exploring the futurist possibility of flying transit.

https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2018/08/30/silicon-valley-takes-a-careful-step-toward.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2018/08/31/these-drones-may-make-house-calls-some-day.html

Did you know Amazon applied for a patent on a hovering warehouse/distribution center?

2 Likes

I did…Nick Fury told me…:wink:

first pic was taken Last Saturday, I was going to the Mall to buy a pair of Jeans. buses run every hour as to every 30 minutes during the week…second pic was taken this friday…Sorry for the sun glare but the traffic that day was horrible, everyone was leaving for Labor Day holiday, I decided to stay home. Second Pic I was on Western Blvd/Avent Ferry Road. the point is that if the Raleigh Population ( not Wake Co. ) exceeds to Over 2.5 million and no real Plan in place to Increase Bus Services, I think that you will have a Huge mess as far as traffic goes. I follow up on the Wake Transit Plan meetings that is posted on Buses and online and I have actually been to one of these meetings a few Years back ( 2015 ) SO as the Title that I Posted here…When will we see ANY real progress ? And I hate to do this But I’m comparing to Charlotte with their Mass Transit…we should be at the same pace as Charlotte. I know I may get alot of Flack but given our infrastructure Raleigh should be where Charlotte is now or Getting there anyway. Just frustrated on my part but Raleigh should make a Huge effort in increasing Bus services to make it more accessible to Everyone that uses it and those that should consider riding the Buses.

2 Likes

I just read this interesting article about how transit in America was effectively killed off, not by the automobile alone, but by starving systems of resources, which in turn diminished service. It also argues that service drives demand, the opposite of the argument we always hear about demand not being adequate to justify service.

I see that some of these points have already been discussed in this very thread. One of the reasons I haven’t used local bus service is the infrequency of service. I can’t plan my whole day around buses that only run every 30 minutes when I could just ride my bike to work or take my car to the store. On the flip side, I’ve exclusively used public transit in other cities where I can walk up to a bus stop at any time and know that the most I’ll be waiting is 15 minutes.

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/08/how-america-killed-transit/568825/

6 Likes

When I was living in New York city I always used mass transit to get around the City and never needed a Car… but even that I flew or took Amtrak to go out of the City so a Car wasn’t needed. But when I came to Raleigh…all that changed and a Car was needed as I saw the transit here in Raleigh and the Triangle. I can not imagine not having mass transit at all here in Raleigh, and how many people that rely heavily on it. Students…Workers…the elderly and handicapped. Not everyone car afford a Car to get around the City.

3 Likes