Most urban areas across the world have invested in some form of high-volume rapid transit, working to provide a cheaper, more sustainable alternative to driving for their citizens. The United States, however, has fallen drastically behind in this field, with a large majority of cities across the nation hosting nothing but miles and miles of suburban sprawl.

While some cities in the US, such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, have considerable transit networks, others, like Houston and Orlando, fall considerably short.  

Raleigh falls into that category, yet our city is in a unique situation. The region is one of the fastest-growing in the nation and is home to major corporations and 3 world-class universities, yet there’s no viable way to get around without driving.

GoRaleigh is the main provider of bus service across the city, operating 38 fixed bus routes throughout the region. Yet many of these buses are infrequent, impractical, and nearly never present themselves as a more viable alternative than driving to your destination.  

Many routes operate at a once-an-hour frequency, and on-time performance can often waiver, becoming a huge headache for those who rely on these services to survive.

However, much of this could change once the city of Raleigh completes its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects. 

BRT is a more efficient and user-friendly alternative to conventional buses. These services run along designated right-of-ways, separated from traffic, much like trains.  

They will also have signal priority, forcing traffic lights to change accordingly for passing buses, making travel times shorter, according to the City of Raleigh.  Bus stops will also be upgraded with level boarding, better seating, and real-time information screens.

The city will be building 4 different BRT corridors, with the first one being scheduled to open along New Bern Avenue in late 2027.  The other routes include corridors following Wilmington Avenue, Western Avenue, and Capitol Boulevard – all of which are still in the development stage.

These new corridors allow for more high-density development to build up, boosting our cities’ overall economic growth.  It also provides new lifelines for those who may not have a personal vehicle, along with helping lower carbon emissions by taking other cars off the roads.

Normal bus routes are also seeing improvements. GoRaleigh has been increasing service frequency to every 15 minutes on a couple of its busiest routes, making those routes more convenient as well.

BRT isn’t the Triangle region’s first attempt at rapid transit, and in many ways its a downgrade from previous plans.  

GoTriangle had gotten extremely close to beginning construction on a light rail service between Chapel Hill and Durham.  However, the project was cancelled in 2019 due to a lack of funding and backlash from Duke University.

All 4 Bus Rapid Transit corridors are on track to be in service by 2030 and will serve as a new catalyst for development across the city.