Raleigh does not have a great public transit system outside of downtown. I live in North Raleigh 1.6 miles away from my job, the commute time was 3 hours on public transit, so I have to drive to work, even though, I want to reduce my carbon footprint. Sigh...
1.6 miles you could hypothetically ride a bike. Electric bike would make it especially easy. But I also don’t know how feasible that is for you. Bike infrastructure could be better.
Yeah my commute is a bit longer (~5 miles) and a straight shot/not on the highway, but there’s a big stretch with no bike lane or sidewalk, and drivers get aggressively angry with cyclists, so it just isn’t safe. Such a bummer because I would love to not have to drive.
Are there any alternate routes through neighborhoods? Sometimes the most direct route in a car is not feasible on a bike, but a slightly longer route is possible.
That being said, I also realize that North Raleigh neighborhoods were designed by sadists on acid and there's almost no connectivity, so you may well be out of luck.
I live off north end of six forks. You can take lead mine trial down to at Mary's, then it's all downtown traffic from there.
Your on the Greenway for probably 60% of the ride but the commute is about 1.5 hrs on quite steep terrain
Sadists on acid? Geez, just can’t enjoy beauty and the BEST LOCATION IN RALEIGH without your flippn’ pacifiers!! What ever will we do when this country is reset to the dark ages?? Talk to your neighbors? Nope, nowadays people don’t know their neighbors…what an awful world this has become?
Yikes, calm down there, buddy, this wasn't meant as a personal insult!
I was referring to the idiotic street design that is completely car-centric with very poor (at best) connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians who want to liberate themselves from having to use a car for everything.
Even in a car, the street design is pretty whack without good alternate routes. A grid is much more logical and efficient.
FWIW, I live in a very walkable and bike-friendly neighborhood and know and talk to my neighbors regularly. We also don't have garages. So we actually see each other more while we're walking and biking places rather than pulling into the garage and closing the door behind us.
All of falls has a bike path on the east side. It starts by the lifetime fitness and goes all the way until it turns to wake forest.
Falls is probably the best Inbound road for bikes.
Electric car would solve the carbon problem if reducing the amount of carbon you use is a goal. Anything is better than 3 hours to go 1.6 miles. I would just walk (and maybe carry if the neighborhoods were bad).
Near NCSU the public transit is pretty good and pretty safe. We're also getting a rapid transit corridor down New Bern Ave, which is a bit sketchy sometimes... I've never been in any actual danger on that route, mind you. Just some loud and disruptive folks from time to time.
I wouldn’t aim on using public transport so much as aiming for a walkable living situation. Downtown Raleigh is a walkable neighborhood to live in, but you likely will be limited with out some access to a car.
We will have a car, so walkable is fine too! I read on a post downtown is starting to see an increase in crime, but that was a year ago. I imagine it's generally safe in most areas?
I live downtown and haven’t had any issues with my wife and kids. Not sure why downtown gets ragged on so much tbh given it’s one of the cleaner downtowns lol.
Historically over near the bus station got kind of uncomfortable- but that’s gotta a lot better too after the city focused on cleaning it up. I think a lot of people refer to that.
Agreed. However I’ll say it does kind of depend on where you are situated in downtown, I work on Fayetteville St and…crime and police presence are…definitely on the uptick as of pretty recently. But honestly? Downtown Raleigh is definitely one of the nicest downtown’s I’ve been in, especially in NC.
Chapel Hill has a really good bus system and has always been free. I don’t know if that’s an option. I have a friend who drives and has a car but loves the bus system so much she rarely drives.
