Transportation Plan - 2009, amended

3.2 Public Transportation Not many residents of Morrisville ride public transit: probably less than two percent of all trips are made using public transportation (a little more if school-age bus trips are includ- ed). As fuel prices and the average age of the general public increase, the convenience of public transit begins to look more attractive to a broader audience. Many people have moved to Morrisville without the expectation of convenient public transit services and have found a place with plenty of free parking and (relatively) moderate traffic levels. However, some newcomers have lived in places where riding public transportation systems is more common than is currently the case in Morrisville or the Triangle Region in general.

Public transit service in Morrisville is limited currently to two public service providers: Tri- angle Transit and Wake County Coordinated Transportation Service Transportation and Rural Access (TRACS); Cary transit service (C-Tran) also operates both fixed-route and door-to-door transit service for the elderly and disabled along Harrison Avenue and Maynard Loop Road just outside Morrisville. Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA), Capi- tal Area Transit System (Raleigh) and Wolfline (NC State University) are also public transit operators with services in the general vicinity. In addition, there are private operators, such as Classy Transportation, White Horse Trans- portation, Inc., and airport shuttle services to some of the hotel properties located on Airport Boulevard. Figure 3.8 compares the service characteristics of the current systems, and a brief description follows. Triangle Transit Services. Triangle Transit (formerly Triangle Transit Authority) was chartered by the State

Figure 3.8 Public Transit Services in Morrisville

Senior Fares (Age)

Morrisville Connection Upcoming Changes

Provider Weekday Hours

Weekday Fares

Triangle Transit C-Tran

6am- 10:30pm

$2.00 ($2.50 ex- press) $1.00 ($0.50 9am- 3pm for seniors; $2.00 in-town and $4.00 out-of-town for door-to-door ser- vice to elderly and disabled) $2.00 one-way ($4.00 out-of-zone)

Half-Price (age 65) Half-Price (age 55)

Morrisville Outlet Mall

Five-Year Transit Plan may alter routes and services Short-Term changes will extend and split both the north-south and east-west fixed route services; senior age will go to 60 years; service extensions likely for northwest and south Cary Current service hours are six days per week but level of service is dependent upon annual grants

6am-7pm (peak: 6am to 9am; 3pm- 7pm)

None

TRACS 6am-11am and 1pm- 6pm (Mon. - Sat.)

N/A

Demand Responsive

Sources: Triangle Transit http://www.triangletransit.org C-Tran http://www.townofcary.org/ctran/ctranoverview.htm TRACS http://www.wakegov.com/humanservices/adult/transportation/default.htm

Legislature in 1989, and currently operates bus, vanpool, and carpool services in the Tri- angle Region. Fixed-Route service in the vicinity of Morrisville is provided by Route 301 and Route 105, both stopping at the Morrisville Outlet Mall off Airport Boulevard near Interstate 40 (Figure 3.9). Route 301 connects with downtown Cary, Harrison Avenue (and C-Tran service) and downtown Raleigh (and CAT service). Route 105 connects with downtown Raleigh (and CAT service), as well as Hillsborough Street and NC State University (and Wolfline service). Shuttle services complement existing routes by providing additional con- nector service to/from Research Triangle Park. On-bus bicycle racks are available on all fixed-route Triangle Transit buses. The regional service to Durham, Cary, and Raleigh is at- tractive to Morrisville residents, but the few stops in Morrisville is a deterrent to additional ridership at this point.

Hours of Operation and Fare Structure. Hours of operation are gen- erally 6am to 10:30pm on weekdays; and from 8am to 5:30pm on Saturdays. Fares are usually $2.00 for a one-way trip; $2.50 for ex- press service routes. Half-price fare options are available to seniors (over 65 years of age) and the disabled; children under 10 years of age ride for free. Various day and package pass options are also available that reduce the price of the general fare. Transfers between Triangle Transit buses and from Triangle Transit to C-Tran buses are free. Town of Cary (C-Tran) Services. The Town of Cary provides both fixed-route and door-to- door services for its residents every day of the week except Sunday. There are currently three fixed routes with coverage of Maynard Road (loop including Walnut Street), Harrison Avenue-Kildaire Farm Road (north-south), and High House Road-Chatham Street (east- west) (Figure 3.9). Future plans call for splitting the north-south and east-west routes into separate routes, as well as extending service into the rapidly growing northwest area of Cary (west of Morrisville). Cary no longer provides the general public door-to-door service that it initiated in 2001. However, people aged 55 or over (soon to be 60 and over) and the disabled are still eligible for door-to-door service from Cary to anywhere in Wake County for medical and employment trips. Morrisville should strongly consider any long-term transit option aligning with the policy, fare, and route structures of C-Tran to help ensure more seamless coordination between the two systems. Bicycle racks are available on all fixed-route buses. The performance of the C-Tran system is worth further examination (Figure 3.10), since it is the only local public transportation service provider in close proximity to Morrisville. The Town of Apex is cur- rently partnering with Cary and is a good model for future coopera- tion between the towns. Over the period 2002 through 2005, C-Tran has enjoyed an average of 50% growth in ridership, and a drop in general fund subsidization of 20% each year (thanks in large part to becoming eligible to receive federal funding). Plans are now un- derway to split and expand the north-south and east-west routes to

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3 Existing Conditions