How to live Uber-free: A Duke student’s guide to the Triangle’s public transportation

Looking for a public transit guide for your next car-free off-campus adventure? With bus tickets remaining free until 2023, now is the best time to hop on a bus and explore the area. GoDurham has a trip planner that can help you navigate your routes. Here are the easiest ways to navigate from Duke to the nine popular locations in the The Triangle area.

The Tobacco District/Durham Station

Just a ten minute bus ride from East Campus, you can visit the Durham Farmers Market on a sunny Saturday or experience downtown Durham’s nightlife.

You can use these directions to navigate to the starting point of the following eight trips.

Board the bus on Main Street at the Campus Drive station on East Campus. Take the 11B bus towards Durham Station or the 11 towards Durham Station. Travel four stops, which takes about four minutes. Then disembark at Durham Station in the Tobacco District.

West Point in Eno River State Park

Eno Park is the perfect spot for exploring idyllic swimming spots or lush hikes at the weekend. Better yet, this beautiful forest oasis is less than an hour from campus by bus 9.

At Durham Station, board the 9 bus bound for Northern High School. Travel for 76 stops, which takes approximately 49 minutes. Get off the bus at Eno Park. The stop is on Seven Oaks Road at the Riverview Shopping Center.

For even more shopping, the Streets at Southpoint Mall offers dozens of clothing chains and an extensive food court just half an hour from campus.

At Durham Station, board the 5 bus bound for Southpoint. Travel 36 stops which should take approximately 27 minutes. Get off at South Point Mall, the stop is on Fayetteville Road on Renaissance Parkway.

AMC CLASSIC Durham

To catch the latest blockbuster or A24 strip, just hop on the 10 bus bound for New Hope Commons, two stops past South Square Mall.

At Durham Station, board the 10 bus bound for New Hope Commons. Travel 44 stops which should take approximately 24 minutes. Get off University Drive at Larchmont Drive and then walk 9 minutes, 0.4 miles along Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway next to Harris Teeter and you will see the AMC on the right.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Getting to UNC-Chapel Hill couldn’t be easier for Duke students. The Robertson Express offers convenient transportation throughout the school year. Buses depart from Duke and UNC from 7:30am to 10:30pm on weekdays, from 12:30pm to 11:00pm on Saturdays and from 11:40am to 9:30pm on Sundays. click here for the full schedule. The Robertson Express ride is free.

The Duke stop is at Science Drive Circle in front of the Physics building. The stop at UNC is at Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 250 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

Downtown Raleigh

Luckily for Duke students, there are several ways to get from Downtown Durham to Downtown Raleigh in as little as 40 minutes.

Option One (bus, only available on weekdays):

Board the DRX Durham-Raleigh Express at Chapel Drive on Duke University Road or take the bus to Durham Station and board there. Travel four stops from Durham Station, which should take approximately 40 minutes. You arrive in Raleigh at Moore Square, which is located at 201 South Blount Street.

Note: This is a commuter route, so there are no midday, night or weekend services on this route.

Option 2 (train):

Purchase Amtrak tickets before the ride for $7. There are usually four trains per day. From Durham Station, take the Piedmont Train bound for Raleigh Union Station. Travel two stops which should take approximately 38 minutes. You will arrive in Raleigh at Raleigh Union Station, located at 510 W Martin Street.

Option 3 (Bus):

At Durham Station, change onto the 700 towards the Regional Transit Center. Travel seven stops which should take approximately 20 minutes. Disembark at GoTriangle Regional Transit Center (RTC) and transfer to RDU Airport for the 100 toward Raleigh. Travel 22 stops which should take approximately 45 minutes. In Raleigh, disembark at Moore Square, located at 201 South Blount Street.

Raleigh Durham International Airport

Finally, if you need to catch a flight, using public transportation to get to Raleigh-Durham International Airport is easier than you might think.

From Durham Station, take the 700 bus bound for the Regional Transit Center. Travel seven stops which should take approximately 25 minutes. Get off at the GoTriangle Regional Transit Center. Then go to the RDU GoTriangle Regional Transit Center (RTC) & RTP Connect. Travel five stops which should take approximately 10 minutes. Then arrive at RDU Airport at Terminal 2 (Zone 6).