As demand for better public transportation in the Research Triangle continues to grow, the region's primary transit agency, GoTriangle, is responding by adding more routes and improving service. Over the past year, GoTriangle opened its first major transit station at Union Station in Raleigh, introduced 15-minute frequencies on routes 400 and 100, and saw a ridership increase of over 30%. This is not just thanks to the agency's 33% increase in transit service between 2025 and 2026, but also thanks to the never-ending migration of residents from across the globe to areas such as Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Apex, and Holly Springs, contributing to the suburban growth of the region. Many of these residents come from high-density areas, where they previously relied heavily on public transportation. Because of this, it is important for GoTriangle to adapt and evolve to support their needs.

This month, GoTriangle finalized plans for their next round of Service Changes, which will resurrect a vital regional connection and improve several existing routes to provide better, faster, and more reliable transit to Research Triangle Residents. Holly Springs, a town of more than 50,000 residents, will be impacted the most by these changes, which will be put in place between Sunday, August 2, and Monday, August 3. Currently, the town is served by route 305, which runs between Raleigh and Holly Springs during peak travel times on weekdays. For trips within town limits, a municipality-provided microtransit service, the Holly Springs Hopper, is available with a $2 fare per each ride. 

When the 305 isn't running its full distance, it is instead terminating in Apex, which the route serves just before the North Main Athletic Complex (NMAC) in Holly Springs on peak runs. Last year, weekend service was introduced for just the Apex - Raleigh portion of the route, and now, the entire corridor between Raleigh and Holly Springs will receive all-day, hourly service, seven days a week, between 6am and 8pm. On top of existing stops at NMAC, Town Hall, UNC Rex Hospital, Ralph Stephens Rd., and the Shoppes at Holly Springs, two new stops will be added, the first of which will be near where Main Street intersects with Holly Springs Road and the second where it meets Cayman Avenue. This will bridge a notable gap between NMAC and Town Hall, while also providing better service to residents of Windward Pointe, Oak Hall, and Main Street Vista, which is slated to open this year. These new stops will also be fundamental for riders wishing to go shopping or grab a bite to eat, as they will be just a brisk walk away from stores and restaurants such as Mr. Cancun, Sonic, and Food Lion. The route will also receive a new alignment between Cary and Raleigh, which will bring new stops to Tryon Road, Trailwood Drive, Avent Ferry Road, the North Carolina State University Centennial Campus, and Hillsborough Street in downtown Raleigh. It will still start and end at Raleigh Union Station (RUS Bus), but service along Western Boulevard and Jones Franklin Road will be removed. This will not significantly impact riders on the affected stretch, as service will still be available via GoTriangle route 300 (Cary - Raleigh), GoCary routes 1 and 6, and GoRaleigh routes 11L and 9. 

For the first time since 2020, route 311 will return, but in a new and improved state. The route, which was suspended due to driver shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, originally ran as a commuter-oriented route at peak times only on weekdays between the Regional Transit Center in Durham and Lake Pine Plaza in Apex, a Park & Ride which was formerly also route 305's southern terminus. It utilized N.C.-55 almost the whole way, with limited stops throughout. But now, the corridor has been reinvented. Starting Monday, August 3rd, the 311 will return, but this time with a whole new schedule and destination. The route will now run hourly all day on weekdays, from 6am to 9pm. It will still start at the Regional Transit Center and travel down N.C.-55 towards Apex, but instead of ending there, it will continue south to NMAC in Holly Springs, where it will meet the 305. It will no longer serve Lake Pine Plaza, but the parking lot of Compare Foods, located at the corner of E Williams Street and S Hughes Street in Apex will be available for riders to use as a Park & Ride. Pine Plaza is also still served by route 305. This is a significant milestone for GoTriangle, as it further reiterates the agency's goal to grow with the area and make sure their service is accessible to as many people as possible, while continuing to prioritize reliability. By reconnecting this missing link on their network, GoTriangle has provided commuters from Apex and Holly Springs who travel almost entirely between their bedrooms and RTP (Or Raleigh, for 305 riders), with a new and improved second option to commute to their jobs. 

Beyond the major overhauls in Apex and Holly Springs, GoTriangle is also implementing minor schedule and routing adjustments to two Chapel Hill-based routes, the 400 and the 800. The 400, which runs every 15 minutes between Durham and Chapel Hill, will have another stop added at Fordham Boulevard and Eastowne Drive, to provide service to the Eastowne Medical Campus, Wegmans, and surrounding residential and commercial areas. No significant changes will be made to scheduling or routing. This new stop will also be served by route 405. Chapel Hill Transit service will not be affected.

Route 800, which runs between Chapel Hill and the Regional Transit Center will also receive a minor routing change at Southpoint Mall in Durham. When operating eastbound towards the RTC, it will utilize new stops on the south side of Renaissance Parkway, instead of the existing stops across the street. The previous alignment forced the route to loop onto itself in order to serve the same stops in both directions, adding 10+ minutes to its runtime. By streamlining this section, riders can get between Chapel Hill and the Regional Transit Center quicker. Buses running towards Chapel Hill will continue using existing stops, and will not be affected.

Route 420, which runs between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, is currently contracted to Chapel Hill Transit and has been since the route's inception in 2006, except for a short stint at the very beginning, when it was operated by the Triangle Transit Authority (TTA). However, after 20 years, GoTriangle will be discontinuing its contract agreement with Chapel Hill Transit and assuming full operation of the 420 themselves. The route will continue to utilize the same routing and schedule - with service during peak times only on weekdays. Midday service will continue to be provided by Orange County Public Transportation as route OCH. This change will allow Chapel Hill Transit to redirect its resources fully towards its core network, which will help ease recurring driver shortages.

Route ODX will also receive a new boarding location at Durham Station, moving to Willard Street (Mutual Tower side) across from Durham Station to make space for Durham Station Improvement construction.

Changes to routes 305, 400, and 800 will begin on August 2, with routes 311, 405, and 420 receiving theirs the following day, August 3. Visit www.gotriangle.org/service-changes for more details.