GoDurham

Not to be confused with Durham Region Transit.

GoDurham, formerly Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA), is the public transit system serving Durham, North Carolina. It is currently operated by RATP Dev, 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 19,700 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

GoDurham

GoDurham's [2301] operating on Route 5
Formerly	Durham Area Transit Authority
Founded	January 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	19,700 (weekdays, Q2 2024)
Annual ridership	5,417,000 (2023)
Fuel type	Diesel, Hybrid, & Electric
Operator	RATP Dev
Website	godurhamtransit.org

History

Early years

The City of Durham assumed the operation of the local Duke Power bus system in January 1991, naming it Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA).

• 1891–1902 – Durham Street Railway Co.
• 1902–1913 – Durham Traction Co.
• 1913–1921 – Durham Traction Co. (Cities Service Co.)
• 1921–1943 – Durham Public Service Co. (Cities Service Co.)
• 1930 – streetcars discontinued
• After 1943 – Duke Power Company

2000s & 2010s

DATA Upgrades

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.

Service Expansions

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.

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. 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:

• Better on-time performance.
• Revamped routes, with new diversions.
• Improved bus stop and route alignment.

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.

DATA to GoDurham

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. To plan enhance service, GoTriangle introduced GoDurham's Short-Range Transit Plan in April 2019. 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:

• Further improve on-timer performance
• Simplify routes, removing variations to make them more direct.
• Introduce micro-transit on select areas.
• Add better service to reduce wait times, introducing the Frequent Service Network program.
• Add more direct, crosstown routes.

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.

2020s

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.

Restoration

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.

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. 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, servicing RTP.

Service started to be mostly restored in February 13, full service returned on route 7. 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. 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.

Service Expansion

Restoration of full pre-COVID service was achieved with the service changes on routes 1/6/12/12B on January 27th, 2024. Route 1 was interlined with route 6, route 6 was restored to 30 minute frequencies, and 12/12B service runs to Saturday.

GoDurham started to expand service based on their transit plans with the April 27th service changes. This service expansion made all routes run until 12:30 am weekdays and 9:30 pm weekends with half-hourly service running at all times. This affected routes 6, 7, 8, 9A/9B, and 12/12B.

North Durham is the first to receive expansions by the Short-Range and Durham Transit Plans. On August 24th, service was adjusted on routes 1, 4, 6, and 9. Route 1 is realigned to Riverside High School on weekdays until 7 pm. Route 4 is extended to service Tom Wilkinson Road from North Duke Crossing. Route 6 was greatly extended along Hillandale Road, serving Duke/VA, Duke Regional Hospital, and Danube Ln/Hebron Rd. Route 9 is shortened to run to Duke Regional Hospital at all times. All routes run 30 minutes at all times. Transfers will be made in Duke Regional Hospital (1/6/9) and Horton Road (1/6).

Fares & Service Hours

Currently GoDurham is fare-free until summer 2025.

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 Sunday-level service is also operated during New Years, MLK Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day. There is no service on Christmas Day. Service operates on Christmas Eve, however, service ends after 7:30 pm.

Fleet

Color Schemes

History

DATA "stripe" livery from 2003 to 2009

DATA "color-arc" livery from 2009 to 2016

Current GoDurham Livery

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.

Current Fleet

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. 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. In 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. Further, in February 2024 it was announced that 18 more electric buses are to be received in the following two years. As of now, this is the current fleet as of August 2024.

Image	Year	Bus Name	Fleet Numbers	Notes
	2008	Gillig Low Floor 40' Diesel	801-806 Total: 6 units	Delivered in July 2008 Refurbished and repowered in FY 2016-2017
	2010	Gillig BRT HEV 40'	1001-1020, 1201-1204 Total: 23 units	Delivered in July 2010 and 2012 Repowered in 2018, refurbished in 2021. 1007, is unavailable due to an accident Expected to be retired ASAP due to maintenance issues
	2012
	2017	Gillig Low Floor 40' Diesel	1701-1712 Total: 12 units	Delivered by August 2017 Expected to be repowered in 2023.
	2018 2019		1801-1803, 1901-1904 Total: 7 units	First units delivered in April 2018 The rest delivered in July–September 2019 Ordered to replace 2003 units.
	2021		2103-2110 Total: 8 units	Delivered January 2022 Ordered to provide more service.
		Gillig Low Floor Plus EV 40'	2101-2102 Total: 2 units	2101-2102 delivered Earth Day 2021 Durham's first-ever electric bus fleet.
	2021
	2023		2301-2306 Total: 6 units	Second batch of electric buses ordered by GoDurham Delivered in September 2023.

