The Bull City Connector buses haven't attracted quite as many riders as City Hall hoped for, according to a first-year report prepared for the City Council's Thursday work session.

Management has ideas for improvement, though.

According to the report, the free service between Duke West Campus and the Golden Belt complex in East Durham was averaging 1,636 riders a day in August, after a full year's operation. The city's target was 2,025 a day.

Ridership exceeded its target after the first three months, then its rate of increase slowed. Still, there was a steady increase in people taking the bus.

A rider survey showed that the Connector had had trouble making its stops on time, which may have discouraged use. One identified cause was street blocking by commercial vehicles loading and unloading; city authorities intend to be stricter enforcing the loading rules.

Other improvements, possible in 2012, include more buses, route extensions – including one to NCCU – and traffic signals that give buses priority at getting through intersections.

The "Bull City Connector" free bus service is extending its morning hours as of the first Monday in January, with the first westbound departure from the Golden Belt complex on East Main Street at 6:22 a.m. and from the downtown bus station at 6:31.

Currently, the route opens at 7 a.m. According to the Triangle Transit Authority, the earlier starts are intended to accommodate commuters who start workdays at 7.

The service runs through downtown Durham, between Duke Hospital and Golden Belt, with departures every 15 minutes until 6 p.m. and every 20 minutes until midnight and on Saturdays and weekends.

Service ends at 7:30 Christmas Eve and takes off Christmas Day, but runs regular holiday hours New Year's Eve and Jan. 1.

The Bull City Connector, a free bus service between Duke Medical Center and East Durham, began as scheduled this morning. And as befits a special occasion, driver Haywood Kornegay, city Transportation Director Mark Ahrendsen, Mayor Bill Bell and City Manager Tom Bonfield were wearing bright yellow sport shirts with Bull City Connector logos.

Bonfield said he was debating whether to wear his to tonight's City Council meeting, but he said that might present a problem.

"It's kind of hard to find a necktie that matches this," he said.

There are things going on in town besides billboards and 751 South. For instance, the Bull City Connector and NCCU Connection bus routes.

The Bull City Connector is a no-charge service running daily between the Golden Belt complex in East Durham and Duke Medical Center. The NCCU Connection runs between Cecil Street, near campus, and the main bus station, Durham Station, on Pettigrew Street at no charge for NCCU staff, faculty and students and for Duke University students.

The routes open for the first time Monday, with due todo.

In August, a new, free bus service will debut linking downtown Durham with the Duke University campus and medical facilities.

Duke and City officials have unveiled the Bull City Connector, an environmentally friendly fleet of six new hybrid/diesel buses running from the Golden Belt urban arts campus on Main Street to the Duke Clinics medical facility on Trent Drive, on Duke's West Campus.

It will make stops every 15 minutes Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and every 20 minutes from 6 p.m. to midnight.

It won't operate on Sundays.

Duke is providing $375,000 in matching funds to the project so the city could get a $3 million federal grant to buy the six new buses. Duke will also help pay the annual operating costs.

The new buses will arrive in late 2011 or early 2012. In the meantime, the project will use hybrid buses from the current Durham Area Transit Authority fleet.
 
“The Bull City Connector is an important component of our economic development and downtown revitalization partnership with the city of Durham,” said Phail Wynn Jr., vice president of Durham and Regional Affairs at Duke, in a news release. “This fare-free Duke-to-downtown Durham transit connector will be of tremendous benefit to Duke students and to the nearly 2,000 Duke University and Duke University Health System employees working in downtown Durham.”
 
The city will operate and maintain the bus service.
 

In August, a new, free bus service will debut linking downtown Durham with the Duke University campus and medical facilities.

Duke and City officials have unveiled the Bull City Connector, an environmentally friendly fleet of six new hybrid/diesel buses running from the Golden Belt urban arts campus on Main Street to the Duke Clinics medical facility on Trent Drive, on Duke's West Campus.

It will make stops every 15 minutes Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and every 20 minutes from 6 p.m. to midnight.

It won't operate on Sundays.

Duke is providing $375,000 in matching funds to the project so the city could get a $3 million federal grant to buy the six new buses. Duke will also help pay the annual operating costs.

The new buses will arrive in late 2011 or early 2012. In the meantime, the project will use hybrid buses from the current Durham Area Transit Authority fleet.
 
“The Bull City Connector is an important component of our economic development and downtown revitalization partnership with the city of Durham,” said Phail Wynn Jr., vice president of Durham and Regional Affairs at Duke, in a news release. “This fare-free Duke-to-downtown Durham transit connector will be of tremendous benefit to Duke students and to the nearly 2,000 Duke University and Duke University Health System employees working in downtown Durham.”
 
The city will operate and maintain the bus service.
 

City Manager Tom Bonfield got this message from Duke Vice President Phail Wynn this morning, regarding the Bull City Connector transit service meant to start this summer between Duke Hospital and Golden Belt:

"I have a check for $375,000 as Duke University's local match to the federal grant for the purchase of six hybrid/diesel buses.  Please let me know when you are available to receive the check."