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Duke Launches Shuttle Pilot Between Campus and Downtown Durham

The shuttle service will run Monday through Friday beginning July 2

Two free shuttles will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Two free shuttles will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Duke is launching a shuttle pilot that will provide service between the Health System and University and downtown Durham destinations beginning July 2.  

Two free shuttles will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. The shuttle will pick up and drop off at each stop every 30 minutes. Each shuttle will fit 30 passengers, be compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act and feature Wi-Fi. A DukeCard ID must be presented when boarding. 

The shuttle service will have eight stops around Duke and Durham:

  • North Pavilion (2400 Pratt St.)
  • Research Drive/Circuit Drive (203 Research Dr.)
  • Research Drive at CIEMAS (Intersection of Research Dr. and Coal Pile Dr.)
  • Research Drive Circle (Outside of Duke Clinics)
  • Duke Hospital (2310 Erwin Road)
  • Chesterfield Building (Intersection of Duke St. and Main St.)
  • Imperial Building/Durham Centre (215 Morris St.)
    • Please note: Due to construction-related road closures until July 23, the shuttle will make a temporary stop beside the Durham Centre instead of the Imperial Building until roads reopen. Track real-time shuttle routes and locations at duke.transloc.com.
  • American Tobacco Campus (Intersection of Jackson St. and Willard St.)

The shuttle pilot is expected to help with a growing Duke population of roughly 4,000 employees downtown, as the latest wave of 350 students, faculty and staff begin to use new Duke leased space in the Chesterfield building at the corner of W. Main and Duke streets.

“The Duke Health System’s presence is increasing across the region,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president of Duke Administration. “Departments like Duke Clinical Research Institute and Duke Department of Population Health Sciences are showing tremendous growth.”

Colleen Robles, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, who lives downtown near Durham Central Park, plans on taking the shuttle to her office in the Physics Building on West Campus. 

She prefers to share the ride to work because alternative transportation is convenient, allowing her time to answer emails and read the latest geometry research. 

“I dislike driving to work because it seems like such a waste of time,” Robles said. “This gives me a quiet moment to catch up on news in my field.”

A full listing of stops and schedules can be found on Duke Parking & Transportation’s website. The shuttle can be tracked in real-time on Duke TransLoc.

Duke will measure the use of the shuttle pilot service for the first six months to assess whether the program will continue.