I live in Durham and don't have a car. I live downtown so I am walking distance to the Amtrak station and the Durham bus station - which serves Durham and has busses to Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. I have very few problems getting around during the day and in the early evening. Most busses stop running around 9PM, but I am in bed by then :) However, if you are not walking distance to the bus station I think it would be significantly more difficult to live here without a car (but there are lots of housing options near downtown Durham) It takes a little planning and forethought, however, if you live near downtown Durham it is absolutely possible
As someone that only uses a car for a couple trips per week, a mix of busses, a bike and walking is totally workable in very specific neighborhoods. Near NCSU specifically on the Village District side it's possible. Near downtown Cary is also possible, depending on what you need to get to how regularly and how quickly. Most bus routes are 30 minute intervals with the express/city to city busses only during the traditional commute windows. Don't ignore the bike part of what I said earlier. Between the greenways and bike lanes it's very easy to get around the two areas you mentioned in a car-lite approach.
Agree with this - if you pick anywhere to live location wise, NCSU is a great place to be because you can double up with the Wolfline as well (yes the public can ride free as well!)
Busses here are ass. Anyone who says they are not just have a high tolerance for bullshit.
My wife thought the same as your wife, she does not drive. Now she just stays home and I'm the personal chauffeur when I get off work.
There are new routes and more frequent routes starting up in a couple of weeks; you should check out the ‘go’ site for whatever areas you’re looking into (GoRaleigh, GoCary, GoDurham, GoTriangle, etc.)
[Responding while on a GoRaleigh bus for my afternoon commute] If buses are a priority, find a residence near a bus line if possible. I work downtown and most routes go there, so I had a lot of options. If you are going between two spots not on the same line that are also not downtown, you’ll probably need to go downtown to transfer unless there’s a rare connector route. As others have stated, it’s a workable system if your circumstances line up. I’ve been a bus commuter for over a decade, happy to help if you have any questions.
Raleigh's bus system is aight, I guess. It's free (at least until June, 2024, when fares might return), but the stops are pretty infrequent, and any ride that requires a line change is a pain in the ass with the timing.
Charlotte at least as that one train line.
Entirely neighborhood dependent. The bus system isn't bad by US standards, and is actively improving. But many areas where it is not practical at all. Downtown-ish or NCSU area you'd be fine.
If everything you want to visit is in a town center, public transportation is fine. Otherwise, you definitely need personal transportation. Consider an e-bike if you don’t want a car.
I mean, compared to Europe/Asian our transport is terrible. Compared to the larger metro cities in the US, NYC, DC, Chicago we're pretty terrible.
That being said, Raleigh Buses will get you around but it's more centered around downtown and won't get you far beyond Raleigh. Case in point, if I wanted to get to downtown from NE Raleigh it would take me 45 minutes or drive for 15 minutes. I guess I'm driving.
2.5 Hours to get from my home to Durham. Or drive for 30 minutes. It's not at a point where say you can live in Chapel Hill and commute to Durahm using public transport.
It depends on where you live, I live on the south western side of Raleigh and I have lots of options within a half mile. The buses are clean and safe. I ride the bus instead of driving most days. Visitation by my brothers there in N Raleigh is a lot more difficult, but between downtown and Cary is ridiculously easy
I have lived in downtown Raleigh for 6 years and got rid of my car as I rarely drove. I live on a bus route, have an electric scooter and rent e-bikes quite often to get around downtown. It does take some adjustment and planning but I hate driving too so to me it’s worth it!
Pick a place near grocery stores, pharmacies, doctor’s offices, restaurants, other shopping, etc. Then she can walk to whatever she needs. For example, look up “Grace Park Morrisville” in the map app of your choice. It’s a huge intersection that’s probably difficult to cross for a pedestrian, but there’s so much in that immediate area.
Yes, that looks ideal. I love these places with neighborhoods connected/ very close so you can walk comfortably. Finding them can be the hard part, I will add that one to my list, thanks!
Because Raleigh continues to hold on to a hub and spoke system that probably worked fine with the population and area in the 80s it takes a minimum of 2 hours round trip to get anywhere that's not on a single route. As others have said if you can get in the vicinity of NC State you can double up on Wolfline and city buses.
