GoTriangle offers Uberesque service in RTP

GoTriangle has replaced its shuttle routes in Research Triangle Park with an on-demand service that allows people to call or use an app to summon a ride.

The service, called Go OnDemand, is available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout RTP. And through June, it’s free.

Go OnDemand replaces shuttles that circulated through RTP during peak commuting hours in the morning and late afternoon. That service averaged 120 passengers per weekday; GoTriangle hopes the on-demand service will attract about 200 riders a day, even as it puts fewer miles on the shuttles buses.

“We believe that with new technology we can create a more attractive service that is more useful to more people in the RTP area,” John Tallmadge, who directs GoTriangle’s Regional Services Development Department, said in a statement. “From the operating side, it means we won’t be running buses when there isn’t demand. And it gets riders to their destinations more directly.”

Tallmadge expects some riders will use the shuttles as part of their daily commute, to go between their office and a bus stop; some people who live on the edge of RTP may even use it to go between home and work. Others will use it to run errands or get lunch during the day, he said.

Riders will have to wait 15 to 30 minutes for their shuttle to arrive, according to GoTriangle, but they can schedule rides in advance. The TransLoc Rider app is available in the Apple Store or Google Play. Those without access to the internet can arrange a ride by calling GoTriangle at 919-314-8777.

After June 30, fares for the RTP shuttles will be the same as on the former shuttle service – $2.25 a trip, with free transfers to other non-express bus routes. For more information, including a map showing the area served by the shuttles, go to gotriangle.org/ondemand.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 2:41 PM with the headline "GoTriangle offers Uberesque service in RTP."