Commuters
Optimize Your Commute
Choosing to walk, bike, take public transit, vanpool, or carpool not only reduces your carbon footprint, it also helps to create a more hospitable and vibrant city. Not to mention it saves you time, money and can improve your health! Every time you choose not to make a trip alone in a car, you are working to:
Reduce Congestion
Improve Your Health
Improve Air Quality
Reduce Commute Time
Save Money
Commute Options
Carpool & Vanpool
Carpooling & Vanpooling
Carpooling is a great way to commute to work while saving both time AND money. Just by sharing the ride with one other person, you can cut your commute costs in half and reduce the wear and tear on your vehicle.
Join a vanpool and leave the vehicle maintenance and insurance to someone else! Vanpools are groups of five or more commuters who chose their own route, schedule, and pick-up points in a vehicle that is maintained by Commute with Enterprise.
Ask your employer if they offer premium parking spots or discounts for rideshares so you can save even more money and time by not having to hunt for that perfect space.
Way to Go Durham and Durham County offer a subsidy that will cover all of the program’s cost, excluding fuel, for the majority of the commuter groups.
Bus
Durham has a robust transit system with over 20 bus routes serving Bull City. GoDurham ACCESS provides you with curb-to-curb ADA paratransit in the City of Durham and Durham County for those who qualify. Taking a bus is easy whether commuting from Raleigh, Mebane, Chapel Hill, RTP, or anywhere in between.
Transit is Fare-Free until June 2024. You do not need a pass, ID, or any form of payment to travel on a GoDurham, GoCary, GoRaleigh, or Chapel Hill Transit Bus.
All Durham buses have free Wi-Fi, so you can catch up on your favorite shows or get some extra work done. All buses are also equipped with bike racks to allow you to connect your bicycle between the bus stop and home or work.
All buses serving Durham stop at the Durham Station, which makes transfers to a local route seamless. Durham Station is located in the heart of Durham, offering an easy walk to most downtown businesses.
Bike & Walk
Walking and biking to work is a health, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive way to commute! There are over 50 miles of bike lanes throughout Durham, making it easy to combine exercise with your commute.
New to bike riding? You can get fitted for a new bike, or find a gently used one, at one of Durham’s many neighborhood bike shops. BikeDurham offers a Bike Buddy program that can match you with an experienced bike commuter who can show you the ropes and the most efficient route to work.
Telework and Alternative Work Schedules
Teleworking– or, working from home – is one of the many ways for commuters to increase productivity and reduce commute costs. If your employer has a telework policy, we can assist in making the transition from commuter to non-commuter a snap. We can also work with your employer in creating a policy and guidelines to help teleworkers stay connected to supervisors and team members.
If your employer allows it, consider working a flexible schedule. Working a 4/10 or 9/80 schedule will still have you work 80 hours in two weeks, but will reduce your commute costs and provide you with an extra “vacation” day!
Resources
Share The Ride
Quickly and securely find commute partners anywhere in the Triangle. Simply enter where you live, where you work, and your work hours, and ShareTheRideNC.org will match you with nearby commuters with similar schedules.
Commute Planning
It’s like having a personal assistant for your commute. Let us take the guess work out of figuring which commute option is the best for you. A personalized commute plan will walk you through your commute options, be it bus, carpool, vanpool, or even bike/ walk. And it’s free!
Get started.
Emergency Ride Home
Take comfort in knowing that you can always get a ride home. When you take a bus or a carpool/ vanpool to work, you qualify for an Emergency Ride Home. Get a free taxi ride when you or a family member gets sick, has a severe crisis, or if you have unscheduled overtime. Registration is free and simple at ShareTheRideNC.org.
Real Time Transit
With Real Time Transit, there is no more waiting in the rain for the bus. Download the free TransLoc Rider app and stop guessing when the bus will come. All regional buses are equipped with GPS locators, so you can see them moving in real time and get arrival predictions and proximity alerts.
Durham ADA Paratransit Service
For those who qualify, there is GoDurham ACCESS which provides curb-to-curb ADA paratransit service in the City of Durham and Durham County.
Bike Buddy & Maps
Resources for beginners, experts, and all in-between
Bike Buddy & Maps
Whether you are new to bicycle commuting or new to the area, find yourself a Bike Buddy to help show you the way around town. If you’re ready to ride out on your own, find the best route for you with the Durham Bike & Hike map.
Go Perks
Go smart, track your trip, get rewarded
Not driving alone to work is pretty rewarding in itself. With GoPerks, you can win gift cards and other prizes for choosing to not drive alone. Create a free account at ShareTheRideNC.org and start tracking your commute to win!
Discounted Bus Pass
The more you ride, the more you save
Stop paying full price for the bus! If you are an infrequent bus rider, load up a Value Card and get a 20% discount. Frequent riders can purchase a Regional or Express Pass and save even more!
Scooters
Last-mile connections
For those who would like to take the bus, but need a connection to and/or from the bus stop, an electric scooter is a great way for those last-mile connections. There are 600 scooters throughout the city, making it a great, and affordable, way to increase your mobility.
Carshare
ZipCar and Enterprise CarShare have vehicles around the city that you can rent by the hour or the day. Pay as little as $9 an hour to have a car during the day when you need it and have the parking, gas and insurance all included.
Bicycle Benefits Durham
Over a dozen local businesses participate in the local Bicycle Benefits program, which provides you with discounts or freebies when you ride your bike. Ask one how to obtain your Bicycle Benefits sticker.