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

In search of a public transit guide for your next car-free adventure off campus? With bus fares remaining free until 2023, now is the best time to hop on a bus and explore. 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 places in The Triangle area.

The Tobacco District/Durham Station

With just a ten-minute bus ride from East Campus, you can peruse the Durham Farmers Market on a sunny Saturday or dive into the nightlife of Downtown Durham.

You can use these directions to navigate to the starting point for the following eight journeys.

Hop on the bus at the Main Street at Campus Drive station on East Campus. Ride the 11B bus towards Durham Station or the 11 towards Durham Station. Ride for four stops, which will take about four minutes. Then, hop off at Durham Station in the Tobacco District. 

West Point on the Eno River State Park

Eno Park is the perfect getaway for exploring idyllic swimming holes or lush hikes on the weekend. Better yet, this gorgeous forest oasis is under an hour away from campus via the 9 bus. 

Get on the 9 bus at Durham Station towards Northern High School. Ride for 76 stops, which will take about 49 minutes. Hop off the bus at Eno Park. The stop is located at Seven Oaks Road at Riverview Shopping Center.

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

Get on the 5 bus towards Southpoint at Durham Station. Ride for 36 stops, which should take about 27 minutes. Hop off the bus at South Point Mall, the station is located at Fayetteville Road at Renaissance Parkway.

AMC CLASSIC Durham

To catch the latest blockbuster or A24 flick, all you need to do is ride the 10 bus towards New Hope Commons two stops past the South Square Mall. 

Get on the 10 bus towards New Hope Commons at Durham Station. Ride for 44 stops, which should take about 24 minutes. Hop off at University Drive at Larchmont Drive, and then walk for 9 minutes, 0.4 miles, along Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway alongside Harris Teeter and you will see the AMC on your right.  

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Getting to UNC-Chapel Hill couldn’t be easier for Duke students. The Robertson Express provides convenient transportation throughout the school year. Buses depart Duke and UNC from 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM on weekdays, 12:30 PM to 11 PM on Saturdays, and 11:40 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays. Click here for the complete schedule. The Robertson Express is free to ride.

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

Downtown Raleigh

Luckily for Duke students, there are several options for getting from Downtown Durham to Downtown Raleigh in just 40 minutes. 

Option One (Bus, only available on Weekdays):

You can hop on the DRX Durham-Raleigh Express at Chapel Drive at Duke University Road, or you can take the bus to Durham Station and hop on there. Ride for four stops from Durham Station, which should take about 40 minutes. You will arrive in Raleigh at Moore Square, which is located at 201 South Blount Street.

Note: This is a commuter route, so there is no mid-day, late-night or weekend service on this route.

Option Two (Train):

Buy Amtrak tickets prior to the trip for $7. Typically four trains run a day. From Durham Station, take the Piedmont Train towards Raleigh Union Station. Ride for two stops, which should take about 38 minutes. You will arrive in Raleigh at Raleigh Union Station, located at 510 W Martin Street. 

Option 3 (Bus): 

At Durham Station, get on the 700 towards the Regional Transit Center. Ride for seven stops, which should take about 20 minutes. Get off at the GoTriangle Regional Transit Center (RTC) and transfer to the 100 towards Raleigh via RDU Airport. Ride for 22 stops, which should take about 45 minutes. Get off in Raleigh at Moore Square, which is located at 201 South Blount Street.

The Raleigh-Durham International Airport

And lastly, if you need to catch a flight, using public transit to get to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport is easier than you might think. 

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