Retired Fleet

Image	Year	Bus Model	Fleet Numbers	Notes
N/A	1992	OBI Orion I (01.507)	9201-9232 (32 units)	The first buses were purchased by DATA in 1992 to replace old Duke Power Company units. Originally numbered 101–131. Retired in 2007
N/A	2000 2001	Gillig Phantom 30' Diesel	0001-0008 0101-0103 (11 units)	Replaced some Orion I's Mainly ran until 2009, and remained in reserve until 2011. Retired in 2011
	2003	Gillig Low Floor 40' Diesel	0301-0331 (31 units)	Replaced all Orion I's. Repowered from DD50 to Cummins ISL, refurbished in 2010 Lacked GoDurham scheme Retired in 2022
	2005		0501 (1 unit)	Sole 2005 unit. Refurbished at an unknown year. Received GoDurham scheme Retired in 2020 or 2021

Routes

Current Routes

Here is the list of routes in the current system as of August 2024. All routes depart from Durham Station. Refer to the GoDurham site for more information. All GoDurham service runs 30 minutes at all times. Select routes run under the Frequent Service Network program, which provides 15 minute service during daytime hours.

Route	Terminal	Streets Served			Notes
1	Horton Rd Guess Rd	North Pointe Dr, Northgate, & Guess Rd			Extended to Riverside High School until weekdays at 7 pm
2	Brier Creek Shopping Center	E. Main St, Angier Avenue, & Brier Creek			Frequent Service Network via Main Street from Durham Station to Alston
3	Glenview Station Walmart	Holloway St, The Village, & E Geer St			Frequent Service Network via Holloway Street from Durham Station to The Village
3B	Southern High School Freeman Road	Holloway St, The Village & Freeman Rd
3C	Alston Avenue Main Street	Holloway St, The Village, & Alston Ave
4	Tom Wilkinson Road	N. Roxboro, N. Duke St, & Milton Road			Serves Northern High School
5	The Streets at Southpoint	Fayetteville St, NCCU, & Renaissance Pkwy			Frequent Service Network via Fayetteville Street from Southpoint to Durham Station Serves NC Central University
6	Briar Rose Lane Danube Lane	W. Chapel Hill St, Hillandale Road, N. Roxboro St, Danube Dr			Serves Duke Regional Hospital and Duke/VA Hospitals
7	Hope Valley 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			Serves both NC Central University and Durham Tech
9	Duke Regional Hospital	Dearborn Dr & N. Roxboro Rd
10	New Hope Commons	Chapel Hill Rd, University Drive, & Garrett Road			Frequent Service Network via Chapel Hill Rd from Durham Station to South Square 10B runs weekdays from 7 am to 6 pm Every hour, buses serve Nation Av/Bedford St
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			Frequent Service Network from Durham Station to Duke/VA Hospitals
11B	Constitution Dr Neal Road	W. Main St, Hillsborough Rd, & Neal Road
12	The Streets at Southpoint	E. Main St, NCCU, & Renaissance Pkwy			Frequent Service Network via Main Street from Durham Station to Alston
12B	GoTriangle Regional Transit Center	E. Main St, NCCU, and Regional Transit Center

