High gas prices drive surge in Triangle bus ridership

At North Carolina’s average gasoline price of $4.114 a gallon, a Wake County commuter who burns two gallons just getting through a day is paying about $8.23 before parking, tolls or wear on the car. A full-fare GoTriangle rider tops out at $5 a day under GoPass, a gap of roughly $3.23 on that same two-trip commute, and a single $2.50 bus ride is already cheaper than a gallon of gas.

That math is showing up in the numbers. GoTriangle ridership rose 32 percent in April 2026 compared with April 2025, and March ridership was up 28 percent from the year before. The agency said the increase had been building since the start of the year, a sign that higher fuel prices are pushing more Triangle riders onto buses for both repeat trips and first-time use.

GoTriangle spokesperson Eric Curry said some riders are coming back after a break, while others are trying transit for the first time because driving has become too expensive or too stressful. The agency serves Wake, Durham and Orange counties, so the ridership bump carries weight well beyond Raleigh’s core bus corridors.

The fare structure also helps explain the shift. GoTriangle’s standard fare is $2.50, with a discounted fare of $1.25. Under fare capping, full-fare riders stop paying after $5 in a day, $20 in a week and $80 in a month. Children 12 and younger ride free with an adult, youth ages 13 to 18 and seniors 65 and older can qualify for free fare, and passengers with disabilities can qualify for a Transit Assistance Pass. GoTriangle also offers a Tap Go Pass for adults who receive Medicaid, SNAP or EBT benefits or who live in households making below $35,000 a year.

The surge comes as fuel prices remain elevated across the region and the country. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics said regular gasoline averaged $3.64 per gallon nationwide in March 2026, up 25.1 percent from February and 17.5 percent from March 2025. AAA listed North Carolina’s average gasoline price at $4.114 on May 27, 2026. ABC11 also reported that U.S. gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon in late March for the first time in nearly four years.

The pressure is not limited to household budgets. Raleigh’s FY26 budget, approved June 9, 2025, came to $1.78 billion with no tax increase. The city’s General Fund operating budget totals $657.1 million, the capital budget totals $616.9 million, and utility fee increases for Raleigh Water, Stormwater and Solid Waste Services add $4.33 for the average homeowner. Together, those figures show how fuel costs ripple through daily life in Wake County, from the pump to the bus stop to the city budget.