[Durham INC] Durham Launches Bull City Connector Aug. 16

Thu Aug 12 09:27:17 EDT 2010

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

News Release

For Details, Contact:

Beverly B. Thompson

Director

(919) 560-4123 x11229

(919) 475-2362 (cell)

Beverly.Thompson at DurhamNC.gov

For Immediate Release: August 12, 2010

Durham Launches "Bull City Connector" August 16

Fare-Free Service Linking Key City Destinations Begins Monday

DURHAM, N.C. - If you hop on the new, fare-free Bull City Connector next
week, don't be surprised to find yourself sitting next to a public
employee, Duke student, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) faculty
member, out-of-town visitor, or a downtown resident.  Durham's new Bull
City Connector welcomes them all with a smile and a promise for a
unique, tour-like experience unlike any other.

Beginning Monday, August 16, 2010, at 10:30 a.m., residents, workers,
students, and visitors now have a new option for traveling in and around
Durham with the launch of this new fare-free, frequent, and fun service
designed to link key city destinations, including Duke University,
Durham's historic and revitalized downtown, Ninth Street, and Golden
Belt. It provides frequent service every 15 minutes Monday through
Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and every 20 minutes from 6 p.m. to
midnight. On Saturday and holidays, buses will arrive every 20 minutes
from 7 a.m. to midnight. The service will not operate on Sunday. 

In addition to being fare-free, frequent, and fun, riders of the Bull
City Connector can also expect to enjoy a tour-like experience thanks to
DATA drivers specially trained to provide information on
points-of-interest as riders travel along the route.  

According to Mayor William V. "Bill" Bell, this new service helps Durham
reach its goal of expanding public transit to increase community
mobility, access, and connectivity.  "For transit to be successful, it
needs to be convenient and easy to use.  One way to accomplish that is
to make it fare free, which is one of the wonderful aspects of the new
Bull City Connector," Bell said.  "In my opinion, successful cities of
the future will be those that offer transportation choices, conserve
energy resources, preserve the environment, and provide mobility
options. Those actions will ultimately result in an improved quality of
life for all residents and I believe the Bull City Connector brings us
closer to reaching that goal here in Durham." 

The Bull City Connector was made possible with generous financial
support from a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant, Duke
University, a state grant, and the City of Durham.  Under an agreement
between Duke and the City of Durham, Duke provided $375,000 in matching
funds so the City could receive a $3 million federal grant and a
$375,000 state grant to buy new hybrid-diesel-electric buses
specifically for the Bull City Connector route. Duke will also
contribute toward annual operating costs of the service while the City
and its partner, Triangle Transit, will manage the new service. 

According to Phail Wynn, Jr., vice president of Durham and Regional
Affairs at Duke University, this new service is a tremendous benefit for
Duke students and employees. "The Bull City Connector is an important
component of our economic development and downtown revitalization
partnership with the City of Durham," Wynn said. "This fare-free,
Duke-to-downtown Durham transit connector will be of tremendous benefit
to not only Duke students but also to the nearly 2,000 Duke University
and Duke University Health System employees working in downtown Durham."

The Bull City Connector features environmentally friendly service using
hybrid buses that hold approximately 60 passengers each. Delivery of the
new hybrid buses is expected in early 2012. In the meantime, the service
will use hybrid buses already in the DATA bus fleet. 

In tests comparing hybrid-electric buses to conventional diesel models,
hybrid buses typically use up to 45 percent less fuel and are up to 50
percent quieter.  Hybrid buses do not require special fueling or other
infrastructure changes. The hybrid buses also feature many accessible
features such as wheelchair securement, an entrance ramp, and a kneeling
feature. The buses also include a video surveillance system, talking bus
features for the visually impaired, and bike racks.

North Carolina Central University will also link to the new Bull City
Connector thanks to the NCCU Connection, a new fare-free transit
initiative designed specifically for NCCU and Duke students, faculty,
and staff.  Starting August 16, NCCU and Duke students, faculty, and
staff may board the Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) Route 5 bus
(displaying the NCCU Connection emblem) anywhere between Cecil Street
and Durham Station, simply by showing a valid NCCU or Duke ID card. Once
on board the NCCU Connection, students, faculty, and staff may continue
their travel free-of-charge on Route 5 or on the Bull City Connector.

To download a complete route map, or for more information, visit 
www.bullcityconnector.org or call (919) 485-RIDE.

###

Bull City Connector, a service of the Durham Area Transit Authority.

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