Former Routes

Route	Terminal A	Terminus B		Streets Served	Notes & Replacements
BCC	Bull City Connector				A fare-free route connecting Downtown Durham. Operated 15-minute service during weekday daytime hours and 20 minutes during weekends and weekday evenings Increased resources on GoDurham's fleet and routes. Discontinued in 2020 as part of the Short Range Transit Plan and low ridership.
1A	Croasdaile Crossing			North Pointe, Northgate, & Croasdaile Crossing	1A serves Croasdaile Crossing and North Pointe Shopping Center. 1B skips North Pointe Dr, running only on Guess Rd. Route 1 runs all week. Croasdale Crossings is now served during limited runs. Discontinued in 2020 as part of the Short Range Transit Plan.
1B	Horton Rd Guess Rd			Northgate, Guess Road, & Willowdale
1N	Northgate Mall & Durham Station				Small shuttle service connecting Downtown Durham and Northgate Mall. Merged into the 1A/1B routes. Provided 15 minute service between Northgate Mall and Durham Station Unknown when discontinued.
2	Page Rd Angier Av			E. Main St, Angier Ave, & Page Rd	Discontinued in 2020 as part of the Short Range Transit Plan. 2A merged with the 2 route, which then took over the discontinued 15 route into a single route 2.
2A				Angier Ave & Page Rd
2B	The Village Shopping Center			Angier Ave, Eastern Durham, & The Village	Restructured 3C route replaces section in The Village. Route 2 will provide more service. Discontinued in 2020 as part of the Short Range Transit Plan.
3T	Holloway St, The Village, & Glenview Station				None
5	South Square			Fayetteville St, NCCU, & South Square	Now serves the Streets at Southpoint, replacing the 7 route ahead of MLK Jr. Pkwy. South Square service was replaced by the 10B route. Discontinued in 2013 as part of the Designing Better Service plan.
5K	MLK Jr. Pkwy Fayetteville Rd			Fayetteville St, NCCU, & MLK Jr. Pkwy	Originally discontinued in 2020, restored in Fall 2021. Discontinued October 2022. Frequent Service Network restored on Fayetteville St, route 5 operates 15 minute service.
6	Hillsborough Rd			Duke/VA | American Village	Discontinued in 2020 as part of the Short-Range Transit Plan Simplified in a new 6 route, which serves Crest St, Duke/VA, and Durham Station.
6B	Constitution Dr			Duke/VA | Sparger Road
6X	Duke/VA Hospitals			Duke/VA Express	Introduced in October 1991, ran non-stop between the Downtown Terminal and Duke/VA Hospitals. Discontinued around January 1994, replaced by additional service to routes 6 and 11.
7	Highway 55 Sedwick Dr			Fayetteville St, S. Roxboro St, & NC-54	Serves Fayetteville St after MLK Jr Pkwy. Serves the Streets at Southpoint. Service below MLK Jr. Pkwy is operated by a new route 5. Service now turns to MLK Jr. Pkwy to existing 7 route.
9 (First)	Oxford Commons			Dearborn Drive, Durham Regional Hospital, & Oxford Commons	Once reaching downtown, it will run the 11 route. Service extended to Riverview Shopping Center. Route changed in 2013 due to the Designing Better Bus Service Plan.
9 (Second)	Riverview Shopping Center			Dearborn Dr, N. Roxboro Rd, & Horton Rd	Only ran during evenings, Sundays, and holidays. Serves Foxfire Apartments and JFK Towers Discontinued in 2024, due to 9A/9B service running at all times, then the August 2024 Service Changes
10	University Place or New Hope Commons or Woodcroft Pkwy			Woodcroft & New Hope Commons	Discontinued in 2013 due to the Designing Better Bus Service Plan, route 10/10A runs full service to New Hope Commons, route 10B runs to South Square. Service for Woodcroft served by route 14, now by route 12.
10A	New Hope Commons			University Drive, South Square, & New Hope Commons	Discontinued in 2020, Route 10 took all day service.
10L	University Place	↔	Jordan High School	Jordan High School Link	Originally designated as the 10T in the final plan. Operated during school hours early only Discontinued in August 2013. Service replaced by route 20 Currently no active service replacement.
12B	Lowe's Grove Middle School				Not directly, however routes 12/12B and GoTriangle's 805 stops near it.
13	The Village Shopping Center	↔	Birchwood Lynn Road	Durham Technical Community College & The Village
14 (First)	Horton Rd Guess Rd	↔	Duke/VA Hospitals	Willowdale - Duke/VA	Introduced in January 1995, under delays. Possibly discontinued around 1996.
14 (Second)	NCCU Campus Shuttle				Fare-Free Shuttle running every 20 minutes from 7:30 am to 11 pm. Discontinued somewhere around 2009 NCCU is still offered by the 5, 8 and 12/12B routes.
14 (Third)	The Streets at Southpoint	↔	NC-54 Alston Av	NC-54, The Streets at Southpoint, Woodcroft Pkwy	Interlined with the 12 route. During weekends and weekday evenings, its interlined with the 5 route. Discontinued in 2020 as part of the Short Range Transit Plan. Route 14 trips now incorporated into the 12 route. Woodcroft is provided by on-demand service.
15	Brier Creek				"Express" route via Durham Freeway Collaboration with DATA and CAT (Now GoRaleigh), introduced in November 2005. Discontinued in 2020. Now served by an extended 2 route from Angier Avenue.
16	Southern High School Freeman Rd	↔	The Village Shopping Center	Southern High School & The Village	Routes 16 and 16A merged into one route, which was renamed the 3B route. The portion after Lynn Road extended into a new route, named the 3C route.
16A	Southern High School			The Village, NC-98, & Southern High School
16B (Second)	Rummel St Highway 98			The Village, Birchwood, & Ross Road	Section replaced by the new 3B and then 3C routes.
16B (First)	Neal Middle School			Neal Middle School & Southern High School	None
17 (First)	South Square Loop	↔	Duke Medical Center	Westgate Dr, Garrett Rd, & Chapel Hill Rd	17 is a loop route. Serves South Square Mall, Woodcroft Shopping Center, New Hope Commons, and Duke Medical Center. 17A is a short variant of the route, only running during evenings. Serving NCCU, South Square Mall, and New Hope Commons. Discontinued in Q2 2003. Restored by Q3 2003 as a brand new route
17A	Lakewood Roxboro St	↔	New Hope Commons	Fayetteville St, Cornwallis Rd, & University Dr
17 (Second)	Foxfire Apartments Horton Rd	↔	Durham Tech - North Campus Torrege Rd	Snow Hill Road & Horton Road	Added on Q3 2003. Completely new route. Discontinued January 2013, as part of the Designing Better Bus Service project. Replaced by the 9A/9B routes. 9A serves Horton Rd portion and route 9B runs the 17 until Northern High School.
20	Woodcroft Shopping Center	↔	Duke University VA Hospitals	Woodcroft, South Square, & Duke & VA Limited	Added in 2018, to connect Southern Durham with Duke University. Operating only during Duke class hours. Stopped running in July 2021, confirmed to be eliminated in 2023.
23	Angier Av Guthrie Av	↔	The Village Shopping Center	The Village & NC-98 Loop & East Durham	Replaced with restructured 3B route that now runs everyday. Discontinued in 2020 as part of the Short Range Transit Plan.
NHS	Northern High School Tom Wilkinson Road