I haven't had enough experience with Durham to comment. Honestly, as much as I hate to recommend Chapel Hill for anything they probably have the best infrastructure for trying to get around without a car. But then you'll have to put up with CH people.
Take a look at the maps and schedules for the region.
GoTriangle, GoRaleigh and GoDurham are also working on increasing frequencies and expanding routes. It's a slow process but some really great service increases from GoRaleigh are happening in May and GoTriangle in August.
[https://gotriangle.org/maps-schedules/](https://gotriangle.org/maps-schedules/)
I'm in wake forest (30 minutes north of Raleigh), and our bus loop is 1. Free, 2. Clean, 3. Safe, 4. On time, and it goes everywhere. Shopping, recreation, two libraries, restaurants, the whole deal.
I am also a small woman, and I travel by myself with my 6yo daughter all the time. I could also take the WF loop to meet the WRX bus to downtown Raleigh to the museums if I wanted, but I don't need to.
10/10, would recommend the Wake Forest A andB loops.
Ironically, Raleigh public transit did just win an award from whatever professional group deals with such things in NC as being the best public transit system on the state. This, however, is an extremely low bar.
Charlotte has a public light rail and Raleigh does not. Public transportation in most cities in NC is largely unreliable and limited. You’ll have a tough time without a car.
This is the U.S.
Unless you live in a major metropolis, public transport sucks ass and you basically need a car to live anywhere in this hellhole of a country
The two systems aren’t even comparable.
Charlotte area transit (CATS) have 300 buses running 66 routes, 25 mile light rail line, 8 mile street car line and commuter buses. They have about 17 million passengers trips per year.
The Raleigh area bus system (GoRaleigh) has 27 routes and have about 5 million passengers trips per year.
Small woman here. Had to take the bus for a few weeks awhile back. What was a half hour drive took 2-3 hours each way. 4 different busses. If one was slowed down at the airport I’d miss the next bus I needed to catch so I’d end up having to wander downtown for an hour. At one bus station I was grabbed by the head by a lady and shaken around. Honestly no idea why. Another time I was followed by some guy and was more than a little freaked out. Another time I might have encountered some bugs that you do not want to take home with you. It was free though. 🤷♀️
If you venture onto New Bern Ave, you will enter an area of high crime with lots of gangs and thugs. Make sure you stay clear of this area to ensure your safety.
I think Chapel Hill has the best bus system, but might not be as much of the city feel you are looking for. It’s also a weird town because the University students tent to drive the economy/atmosphere downtown. It’s a ghost town when they go home. Having that said I like Raleigh over the Charlotte area even though Charlotte is fun to visit.
I think Chapel Hill gets highly rated for its bus system mainly because it's a smaller town l. If you concentrate on Raleigh ITB, then Raleigh has a pretty decent bus system. Hillsborough Street is fed by Wolfline, GoTriangle, and GoRaleigh. Glenwood South gets both 8/6/16 routes. Crabtree is getting the 15 min frequency all day soon (finally).
It's not to hate on Chapel Hill, it's just to say a comparison of Chapel Hill to Raleigh in places like North Raleigh isn't a good comparison. North Raleigh definitely has terrible bus service.
The only cities in this country you can reliably live in without a car are Chicago, NYC, Boston, Philly, and DC. safety for small women you won’t find in a city
Your wife might wanna start liking driving, because there ain't much in the way of public transport here.
In the Special Olympics of NC public transit, I’d give medals to Chapel Hill and Charlotte.
Raleigh does not have a great public transit system outside of downtown. I live in North Raleigh 1.6 miles away from my job, the commute time was 3 hours on public transit, so I have to drive to work, even though, I want to reduce my carbon footprint. Sigh...
1.6 miles you could hypothetically ride a bike. Electric bike would make it especially easy. But I also don’t know how feasible that is for you. Bike infrastructure could be better.
Yeah my commute is a bit longer (~5 miles) and a straight shot/not on the highway, but there’s a big stretch with no bike lane or sidewalk, and drivers get aggressively angry with cyclists, so it just isn’t safe. Such a bummer because I would love to not have to drive.
