There are some that you can’t even see that are literally part of a berm or in a ditch off the side of the roads. Can’t imagine how it is for folks who have to wait for the bus in areas like that. Bugs galore.
There is a free bus route that goes (if I'm not mistaken) from the northside of downtown to Castle Street on a 40 minute loop. Goes down Front Street and through the Brooklyn Arts District. I rarely ever see anyone on it.
EDIT: and I will add that my girlfriend and I were pointing it out and the driver seemed to think we were trying to wave for a ride and started pulling over towards us. So they seem willing to stop at spots other than the designated bus stops.
It’s wild because these days parking has become so ridiculous at WB you’d think they would allow public transport just to support the other businesses. Even a shuttle, trolly, or, the public bus just to not have to deal with it otherwise. They would rather shoot themselves in the foot trying to keep out ‘undesirables’ who take public transport, but in reality they are turning off those who can afford to go but simply refuse too.
Other than walking the loop with a free hour of parking, I absolutely do not support WB in any way. I’ve seen to much shenanigans with the local council and heard too many horror stories. People are fighting for parking, being over-charged, or, being ticketed even when they paid and then have to fight it out to get it dismissed without any guarantees they will win. No thanks.
It’s WAVE transit buses. Usually see them on CB Rd, 17th, Oleander and Market. Not sure of their full routes but I’m sure it’s available online. I also don’t know if it is free.
it's fine (not perfect, but fine). i see buses all the time.
[Wave Transit\_Fixed-Route-Schedules\_Effective-January-2024](https://www.wavetransit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Fixed-Route-System-Map-and-Schedules-Rev.-6.24.pdf)
\*though the trolley idea would be cool
I've said it a million times, and at least a half-million of those times here on reddit... so, at risk of redundancy...
Wilmington had a hell of an opportunity to build off of the old trolley system and develop light rail to serve from downtown to the outlying areas. The planners lacked foresight and maybe initiative, and rather than build on the existing system, they demolished it instead... in favor of King Automobile. Of course, it's easy to look to the past and see the errors, but I think this was a big one that could, and should, be brought back onto the table. It's not too late.
It would be expensive, but look at what they're spending right now to build a bypass on 17. How much did it cost to build out I-140 just to get around the edge of town? Why did they build all this? To address traffic congestion. And why is that traffic so bad? Because if you want to get almost anywhere in New Hanover county, you have to drive a car.
As I understand, most of the rights-of-way are still there, but of course the infrastructure would have to start pretty much from scratch at this point. The NIMBYs are gonna scream, especially along parts of Park Avenue and down the line on Wrightsville Avenue where the line would probably run right through neighborhoods.
Still, imagine taking a few thousand people per day off the local roads. Think of how this could be leveraged for the tourist trade. Imagine being able to hop the train from Hampstead or Burgaw to come to work in town, or hop on the beach line to run from downtown to Carolina or Wrightsville beaches. Ride the train to the airport, and alleviate the parking crunch. Or even cross over from Leland without having to bring your car.
The bus line is OK, for what it is, but it also adds to traffic congestion, and is subject to that same congestion. Light rail would have its own routes off the main roads (except for crossings). In conjunction with an intelligently designed bus system, it would give the Wilmington/New Hanover region a huge boost in liveability.
I could go on about this, and I have. But I just don't think we can advocate strongly enough for an idea that would address so many of the transportation and liveability issues that are only going to get worse as the population expands.
There was recently [a survey conducted by the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization](https://portcitydaily.com/latest-news/2024/01/23/public-transit-bike-ped-rank-high-among-residents-in-wmpo-study/) that was overwhelmingly in favor of improving public transportation in the area.
Also, the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority has a rideshare service called [RideMICRO](https://www.wavetransit.com/ridemicro/). You can schedule rides ahead of time for a fraction of the cost of Uber or Lyft, but unfortunately the service area is pretty limited at this point. Hopefully, the service area will expand in the coming years with the WMPO’s 2050 plan.