Future

GoDurham Better Bus Project

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.

Currently, GoDurham's planned projects are shown here, expected to be planned and finished by 2023-2024:

• Bus Access Project - Will allow easier access to bus stops by adding sidewalks 1/4th mile from a GoDurham bus stop.
• Bus Speed and Reliability Project - Allows for the improvement of bus service by prioritizing buses in traffic, pavement markings, and better signage.
• Durham Station Transit Area - This project will evaluate current streets in Downtown Durham taken by GoDurham buses and improving those streets to speed up service to/from Durham Station
• Fayetteville Street Corridor - This project would allow major improvements around Fayetteville Street like enhanced bus stops, better traffic, and safer access which will increase reliability, safety, and will speed up the route.
• Holloway Street Corridor and Village Transit Center - This project will allow the same enhancements on Holloway Street. This will also allow major upgrades on The Village Shopping Center.
• Bus Stop Balancing Study - Will remove low ridership stops and modify existing stops to increase service reliability.

Durham Transit Plan

The Durham Transit Plan is the plan for GoDurham's long-term future bus improvements for the city by 2040. 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 service. Durham was recently awarded $10.8 million in funding, which will allow GoDurham to advance with this plan.

Current Progress

The program is currently in its expansion phase, which has started to affect the GoDurham Network. Current changes since August 2024 are:

• Creating brand new bus terminals in The Streets at Southpoint and Glenview Station as part of their Bus Stop Improvement program.
  • Improving 90 bus stops with benches and/or adding shelters.
• Received 8 new electric buses with another 18 expected to arrive within two years.
• Providing 30 minute service across the GoDurham network.
• Adding all or some 15-minute service or Frequent Service Network on routes 5, 3/3B/3C, 2/12/12B, and 11/11B.
• Micro transit on the East and North Durham Zones, now named Durham Connect
• Service Improvements on North Durham on routes 1, 4, 6, and 9.

2024-2028 Short Range Transit Plan

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. Funding has been approved for these services, which the changes would happen between 2024 and 2028. These changes include:

• Add a crosstown route connecting NCCU and The Village Shopping Center
• Improve service in Dearborn Drive to run every 30 minutes.
• Improve 75 bus stops are scheduled to be improved, with 114 more being planned.
• Increase frequency on route 3, 4, 9, and 10 routes to run 15-minute service weekdays and Saturdays.
• Increase all service to run every 30 minutes during weekdays, evening, and weekends.
• Create a transportation center in The Village, serving the 3, 3B, and 3C routes. (or what will be the 3, 13, and 16 routes)
• Increased service on GoTriangle routes in Durham.

Future Transit Plans

These other ideas are being considered to be added in the far future. These include:

• Create a transit center in North Duke Crossing [4/6/9]
• Acquire more buses for increased service.
• Extend Chapel Hill Transit's D route to Patterson Place.
• Provide ideas for North Durham [4/6/9] and Chapel Hill Road [10/10B] Transit Corridors.

External links

• Media related to GoDurham at Wikimedia Commons
• Official webpage
• GoTransit
• Freelon Design for the Transportation Center Archived 2008-08-09 at the Wayback Machine
• Downtown Terminal Groundbreaking Announcement
• Roster