Chapel Hill Transit
Encyclopedia
Chapel Hill Transit operates public bus
and van
transportation services within the contiguous municipalities of Chapel Hill
and Carrboro and the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
in the southeast corner of Orange County
in the Research Triangle metropolitan region of North Carolina
. Chapel Hill Transit began operation in August 1974. Total ridership, including fixed route, EZ Rider and Shared Ride Feeder service, for fiscal year 2005 was almost 6 million.
grant to examine the suitability of a permanent transit system. Town voters approved a $350,000 bond
referendum
for local match for capital
and a $.10/$100 valuation ad valorem tax
to support transit operations. Chapel Hill Transit began operations in August 1974 as a department of the Town of Chapel Hill government. Prior to Chapel Hill Transit, the UNC Student Government operated a campus shuttle system from 1968 until 1974. The Transit Director reports to the Town Manager, who is responsible to the Town Council
. A citizen advisory committee, the Transportation Board, makes recommendations to the Town Council on transportation and traffic issues. A plan adopted by the Town Council in 1977 included a set of transportation goals which specifically encourage transit over automobile use in the central areas of Chapel Hill. Although the transit system is operated by the town of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC are financial partners in the operations. System expenses are allocated based upon population. Carrboro began purchasing transit services in the fiscal year 1977-1978 with revenue sharing
funds. In the fall of 1980, Carrboro approved a $.10/$100 valuation ad valorem tax to pay for transit service. In fiscal year 1980–1981 the Carrboro contract first included the EZ Rider.
In 1992, Chapel Hill Transit teamed up with the Triangle Clean Cities Coalition and Ebus, a California company that manufactures electric buses, to demonstrate a 22-passenger bus that promised cleaner air and reduced dependence on foreign fuels. This vehicle demonstration followed an earlier one arranged by the Public Transportation Division of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. In the earlier demonstration, a Transteq hybrid bus was transported from daily use in Denver, Colorado
, and made available for test drives on the Chapel Hill Transit lot. In February 2006, K. Stephen Spade, a former Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority employee, was hired as the transportation director for the Town of Chapel Hill. In August 2006, Chapel Hill Transit announced that their buses will be equipped with GPS tracking devices, allowing the bus riders to check the arrival time of the buses using the internet
and their cell phone. The project was completed by NextBus Inc.
. Fourteen bus stops would also have digitized signs showing the estimated arrival times of buses. These signs were controversial, as the cost of installing them was almost $1 million. In September 2006, Chapel Hill Transit announced plans to buy begin purchasing hybrid buses. The town planned to buy as many as nineteen new buses: three hybrids, several extra-long and the rest standard size. In October 2006, the Chapel Hill Town Council approved the purchase of sixteen new Chapel Hill Transit buses at a cost of $5.8 million from Gillig Corp
. Federal grants provided about $5.2 million, and the town provided approximately $600,000 in local funds. Three of these sixteen new buses run on diesel-electric drivetrains
. The rest of the buses are mostly powered by Detroit Diesel series 50 engines. The buses, delivered in July 2007, were expanded the system and replaced older buses. The town had an additional $1.7 million in federal funding which was sufficient to purchase four 60-foot Articulated buses, each with two sections that allow them to flex in the middle. All of the purchased buses were low-floor buses with interior floors at curb level.
es and 11 lift-equipped van
s. The basic hours of operation are from early morning to evening. Eight Park and ride
lots are also available. Connections to other local transit systems, Orange Public Transportation and Triangle Transit Authority
are available.
and elderly that are unable to use the regular fixed route service. The service operates from morning to evening on weekdays and on Saturdays.
home football
and basketball
game as well as most concerts at the Dean Smith Center
for paying riders. Service begins one and a half hours before the scheduled start of an event, and return trips begin immediately after each event and continue for approximately half an hour.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
and van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
transportation services within the contiguous municipalities of Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
and Carrboro and the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in the southeast corner of Orange County
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
in the Research Triangle metropolitan region of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Chapel Hill Transit began operation in August 1974. Total ridership, including fixed route, EZ Rider and Shared Ride Feeder service, for fiscal year 2005 was almost 6 million.
