Triangle Transit Authority

We missed our plane and had to stay for an unplanned night in A hotel nearby. We weren’t looking to pay too much for anything, but were bored so I googled local transit.
We were very new to public transportation and had NO CLUE what we were doing but the bus drivers and customer service lines were very helpful.

The Triangle Transit is a great way to get around town, but will somebody explain to me why they don’t run on Sunday or later at night. Folks from the various cities do work late shifts and on the weekend. Just saying let’s really be a progressive state. As far as the drivers most are cool and a few even have a warped since of Humor which is good in that job…

I will first say that the majority of driver’s are very friendly and helpful. Although, the bus is not option if you need to be anywhere on time, or plan to get home in time to sleep. I understand everyone needs to train, and things happen. It does seem the majority of the time, driver’s have no regard for people’s time. I would think if a bus is running late it would be courtesy to hold the next bus. Also, the routes take way too long, and don’t run to the rural areas where transit is needed most. My suggestion, have the folks who design the routes ride every bus for several weeks. That way, they will know how it feels to have 16 hour day; that should have only been 12.

TTA has its advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
–Much cheaper than taking a cab from RDU (though slower). If you’re trying to get to Chapel Hill, it’s $ 4 to get from RDU to Franklin Street, a much better deal than the close to $ 50 you could spend based on where you are in CH.
–Clean, decent buses. They’re structured similar to the Chapel Hill buses.
–If you’re going to the UNC Hospitals or UNC area or Franklin St, you’re good to go.
–Drivers are quite good too.
Disadvantages
–If you’re in a hurry, it’s not an option. Simply put, it takes awhile to get from Point A to Point B, with all that waiting and whatnot.
–The buses from RDU to the TTA Terminal are not conducive to large bags.
So if you’re in a hurry, it’s not an option, but if you want some money from RDU to Chapel Hill, Durham, etc, it’s definitely a good option.

I, too, avoid taking the TTA whenever possible. It’s not that it’s a bad service — in fact it’s a generally well-​maintained and smoothly operating asset to the Triangle area. Most of my TTA trips were attempted excursions from UNC’s campus to Wal-​Mart on 15 – 501 (like 4 – 5 miles?), but on one occasion my friend and I actually ended up stuck at one of the main terminals in downtown Durham with no clue how to get back. Luckily, the station employees were very friendly and helpful. Of course, I find it difficult to figure out the Chapel Hill Transit routes so trying to plan a multi-​stop trip on the TTA is pretty tough. If you’re reasonably savvy about public transit it shouldn’t be a problem, and at $ 2 per trip it’s definitely a bargain.

Over the years I’ve made as little use of TTA as humanly possible, simply because the system carries with it a heart-​pounding sense of danger. Will we make it to our destination in one piece? Will we be able to make it back? Only god knows.
The buses themselves are in pretty good shape, and the drivers tend to know their stuff pretty well. I hate paying for buses (even when I’m riding a bus that demands it I try to get away without paying, usually with success), so that grates on me, even if it is only a couple of bucks per trip.
Their scheduling, however, is a little off. The majority of the time I check the bus schedule, only to get to the stop on time and find out that the bus rolled through 10 minutes early, leaving me stranded for god knows how long. Either that or it will be running incredibly late, same effect. That’s a big problem, especially when your schedule is tight and you’re trying to catch the last bus of the day.

My roommate in college dated a guy who went to NC State. After watching her bravely board the TTA and make something like 5 connections to get to his campus, I decided that I was safe and savvy enough to also take the plunge. The mission? South Square Mall, Durham. (For those of you who haven’t been around long enough, South Square used to be where the spanking new Target, etc. now stands. And it was pretty close to pitiful. But they had an Express store, and I was no doubt in need of some clubbin’ clothes!). The trip from UNC to that area of 15 – 501 took around 30 minutes with all the stops, but it was pretty smooth and not at all crowded. Cheap, too. And I made it to and fro on two occasions without getting stranded in the bowels of Durham or anything!

The TTA, short for Triangle Transit Authority runs a regional route around the 3 major districts here in the area. It goes to Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. There’s also an express route to and from Hillsborough for those people who might work in Chapel Hill. Much like most of the M-​F express routes they run on mornings and in the latter part of the afternoon– when people are getting off work.
The buses are fairly comfortable, but since they got these new colorful buses, my butt hurts sitting in those thinly cushioned seats for my sweet buns. Ouch! I just don’t like the seats on these new buses at all– the backs are shorter and less comfy.
I prefer the old busses on the inside since the back of the chair is high and cushioned like it should be– end to end. The general fare is $ 2.00 each way or you can get an all day pass for $ 4 or $ 5 and ride all over the 3 districts as you please for the day.
I ride this bus to work, it’s less dramatic than dealing with some of the people around here with non-​driving skills. Some of the buses start running pretty early around 5:30am or 5:45am– depends on the bus line.
The buses are typically very clean and most of the drivers are very friendly and helpful.