Bomb threat clears, delays buses in Triangle

Phone call prompts evacuations, searches in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham

A telephoned bomb threat Friday morning prompted three Triangle transit agencies to stop and search about 140 buses in the middle of their routes, evacuating some riders and delaying their trips by five to 90 minutes.

A regional call center operated by the Triangle Transit Authority received the call about 9 a.m. The caller indicated there was a bomb on an unspecified bus, according to the Chapel Hill Police Department. A Raleigh transit official said the caller mentioned identifying numbers that did not match any Capital Area Transit buses or routes.

An estimated 47 TTA, 55 CAT and 39 Durham Area Transit Authority buses were stopped and searched, some with the help of police officers and sheriff's deputies. Spokespersons for the three agencies said nothing suspicious was found, and the buses resumed their routes.

TTA spokesman Brad Schulz said he did not know the particulars of the phone call that prompted TTA to initiate emergency procedures.

"We're still trying to piece together all the words and who said what," Schulz said. "Apparently what was said was enough to have our phone operator think there might be some type of incident on a Triangle-area bus."

Chapel Hill police cordoned off two blocks of Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill and rerouted traffic for about an hour, while TTA passengers were unloaded and two buses were searched.

David W. Eatman, Raleigh transit administrator, said CAT drivers parked their buses and checked to make sure there were no unattended packages or other suspicious items on board.

"It's sad that we have to be sitting here discussing this," Eatman said. "I guess in the world we live in, we just need to be prepared and be diligent. And that's what we'll do. But it's frustrating."

(Staff writer Lisa Hoppenjans contributed to this report.)