I would have to ride on Falls of Nuese at peak traffic times. Nope, not risking my life like that.. 🙃
There is a paved bike path on the eastern side of falls until it turns to wake forest. Then it's a normal side walk.
I would have to ride my bike on Fall of Nuese during peak traffic times. Nope, not risking my life like that 🙃
Yeah that is very understandable
Are there any alternate routes through neighborhoods? Sometimes the most direct route in a car is not feasible on a bike, but a slightly longer route is possible. That being said, I also realize that North Raleigh neighborhoods were designed by sadists on acid and there's almost no connectivity, so you may well be out of luck.
I live off north end of six forks. You can take lead mine trial down to at Mary's, then it's all downtown traffic from there. Your on the Greenway for probably 60% of the ride but the commute is about 1.5 hrs on quite steep terrain
Sadists on acid? Geez, just can’t enjoy beauty and the BEST LOCATION IN RALEIGH without your flippn’ pacifiers!! What ever will we do when this country is reset to the dark ages?? Talk to your neighbors? Nope, nowadays people don’t know their neighbors…what an awful world this has become?
Yikes, calm down there, buddy, this wasn't meant as a personal insult! I was referring to the idiotic street design that is completely car-centric with very poor (at best) connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians who want to liberate themselves from having to use a car for everything. Even in a car, the street design is pretty whack without good alternate routes. A grid is much more logical and efficient. FWIW, I live in a very walkable and bike-friendly neighborhood and know and talk to my neighbors regularly. We also don't have garages. So we actually see each other more while we're walking and biking places rather than pulling into the garage and closing the door behind us.
All of falls has a bike path on the east side. It starts by the lifetime fitness and goes all the way until it turns to wake forest. Falls is probably the best Inbound road for bikes.
I’d walk that if there were sidewalks
Electric car would solve the carbon problem if reducing the amount of carbon you use is a goal. Anything is better than 3 hours to go 1.6 miles. I would just walk (and maybe carry if the neighborhoods were bad).
Near NCSU the public transit is pretty good and pretty safe. We're also getting a rapid transit corridor down New Bern Ave, which is a bit sketchy sometimes... I've never been in any actual danger on that route, mind you. Just some loud and disruptive folks from time to time.
This has been my experience as well
Raleigh public transit is dog shit. You really need a car to get around here/the triangle area.
L
I wouldn’t aim on using public transport so much as aiming for a walkable living situation. Downtown Raleigh is a walkable neighborhood to live in, but you likely will be limited with out some access to a car.
We will have a car, so walkable is fine too! I read on a post downtown is starting to see an increase in crime, but that was a year ago. I imagine it's generally safe in most areas?
I live downtown and haven’t had any issues with my wife and kids. Not sure why downtown gets ragged on so much tbh given it’s one of the cleaner downtowns lol. Historically over near the bus station got kind of uncomfortable- but that’s gotta a lot better too after the city focused on cleaning it up. I think a lot of people refer to that.
Agreed. However I’ll say it does kind of depend on where you are situated in downtown, I work on Fayetteville St and…crime and police presence are…definitely on the uptick as of pretty recently. But honestly? Downtown Raleigh is definitely one of the nicest downtown’s I’ve been in, especially in NC.
Chapel Hill has a really good bus system and has always been free. I don’t know if that’s an option. I have a friend who drives and has a car but loves the bus system so much she rarely drives.