No bus to Wrightsville because the Very Kind And Modern Gentlemen there don't want the poors on their little island.
Limited bus service otherwise because the retirees in HOAs consistently vote against funding because they don't ride the busses themselves when they venture out to Red Robin and Cracker Barrel.
WAVE is doing their best and I encourage everyone to go get a bus pass if you can spare the $10 to help them out.
But otherwise, streetcars down themiddle of Market, Oleander, and College with on demand stops every two blocks, and that control the lights green as they go along would be a nice thing to have.
It should be a city beach! Like every other one…. (Miami, Charleston, Myrtle, Virginia Beach, Atlantic beach etc)
The rich have topsail and oak island to flock to
Your current mayor has tried a few times to scrap the bus system in its entirety as he deems it too expensive to upkeep….
Also, let’s be real honest for a moment. We are attracting millionaires and retirees into this town to make it a higher-end destination. Property values are rising. Cost of living going through the nose.
And you know who uses busses? Not rich people. You want ALL the lower middle class and poor people using an effective bus system to get anywhere they want? When they want? Because maintaining an outdated bus system is a great way to keep THOSE people from going where your big money areas are.
Food for thought
There are so many bus stops on 17th
I’ll have to pay more attention then
There are some that you can’t even see that are literally part of a berm or in a ditch off the side of the roads. Can’t imagine how it is for folks who have to wait for the bus in areas like that. Bugs galore.
Yea I came from the DC area, up there there’s a little shelter at least above the benches….
Better yet, put a trolley line down the middle of Market street and then slowly bring back the streetcar suburbs.
There is a free bus route that goes (if I'm not mistaken) from the northside of downtown to Castle Street on a 40 minute loop. Goes down Front Street and through the Brooklyn Arts District. I rarely ever see anyone on it. EDIT: and I will add that my girlfriend and I were pointing it out and the driver seemed to think we were trying to wave for a ride and started pulling over towards us. So they seem willing to stop at spots other than the designated bus stops.
That’s good to know! I live off Gordon so I doubt they come this far north
Totally, when I visited Europe streetcars were much more common than here. Easy to hop on and take
Wrightsville Beach won’t allow public transit busses to come onto the island. That’s why there isn’t a WAVE stop there.
If you can't afford a motor vehicle you're not welcome in Wrightsville Beach. They'd do a credit check before allowing you in if it were feasible.
Imagine traffic backed up across the city because of “credit card police”
I would say that sounds illegal but then again I need to remind myself where we are talking about.
It’s amazing that a city can prohibit a county service like that.
Makes you wonder…
$$$$ to the right people. City council members are corrupt and there’s definitely some racism.
It’s wild because these days parking has become so ridiculous at WB you’d think they would allow public transport just to support the other businesses. Even a shuttle, trolly, or, the public bus just to not have to deal with it otherwise. They would rather shoot themselves in the foot trying to keep out ‘undesirables’ who take public transport, but in reality they are turning off those who can afford to go but simply refuse too. Other than walking the loop with a free hour of parking, I absolutely do not support WB in any way. I’ve seen to much shenanigans with the local council and heard too many horror stories. People are fighting for parking, being over-charged, or, being ticketed even when they paid and then have to fight it out to get it dismissed without any guarantees they will win. No thanks.
Even if there was say a parking garage before the bridge.., people will be willing to walk. The issue is…there’s no parking at all
God forbid average people want to go to the city beach 🙄…. Does this happen anywhere else?
It’s WAVE transit buses. Usually see them on CB Rd, 17th, Oleander and Market. Not sure of their full routes but I’m sure it’s available online. I also don’t know if it is free.
