Research Triangle Park, N.C. –  Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) has set new ridership records for regional bus, shuttle, vanpool, and paratransit service.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006:

• Regional Bus and Shuttle ridership was up 7.8% from last year, to 817,691
• Vanpool ridership was up 17.6% from last year, to 398,602
• Paratransit ridership remained steady at 10,846

In announcing the gains, General Manager John Claflin said, “TTA’s significant rise in transit ridership shows that more and more people in the Triangle are choosing the affordability and convenience of public transportation.  We will continue to offer an attractive and competitive alternative to the high price of fuel.”  TTA’s first fare increase in a decade did not deter riders from transit. TTA’s ridership   gains topped the 4.2% increase in national public transportation ridership for the first quarter of 2006.

In late FY 2006, TTA added express service between Chapel Hill and Raleigh and Durham and Raleigh.  Service was also added between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill.  TTA also joined with the Durham Area Transit Authority and Capital Area Transit to provide service to Brier Creek in Wake County.

The regional transit trip planner at GoTriangle.org saw 1,535,163 visits between July 2005 and June 2006, a 155% increase.  Ridematching requests were up 645% from the previous year and calls to TTA’s Customer Service Center hit a new record at 51,368.

TTA is a regional public transportation 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, RTP and Raleigh. 

The Triangle Transit Authority also provides commuter resources and hosts GoTriangle.org, the popular on-line resource for public transportation information in the Triangle and ShareTheRideNC.com, the state's rideshare matching service.

TTA plans to implement a 28-mile rail transit system with 12 stations connecting Durham, RTP, Cary and Raleigh, with shuttles linking RDU International Airport and RTP.   For more information, visit www.rideTTA.org or call (919) 549-9999.