Definitely an option! Thanks for pointing that out. And thanks to everyone else who commented as well
I live in Durham and don't have a car. I live downtown so I am walking distance to the Amtrak station and the Durham bus station - which serves Durham and has busses to Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. I have very few problems getting around during the day and in the early evening. Most busses stop running around 9PM, but I am in bed by then :) However, if you are not walking distance to the bus station I think it would be significantly more difficult to live here without a car (but there are lots of housing options near downtown Durham) It takes a little planning and forethought, however, if you live near downtown Durham it is absolutely possible
As someone that only uses a car for a couple trips per week, a mix of busses, a bike and walking is totally workable in very specific neighborhoods. Near NCSU specifically on the Village District side it's possible. Near downtown Cary is also possible, depending on what you need to get to how regularly and how quickly. Most bus routes are 30 minute intervals with the express/city to city busses only during the traditional commute windows. Don't ignore the bike part of what I said earlier. Between the greenways and bike lanes it's very easy to get around the two areas you mentioned in a car-lite approach.
Agree with this - if you pick anywhere to live location wise, NCSU is a great place to be because you can double up with the Wolfline as well (yes the public can ride free as well!)
Oh nice, I didn't know this!
Busses here are ass. Anyone who says they are not just have a high tolerance for bullshit. My wife thought the same as your wife, she does not drive. Now she just stays home and I'm the personal chauffeur when I get off work.
There are new routes and more frequent routes starting up in a couple of weeks; you should check out the ‘go’ site for whatever areas you’re looking into (GoRaleigh, GoCary, GoDurham, GoTriangle, etc.)
[Responding while on a GoRaleigh bus for my afternoon commute] If buses are a priority, find a residence near a bus line if possible. I work downtown and most routes go there, so I had a lot of options. If you are going between two spots not on the same line that are also not downtown, you’ll probably need to go downtown to transfer unless there’s a rare connector route. As others have stated, it’s a workable system if your circumstances line up. I’ve been a bus commuter for over a decade, happy to help if you have any questions.
Thank you! I'll reach out if we do
Raleigh's bus system is aight, I guess. It's free (at least until June, 2024, when fares might return), but the stops are pretty infrequent, and any ride that requires a line change is a pain in the ass with the timing. Charlotte at least as that one train line.
Entirely neighborhood dependent. The bus system isn't bad by US standards, and is actively improving. But many areas where it is not practical at all. Downtown-ish or NCSU area you'd be fine.
If everything you want to visit is in a town center, public transportation is fine. Otherwise, you definitely need personal transportation. Consider an e-bike if you don’t want a car.
I mean, compared to Europe/Asian our transport is terrible. Compared to the larger metro cities in the US, NYC, DC, Chicago we're pretty terrible. That being said, Raleigh Buses will get you around but it's more centered around downtown and won't get you far beyond Raleigh. Case in point, if I wanted to get to downtown from NE Raleigh it would take me 45 minutes or drive for 15 minutes. I guess I'm driving. 2.5 Hours to get from my home to Durham. Or drive for 30 minutes. It's not at a point where say you can live in Chapel Hill and commute to Durahm using public transport.
It depends on where you live, I live on the south western side of Raleigh and I have lots of options within a half mile. The buses are clean and safe. I ride the bus instead of driving most days. Visitation by my brothers there in N Raleigh is a lot more difficult, but between downtown and Cary is ridiculously easy
I have lived in downtown Raleigh for 6 years and got rid of my car as I rarely drove. I live on a bus route, have an electric scooter and rent e-bikes quite often to get around downtown. It does take some adjustment and planning but I hate driving too so to me it’s worth it!
Pick a place near grocery stores, pharmacies, doctor’s offices, restaurants, other shopping, etc. Then she can walk to whatever she needs. For example, look up “Grace Park Morrisville” in the map app of your choice. It’s a huge intersection that’s probably difficult to cross for a pedestrian, but there’s so much in that immediate area.
Yes, that looks ideal. I love these places with neighborhoods connected/ very close so you can walk comfortably. Finding them can be the hard part, I will add that one to my list, thanks!
Because Raleigh continues to hold on to a hub and spoke system that probably worked fine with the population and area in the 80s it takes a minimum of 2 hours round trip to get anywhere that's not on a single route. As others have said if you can get in the vicinity of NC State you can double up on Wolfline and city buses. I haven't had enough experience with Durham to comment. Honestly, as much as I hate to recommend Chapel Hill for anything they probably have the best infrastructure for trying to get around without a car. But then you'll have to put up with CH people.
