Triangle Transit on Foursquare

Triangle Transit is now on foursquare! With 18 bus stops and 12 bus routes listed as venues, there are plenty of opportunities for riders to check-in.

There is also a shameless incentive for riders to participate. When users become the mayor of select TT venues, they will win a $25 VISA gift card.

Foursquare, an interactive mobile-app, is where users can check-in at venues. The user who has checked-in the most in the past 60 days becomes the mayor. Many local restaurants, bars and retail stores are listed on foursquare.

Thus far, the TT venue with the most check-ins is Triangle Transit, with 108 check-ins, as of September 12. Vic Engle, the newly elected mayor of the venue, has checked in to the venue a total of 17 times. He plans to put his winnings to good use. “I’m planning to use it to buy more bus passes when I have a minute or two at the transit station,” said Engle.

The promotion began in June 2010 and will continue until December 2010. Dependent on the level of rider participation, the promotion may continue into spring 2011.

Triangle Transit is the first transportation agency in North Carolina to have foursquare specials. Triangle Transit got its inspiration for the campaign from BART’s foursquare campaign. BART, located in the San Francisco metro area, was the first transit agency to use foursquare as a promotional tool.

Major bus stops listed include the UNC Hospital bus stop, the Triangle Transit Regional Transit Center, the South Road at Fetzer Gym bus stop and the Hillsborough Street at D.H. Hill Library Bus Stop. Bus routes included are TT Route 400, TT Route DRX and TT Route 800, among others. A full list of TT foursquare venues can be seen here.

Foursquare window clings at bus stops and a Triangle Transit badge are soon to come.

Questions or suggestions about Triangle Transit and foursquare? Email info@gotriangle.org.

Welcome To Atlanta, Where The Players Play

This weekend I went to the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta to watch my UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels play the Louisiana State University Tigers.

Even though we lost 24-30, I learned something from my trip to the ATL.

I learned how to ride on an underground rail.

As I wondered around Centennial Olympic Park and visited World of Coca-Cola with my friend Kirsten, my legs began to get stiff. On top of that, we realized how far away we were from our hotel, and we needed to find a cheap and fast way back.

We asked security officers around us where the bus stops were. They looked at us funny and told us to hop on the MARTA rail. They said it was the fastest way to travel around downtown Atlanta.

With the assistance of the station attendant, we bought a one-day pass for just $8.

We swiped our pass at the entrance, walked through the entrance gate, went down the escalator to go underground to the rail and looked for the Red Line to take us back to the Peachtree Center.

The Red Line was one of four Lines, or routes, that the rail offered. The routes of the Lines are easy to follow, as each travels in one cardinal direction (North, South, East or West) throughout Atlanta.

We waited less than two minutes for the rail to arrive. The station was busy because it was the day of the Kickoff game. We boarded the rail, among a sea of Carolina blue and the purple and gold of LSU.

We held onto a metal bar to maintain our balance before the train took off. Kirsten and I had to lock arms so we wouldn’t lose each other. After a few “Tar…Heels!” and “Tiger Bait” chants by opposing fans aboard the rail (myself included), we arrived at our hotel. It had taken us 15 minutes to get to our destination by walking. It only took us three minutes to do the same via rail.

Although the rail was super-crowded the day I rode it, the attendant told me that wasn’t normally the case.

Fast, cheap and convenient, the MARTA rail met all the requirements of good public transit. Next time I travel to Atlanta, or any other city with a rail system, I will use it to get from point A to point B.

Train Truths

Apparently I like to use alternative transportation to get to concerts. Or maybe I just like concerts and alternative transportation.

I recently used alternative transportation to get to the Goo Goo Dolls concert in Charlotte.

The week before the concert, I planned out how I was going to get to Charlotte. I calculated that it would cost me a tank and a half of gas, or $60, for a round trip to Charlotte. That made by bank account cringe.

Then I thought, “What about the bus?” This way, I’d most likely save money on gas and wouldn’t put mileage on my car. A Greyhound trip from Raleigh to Charlotte and back turned out to cost $69. Ouch again.

Then came the train! Amtrak’s web site was easy to use. I looked up departure times and costs for a roundtrip. The times weren’t the most convenient for my schedule, as they only departed every five hours. With a car, I could leave whenever was convenient for me and wouldn’t have to rush to get to the train station.

However, it was worth it. The cost was only $50, round trip. I couldn’t get there with a car for that cheap. Plus, I wouldn’t put mileage on my car if I took the train.

It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life to take the train instead of drive. I was able to read the latest issue of Glamour Magazine, which I wouldn’t have been able to do if I had driven. I was able to take a nap in the plush seats, which obviously isn’t an option when you’re the driver. I was even able to eat a lunch that I had brought onto the train. I loved the extra free time I gained by not driving.

I don’t know why I’ve driven my whole life. Public transportation is so convenient when you want to fit in some extra study or leisure time.

[Lesson 5: Public transportation gives you extra free time to lounge, read, whatever.]

[Lesson 6: Even if public transportation isn’t cheaper than driving your personal car, you don’t put mileage on your car if you use public transit.]