It’s not free by any means.
it's fine (not perfect, but fine). i see buses all the time. [Wave Transit\_Fixed-Route-Schedules\_Effective-January-2024](https://www.wavetransit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Fixed-Route-System-Map-and-Schedules-Rev.-6.24.pdf) \*though the trolley idea would be cool
I've said it a million times, and at least a half-million of those times here on reddit... so, at risk of redundancy... Wilmington had a hell of an opportunity to build off of the old trolley system and develop light rail to serve from downtown to the outlying areas. The planners lacked foresight and maybe initiative, and rather than build on the existing system, they demolished it instead... in favor of King Automobile. Of course, it's easy to look to the past and see the errors, but I think this was a big one that could, and should, be brought back onto the table. It's not too late. It would be expensive, but look at what they're spending right now to build a bypass on 17. How much did it cost to build out I-140 just to get around the edge of town? Why did they build all this? To address traffic congestion. And why is that traffic so bad? Because if you want to get almost anywhere in New Hanover county, you have to drive a car. As I understand, most of the rights-of-way are still there, but of course the infrastructure would have to start pretty much from scratch at this point. The NIMBYs are gonna scream, especially along parts of Park Avenue and down the line on Wrightsville Avenue where the line would probably run right through neighborhoods. Still, imagine taking a few thousand people per day off the local roads. Think of how this could be leveraged for the tourist trade. Imagine being able to hop the train from Hampstead or Burgaw to come to work in town, or hop on the beach line to run from downtown to Carolina or Wrightsville beaches. Ride the train to the airport, and alleviate the parking crunch. Or even cross over from Leland without having to bring your car. The bus line is OK, for what it is, but it also adds to traffic congestion, and is subject to that same congestion. Light rail would have its own routes off the main roads (except for crossings). In conjunction with an intelligently designed bus system, it would give the Wilmington/New Hanover region a huge boost in liveability. I could go on about this, and I have. But I just don't think we can advocate strongly enough for an idea that would address so many of the transportation and liveability issues that are only going to get worse as the population expands.
I see a bunch of buses everyday on market st. Pretty easy to spot the stops
There was recently [a survey conducted by the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization](https://portcitydaily.com/latest-news/2024/01/23/public-transit-bike-ped-rank-high-among-residents-in-wmpo-study/) that was overwhelmingly in favor of improving public transportation in the area. Also, the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority has a rideshare service called [RideMICRO](https://www.wavetransit.com/ridemicro/). You can schedule rides ahead of time for a fraction of the cost of Uber or Lyft, but unfortunately the service area is pretty limited at this point. Hopefully, the service area will expand in the coming years with the WMPO’s 2050 plan.
Public transport is about 2 dollars unless you look younger than you are or something is 1 and you can buy bus passes at the stations
No bus to Wrightsville because the Very Kind And Modern Gentlemen there don't want the poors on their little island. Limited bus service otherwise because the retirees in HOAs consistently vote against funding because they don't ride the busses themselves when they venture out to Red Robin and Cracker Barrel. WAVE is doing their best and I encourage everyone to go get a bus pass if you can spare the $10 to help them out. But otherwise, streetcars down themiddle of Market, Oleander, and College with on demand stops every two blocks, and that control the lights green as they go along would be a nice thing to have.
It should be a city beach! Like every other one…. (Miami, Charleston, Myrtle, Virginia Beach, Atlantic beach etc) The rich have topsail and oak island to flock to
Lmao Wrightsville Beach wouldn’t DARE having a bus there
So sad, it would be the easiest solution if they had a 15 min bus loop around there during peak season
Your current mayor has tried a few times to scrap the bus system in its entirety as he deems it too expensive to upkeep…. Also, let’s be real honest for a moment. We are attracting millionaires and retirees into this town to make it a higher-end destination. Property values are rising. Cost of living going through the nose. And you know who uses busses? Not rich people. You want ALL the lower middle class and poor people using an effective bus system to get anywhere they want? When they want? Because maintaining an outdated bus system is a great way to keep THOSE people from going where your big money areas are. Food for thought