Research Triangle Park, N.C. – Ridership on TTA regional buses, shuttles, vanpools and paratransit increased for the first nine months of 2006.  TTA’s ridership gains were better than the 3 percent increase nationwide for the same period released today by the American Public Transportation Association.

“Even as gas prices in the Triangle fluctuated, more and more people decided to ride TTA,” said General Manager David King.  “This continued increase in our ridership demonstrates that when people have a transit option, they use it.”

Boardings on all transit modes provided by TTA rose 19 percent from January-September 2006. Individually, regional bus and shuttle ridership rose 16.8 percent, the use of vanpools increased 24 percent and TTA’s paratransit service saw a 15.9 percent improvement.  

TTA is a regional public service provider, offering a wide variety of transit and vanpool services to North Carolina's greater Triangle Region and outlying counties.  Bus service is available to Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, Hillsborough, RDU International Airport, Research Triangle Park and Raleigh.  The Triangle Transit Authority also    provides commuter resources and hosts GoTriangle.org, the on-line resource for public transportation in the Triangle.

TTA is the implementation agency responsible for carrying out a regional plan to build a rail transit system with stations connecting Durham, RTP, Cary and Raleigh, with shuttles linking RDU International Airport and Research Triangle Park. For more information, visit www.rideTTA.org or call (919) 549-9999.