As Long as You Carpool

A few weeks ago, I saw the Backstreet Boys in concert for the second time in my life. However, that’s not the exciting part.

The exciting part is that I carpooled to the show.

Instead of driving solo and meeting my friends at the show, I suggested we carpool.

The venue was 30 minutes from my house, so we all met at my house first, piled into two cars, and headed to the show. We left three cars at home to rest. By doing this, we saved at least $20 in gas and roughly 135 pounds of CO2.

By having my friends in the car with me, I didn’t look like such a fool when I sang my lungs off and danced to “As Long as You Love Me” and “I Want It That Way” on the way to the show. They did the same, so I appeared normal. That’s another perk of carpooling.

Once we arrived at the venue, the new amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, it was easier to park, since there were only two cars, not five. We didn’t have to circle around the parking lot, looking for five parking spaces in close proximity to each other. We also saved money on parking deck fees.

By carpooling to the event, we also helped decongest traffic after the show. We were able to work our way through the exiting traffic faster than we would have if each of us drove a separate vehicle.

Even though this carpool experience was with friends and not strangers, it is a step towards warming up to the idea of carpooling.

With services like AlterNetRides at NC State, GreenRide at Duke and Zipcar at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke, carpooling is now convenient on campuses. Try it out and let us know how it goes.

Making It Home

Even though I missed the bus into work, I did make it home via bus on Friday afternoon. This time I made sure I was on the correct side of the street.

At 4:10 p.m., I walked over to the Triangle Transit Regional Transit Center. It was only a 2 minute walk from my office, so I had time to kill before the bus was to arrive at 4:20 p.m. I sat on the covered bench, which was nice to have, as it was a hot day.  I scanned YouTube, read “Joy Luck Club” and waited for the TT 201.

As the buses started to arrive, I looked at the banners at the tops of the buses to spot the bus number I needed. The 201 had been spotted.

When the bus came to a stop, I first waited for exiting passengers to get off the bus. Then, I walked in to the bus expecting to ride the bus for free, since that is one of the benefits of working for Triangle Transit. The bus driver, however, told me I needed to pay the $2 fare. I was confused and disappointed because I didn’t have any cash to pay with.

He was just joking. I was relieved. I boarded the refreshing air-conditioned bus, found a comfy seat by a window and began to read my book once again.

On the bus were fellow homeward bound RTP employees.

After a 30 minute bus ride with a few other stops along the way, the bus neared my stop. I pulled the yellow cord, indicating I wanted to get off the bus. I guess I pulled it a bit early, as the bus driver looked at me from his mirror with a puzzled face. He dropped me off one stop early.

[Lesson 3: Pull the yellow cord to get dropped off at your bus stop.]

[Lesson 4: Don’t pull the yellow cord too early. Pull it when there is 40-50 feet between the bus and the bus stop.]

Once I got off the bus, I had to cross the street twice and then I was home.

It is a great feeling when you get home via green transportation because you know you have helped the planet breath a little easier that day.

Next on my agenda: take a train to a fun destination!

My Morning Commute and How I Missed The Bus

So, I have never taken the bus to work. For the past two weeks of my internship, I’ve driven my gas guzzler of a SUV up and down I-540 to get to work at Triangle Transit. After filling up the tank twice in two weeks, $40 each time, I had reached a tipping point, especially since I pay for the gas myself. Also, rush hour traffic is no fun. There’s only so much music that can entertain you while you’re cramped in a car for an hour. Not only is it expensive and tedious to drive to work, it is harmful to the environment.

Long story short, I decided to take the bus to work this morning, but I missed it. I watched the bus fly by from afar.

Last night I was excited to take the bus in the morning. I used the GoTriangle Trip Planner to find the route number I needed to take to get to work from my house. I was also able to find out the departure/arrival time and the location of the bus stop I needed to wait at. The planner even gave me walking directions from my house to the bus stop. I decided I’d get a ride from my house to the bus stop, though I could have walked or biked.

I also packed light so I wouldn’t have a lot to carry onto the bus. I made sure to bring my iPod and a book, so I’d be entertained on my commute.

With my route number, bus stop address and arrival time written down on a sticky note, I went to bed prepared for my adventure the next day.

I woke up early to catch the Triangle Transit 201 at 7:56 in the morning. I got a ride to the bus stop. I got there a few minutes before the arrival time, just to be safe not to miss the bus. Then, I waited patiently by the sign.

I didn’t notice, however, that I was waiting at the stop where the bus drops off in the afternoon. The stop that picks up in the morning was on the other side of the street. Just as I realized this, the TT 201 sped by. I missed the bus.

[Lesson 1: Make sure you know what side of the street your bus drops off and picks up at.]

[Lesson 2: Use the GoTriangle Trip Planner to plan your bus commute.]

Since I don’t give up easily, I am going to take the bus home. We’ll see how that goes. Check back next week to discover the outcome of that endeavor.

Maybe next time I’ll be able to tell you what the inside of the bus looks like!