Public Transport around NCSSM

By Emme McDonald, Stentorian Staff Writer

Ninth Street is great and all, but sometimes you want to get a little further away from campus and that calc homework sitting untouched on your desk. That’s where the Triangle’s public transit system comes in. There are tons of cool places scattered throughout Durham and its surrounding towns, and the fleet of buses belonging to GoDurham, GoRaleigh, GoCary, and Chapel Hill Transit lets you see all of them without ever needing to open your Uber app. With this guide, I’ll walk you through the local bus system while offering recommendations on places to take it during your time on campus.

Etiquette on Public Transportation

Never taken a city bus before? No worries! Here are a few key points from GoDurham to get you started:

1. Get to your stop 5-10 minutes early and stand in a place visible to the operator.
2. Before getting on, be sure you’re taking the right bus in the right direction.
3. Give seat priority to passengers with disabilities and elderly passengers–you’re allowed to stand if no seats are left.
4. Not all stops are announced, so keep an eye on your map and ask the driver to call out your stop if you’re not sure.
5. The bus only stops when requested, so pull the yellow cord or push the black/yellow strip to request your stop about a block before you need to get off.

An extra tip from me: Always thank your bus driver! They deserve it.

What bus to take?

GoDurham offers several ways to view its routes, including the Transit app and the maps available at godurhamtransit.org, but my personal favorite is through the transit feature on Google or Apple Maps. Simply enter your destination and click the train icon to view available bus routes, which will be broken down by total time spent traveling and the amount of time you’ll need to walk between locations. You can even use the “Arrive By” option to know exactly when you need to leave if you’re in a hurry, and the “Leave By” option to see what travel times are estimated to be like hours in advance. 

But hang on, what if you’re looking to hop a city over to Raleigh or Chapel Hill? If you punch that in on your maps, you might notice a subscript with the fare you’ll have to pay, usually around $2.50. That’s because there’s another service that covers the gaps between the various Go[City] services called GoTriangle, which, unlike most of its in-city counterparts, does require fare. Don’t stress about the loss of that money (which should rightfully be going towards the final exam season Celsius fund)–youth under 19 qualify for free rides on any public transportation in the Triangle. As long as you get a parent or guardian on board and register beforehand, you’re good to ride all the local buses fare-free. 

With the logistics out of the way, let’s cover some popular bus routes near NCSSM:

1. Duke Gardens [25 minutes] – Walk down to Ninth St to the Safeway St stop in front of Vin Rouge and Moe’s BBQ. Take Bus H1 and ride 4 stops to Yearby Ave & H Lot, then walk about 5 minutes to the entrance. Make sure to check out the koi pond!
2. Downtown Durham [30 minutes] – Take a right out of Watts Circle onto Broad St, then turn left on W Club Blvd until you reach the Club Blvd & Clarendon St stop. Take Bus 1 inbound all the way to Durham station, then walk about 10 minutes to reach the plethora of shops and restaurants downtown. Grab tickets to see a show at DPAC if you can!
3. The Scrap Exchange [40 minutes] – Take Bus 1 inbound to Durham station, like in the last route. Then, get on Bus 10 or 10B outbound and ride 10 stops to Chapel Hill Rd & Palmer St. Walk northwest for about 5 minutes to reach the plaza. The Scrap Exchange has two stores, one for traditional thrift store merchandise and one for arts and crafts supplies, so be sure to stop by both of them!
4. South Square Mall (Target, Li Ming’s Global Mart, Ross & more) [50 minutes] – Go to Durham station via Bus 1 like in the last couple routes. Then, hop on Bus 10 or 10B outbound again. This time, stay on for 31 stops and get off at University Dr & Westgate Dr. Head north to the main plaza, then grab some groceries at Li Ming’s or do some shopping at Ross. Just make sure to get back before check!
5. New Hope Commons (Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy & more) [60 minutes] – Take a right out of Watts Circle and walk down Broad St to the Broad St & Markham Ave stop in front of Dollar General. Ride Bus 11B outbound for 6 stops to Erwin Rd & Downing St, then switch to GoTriangle Bus 400 (toward UNC Hospitals) and ride 5 stops to Durham Dr & Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. Walk about 15 minutes along Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd to the main plaza. While you’re there, try checking out Duck Donuts for made-to-order sweet treats!