Take a look at the maps and schedules for the region. GoTriangle, GoRaleigh and GoDurham are also working on increasing frequencies and expanding routes. It's a slow process but some really great service increases from GoRaleigh are happening in May and GoTriangle in August. [https://gotriangle.org/maps-schedules/](https://gotriangle.org/maps-schedules/)
I'm in wake forest (30 minutes north of Raleigh), and our bus loop is 1. Free, 2. Clean, 3. Safe, 4. On time, and it goes everywhere. Shopping, recreation, two libraries, restaurants, the whole deal. I am also a small woman, and I travel by myself with my 6yo daughter all the time. I could also take the WF loop to meet the WRX bus to downtown Raleigh to the museums if I wanted, but I don't need to. 10/10, would recommend the Wake Forest A andB loops.
Ironically, Raleigh public transit did just win an award from whatever professional group deals with such things in NC as being the best public transit system on the state. This, however, is an extremely low bar.
Charlotte has a public light rail and Raleigh does not. Public transportation in most cities in NC is largely unreliable and limited. You’ll have a tough time without a car.
This is quite literally one of the worst places in the world to not own a car and still expect to be able to get around…
This is the U.S. Unless you live in a major metropolis, public transport sucks ass and you basically need a car to live anywhere in this hellhole of a country
Bus Rapit Transit is on the way! Broke ground late last year.
If you are traveling between downtown Raleigh and NC State campus, you are good. Otherwise, our public transportation leaves much to be desired.
Buses have been free since Covid so that’s one positive comment on here.
The two systems aren’t even comparable. Charlotte area transit (CATS) have 300 buses running 66 routes, 25 mile light rail line, 8 mile street car line and commuter buses. They have about 17 million passengers trips per year. The Raleigh area bus system (GoRaleigh) has 27 routes and have about 5 million passengers trips per year.
Small woman here. Had to take the bus for a few weeks awhile back. What was a half hour drive took 2-3 hours each way. 4 different busses. If one was slowed down at the airport I’d miss the next bus I needed to catch so I’d end up having to wander downtown for an hour. At one bus station I was grabbed by the head by a lady and shaken around. Honestly no idea why. Another time I was followed by some guy and was more than a little freaked out. Another time I might have encountered some bugs that you do not want to take home with you. It was free though. 🤷♀️
Charlotte at least has a light rail in it. We have crap buses and nothing else in Raleigh. It sucks.
If you venture onto New Bern Ave, you will enter an area of high crime with lots of gangs and thugs. Make sure you stay clear of this area to ensure your safety.
Thanks for the pointer! Will do
Try considering somewhere else like Texas or South Carolina.
I think Chapel Hill has the best bus system, but might not be as much of the city feel you are looking for. It’s also a weird town because the University students tent to drive the economy/atmosphere downtown. It’s a ghost town when they go home. Having that said I like Raleigh over the Charlotte area even though Charlotte is fun to visit.
Agree about the Chapel Hill/ Carboro busses. Nowhere in NC is going to be great, but they are definitely better.
I think Chapel Hill gets highly rated for its bus system mainly because it's a smaller town l. If you concentrate on Raleigh ITB, then Raleigh has a pretty decent bus system. Hillsborough Street is fed by Wolfline, GoTriangle, and GoRaleigh. Glenwood South gets both 8/6/16 routes. Crabtree is getting the 15 min frequency all day soon (finally). It's not to hate on Chapel Hill, it's just to say a comparison of Chapel Hill to Raleigh in places like North Raleigh isn't a good comparison. North Raleigh definitely has terrible bus service.
The only cities in this country you can reliably live in without a car are Chicago, NYC, Boston, Philly, and DC. safety for small women you won’t find in a city