Research Triangle Park, N.C. –  The Triangle Transit Authority’s Board of Trustees today approved a new budget that will include funding for rider-suggested amenities.

In a unanimous vote, the Trustees decided to spend $7.1 million for capital improvements to the bus and vanpool services in FY 2008, which runs from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. This includes $6.8 million for 20 heavy-duty replacement buses, $136,000 for 8 seven-passenger vanpool vehicles, and $190,000 for amenities at bus stops.  These improvements were identified through an intense public-involvement process that began in Fall 2006.

Upon its adoption, Dr. Alice Gordon, Chair of the Board said, “Our Trustees have appropriated the largest amount of funding in one budget year for rider improvements.  I am pleased that TTA’s board saw the importance of the changes and delighted that our passengers were part of this important process.  These steps will make transit in the Triangle more accessible and more enjoyable.”

Among the bus stop amenities to be added in the next 12 months:

• New shelters
• Bike lockers
• Additional “Park-and-Ride” spaces
• Transit information tubes with route listings
• Bus benches
• Talking bus – automated bus annunciators
• Lighted information schedule posts

In Fall 2006, TTA held public outreach sessions to ask riders what they would like to see added to make improve their trip.  In early 2007, TTA asked riders and the public to prioritize their suggestions through a Transit Design Game.

The amenities are part of TTA’s multi-year plan to improve regional transit options. Twenty new buses will arrive in early 2008, the first step toward replacing TTA’s entire fleet.  Four new seven-passenger “Flex Fuel” vanpools were placed in service this month and eight more seven-passenger vanpools are part of the Board’s expenditure that was approved today.

Earlier this year, TTA, Capital Area Transit (CAT) and Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) along with Cary Transit, Chapel Hill Transit, NC State Wolfline and the NC Department of Transportation opened the GoTriangle Regional Information Center.  The call center provides information on TTA, CAT, DATA and other routes in the Triangle and information on carpooling, vanpooling and other transportation options.

TTA is a regional public transportation provider, offering a wide variety of transit and vanpool services to North Carolina's Triangle Region and outlying counties. Regional bus and shuttle 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 www.rideTTA.org and www.GoTriangle.org, on-line resources for public transportation information in the Triangle.  

For more information, visit www.rideTTA.org or call (919) 549-9999.