Duke Riders Boost Bull City Connector Use
Survey shows increase of 12 percent from 2014 to 2015
After adding new stops along Duke’s campuses in August, the Bull City Connector is seeing an uptick in Duke community members utilizing the fare-free bus route.
The adjusted route, which added four stops at or near Duke, helped increase Duke-related ridership by 12 percent, according to a survey by GoSmart, formally GoTriangle, the organization that manages the Connector. That percentage represents a jump of about 30 more passengers – now about 210 - each weekday.
Read More“It’s a good thing for Duke because the Bull City Connector is becoming a more important part of the public transportation network for jobs, classes and activities on campus,” said John Tallmadge, director of regional services development for GoSmart. “Be getting more stops farther into the Duke campus, it’s opened up access to many more opportunities than before.”
Before the route changes took place Aug. 15, a survey showed that six out of every 10 Connector riders had some sort of affiliation with Duke, whether student, employee, patient or visitor. While the exact survey hasn’t been replicated yet, Tallmadge estimated that number has grown in recent months.
“The uptick we’ve seen is great because it reinforces that the Bull City Connector is a good choice for the Duke audience, especially with increased access along Main Street,” said Alison Carpenter, manager for Duke’s transportation demand management program. “It’s created shorter frequencies between stops, which we’ve heard are important to our students and employees.”
In addition to increased ridership on the Bull City Connector, use of GoDurham’s Route 6, which travels from downtown’s Durham Station to dozens of stops on Duke campuses, has seen an increase of 20 percent since last year. Carpenter said that many Duke community members are riding local and regional transit using the GoPass, which provides unlimited rides on GoSmart buses for a $25 annual fee for employees. The pass is free for students.
Nearly 5,000 GoPasses are currently in circulation.
“It’s always nice to let others do the driving for you,” Carpenter said. “Over the past year, we’ve seen more students and employees taking advantage of the alternative commuting options made available to them.”