The Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) is getting ready to debut its newest bus route next month — an express line that promises to take riders from Cross Creek Mall to Navy Federal Credit Union in 30 minutes.
After beginning its drive at the mall, the new “X1” route — as it’s being called — will travel along Hoke Loop Road and end at the credit union on Two Bale Lane.
Because of its minimal stops, the route is estimated to take half the time of other FAST routes; other lines in the city can take an hour or more, depending on the length and number of stops, according to FAST staff. The route will officially open on Nov. 13 with daily service.
“The express route is generally just a faster headway,” said Tiera Daugherty, compliance manager for FAST.
Daugherty said the new route is the first to service Hoke Loop Road in west Fayetteville, a mostly residential area near Lake Rim Elementary School. Two other FAST routes, the #7 and #17, currently stop at Two Bale Lane; one has downtown service and the other goes to the mall.
FAST has been working on the route officially for around five months; the route has garnered support from members of the Fayetteville City Council, who voted unanimously in favor of the bus route at a September meeting.
“Express routes really show that our FAST transit system is evolving to be just as effective as the ones you see in big cities,” City Councilman Mario Benavente told CityView Thursday.
Benavente said he also hopes to see more express routes in the future — specifically ones linking the local universities in Fayetteville to the downtown area. Last fiscal year, Daugherty said FAST had 2.1 million riders.
“I want our young people to be able to access these points,” Benavente said.
This route also has a flagging system along Hoke Loop Road, which allows riders to hail the bus in spots without an established bus station. This will be the only route in FAST’s network where flagging is allowed.
The express route only has one bus serving its line, and will be active from 6 to 10:30 a.m. and from 2:30 to 7 p.m.
Daugherty also hopes the express route will help bring new riders to FAST and make Fayetteville’s public bus system similar to that of cities like Chicago, where “everybody’s riding the bus.”
“We want those riders because we're looking for a system of choice, and express actually helps us capture those kinds of riders,” she said.
If the new route is successful, Daugherty said FAST may create more express routes in the future.
“I feel like this route is … definitely going to be a success,” she said. “We've been putting in a lot of hours just trying to get the route together.”
To celebrate its launch, the fare for the new route will be free for the first week of its operation. After that, it will be the same cost as all other FAST bus routes.
For more information on X1 and FAST, visit https://www.fayettevillenc.gov/city-services/transit/fast-express
