The Durham Area Transit Authority will hold public information sessions Wednesday and next week to outline proposed changes that would affect every DATA bus route. [1/12/12 update: DATA would shorten routes to make buses run on time, but there would be tradeoffs.  See today's story.]

Triangle Transit, which took over management of the DATA system in 2010, is proposing the changes to boost service to several locations and to improve on-time performance for buses that frequently run behind schedule.

The meetings will take place upstairs at the Durham Station transit center, 515 W. Pettigrew St.

* Today: Open house 2-3 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m., with presentations at 3-4:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m.
* Jan. 17: Open house 12-3p.m.
* Jan. 18: Open house 7-10 a.m.

The Durham City Council will consider the proposed route changes this spring.  Details are online at http://dbbs.gotriangle.org.

Triangle Transit, which buses commuters between towns and cities in three counties, will expand its reach in October to take charge of Durham’s urban bus system.

A three-year contract approved Wednesday by Triangle Transit trustees and Monday by the city council will make the agency responsible for planning, marketing and management of DATA, the Durham Area Transit Authority.

DATA will still be the city’s bus service, with the Durham City Council paying its bills and retaining ownership of buses and bus stops. Triangle Transit will propose annual budgets and recommend improvements in bus service, but the city council will make the decisions. ... [MORE]

Now that Triangle Transit trustees and the Durham City Council have endorsed the basic idea, they want to hear what the public thinks about their plan to have Triangle Transit take over management, planning and marketing for Durham's transit service, DATA.

Two public information sessions are planned at DATA's Durham Station transit center, 515 W. Pettigrew Street: 2-6pm Tuesday, May 4, and 2-6pm Friday, May 14.

Hoping not to alarm DATA riders and drivers, officials have refused to mention any changes they might have in mind for the future, except for one: a plan to reshape routes on U.S. 15-501 between Chapel Hill and Durham, now shared by the two bus agencies and Chapel Hill Transit. Those changes were proposed to take effect in August, but they've been postponed for now.

There is general talk about improving efficiency, reducing overlaps and coordinating the work of DATA and Triangle Transit. But there is a promise that no changes would be made in the first year under Triangle Transit management, tentatively scheduled to start Oct. 1.

DATA riders and workers should be able to hold public officials to these terms, as spelled out today in a DATA news release: ... [MORE]

Three regional transit agencies proposed changes today to reduce duplication in their bus routes and provide more options for riders on the U.S. 15-501 corridor between Durham and Chapel Hill, and to launch direct bus service between the airport and downtown Raleigh.

The proposed changes, to take effect in August, include: ... [MORE]

Try Transit Week starts Monday, and local transit operators will do everything they can to lure passengers onto their buses.

Triangle Transit will have prize drawings all week in a Go Triangle Scavenger Hunt with prize clues distributed to GoTriangle followers on Twitter and Triangle Transit Facebook fans. Prizes include gift cards, mp3 players and Carolina Panthers tickets.

Durham Area Transit Authority, Triangle Transit, Capital Area Transit and Cary’s C-Tran are pitching in to pitch these offers:

Tuesday: Rack & Ride Day. Bike riders ride the bus, with their bikes on the rack, for free.

Wednesday: Stuff the Buses for the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina. Bring canned food to donate when you ride the bus.

Thursday: Ride for free, all buses, Triangle-wide.

Friday: Operations Appreciation Day. Say thanks to your bus driver and fill out comment cards.

View Larger Map

Frequent, fare-free circulator buses will start rolling around downtown by mid-February in Raleigh and, probably, by late March in Durham.

These new buses will make it easier to move around the center city without worrying so much where your car is parked -- whether you work downtown or live downtown, or you're coming downtown to dine, shop or play.

Rob and Linda Stahl of Raleigh were glad to read about it. One of them said by e-mail: "I can see our family using the circulator when we go downtown to our favorite museum – the Natural Science Museum."

But the Stahls wanted to see route maps, which appeared in the print edition today but not online. ... [MORE]

The Durham Area Transit Authority is holding an open house Wednesday to present what it has planned for improving its service over the next five years.

Public comment is encouraged, to be considered before devising a final plan for the DATA trustees' approval next month. The open house runs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the DATA Board Room, 1907 Fay Street (near the old County Fairgrounds).

To get there, one may catch a bus at the downtown transfer point, running every 30 minutes from 12:45 on. To see a draft version of the plan, see http://DATA.durhamnc.gov.