History
In the early 1970s, the Public Transportation Study Committee was formed, consisting of representatives from the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and UNC. The committee then received a Federal Urban Mass Transit AdministrationFederal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
grant to examine the suitability of a permanent transit system. Town voters approved a $350,000 bond
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
for local match for capital
Capital (economics)
In economics, capital, capital goods, or real capital refers to already-produced durable goods used in production of goods or services. The capital goods are not significantly consumed, though they may depreciate in the production process...
and a $.10/$100 valuation ad valorem tax
Ad valorem tax
An ad valorem tax is a tax based on the value of real estate or personal property. It is more common than a specific duty, a tax based on the quantity of an item, such as cents per kilogram, regardless of price....
to support transit operations. Chapel Hill Transit began operations in August 1974 as a department of the Town of Chapel Hill government. Prior to Chapel Hill Transit, the UNC Student Government operated a campus shuttle system from 1968 until 1974. The Transit Director reports to the Town Manager, who is responsible to the Town Council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
. A citizen advisory committee, the Transportation Board, makes recommendations to the Town Council on transportation and traffic issues. A plan adopted by the Town Council in 1977 included a set of transportation goals which specifically encourage transit over automobile use in the central areas of Chapel Hill. Although the transit system is operated by the town of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC are financial partners in the operations. System expenses are allocated based upon population. Carrboro began purchasing transit services in the fiscal year 1977-1978 with revenue sharing
Revenue sharing
Revenue sharing has multiple, related meanings depending on context.In business, revenue sharing refers to the sharing of profits and losses among different groups. One form shares between the general partner and limited partners in a limited partnership...
funds. In the fall of 1980, Carrboro approved a $.10/$100 valuation ad valorem tax to pay for transit service. In fiscal year 1980–1981 the Carrboro contract first included the EZ Rider.
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, and made available for test drives on the Chapel Hill Transit lot. In February 2006, K. Stephen Spade, a former Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority employee, was hired as the transportation director for the Town of Chapel Hill. In August 2006, Chapel Hill Transit announced that their buses will be equipped with GPS tracking devices, allowing the bus riders to check the arrival time of the buses using the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and their cell phone. The project was completed by NextBus Inc.
NextBus
NextBus is a vehicle tracking system which uses global positioning satellite information to predict when the next bus will arrive at any given bus stop, thereby eliminating wait times and any need for schedules for all transit riders...
. Fourteen bus stops would also have digitized signs showing the estimated arrival times of buses. These signs were controversial, as the cost of installing them was almost $1 million. In September 2006, Chapel Hill Transit announced plans to buy begin purchasing hybrid buses. The town planned to buy as many as nineteen new buses: three hybrids, several extra-long and the rest standard size. In October 2006, the Chapel Hill Town Council approved the purchase of sixteen new Chapel Hill Transit buses at a cost of $5.8 million from Gillig Corp
Gillig
Gillig Corporation, formerly Gillig Bros., is a manufacturer of heavy-duty low-floor transit buses located in Hayward, California. Prior to 1993, Gillig had also been a manufacturer of school buses.-History:...
. Federal grants provided about $5.2 million, and the town provided approximately $600,000 in local funds. Three of these sixteen new buses run on diesel-electric drivetrains
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
. The rest of the buses are mostly powered by Detroit Diesel series 50 engines. The buses, delivered in July 2007, were expanded the system and replaced older buses. The town had an additional $1.7 million in federal funding which was sufficient to purchase four 60-foot Articulated buses, each with two sections that allow them to flex in the middle. All of the purchased buses were low-floor buses with interior floors at curb level.
Services
The Chapel Hill Transit system consists of over 20 weekday routes, of each around one third run during evenings and Saturdays. Three late night, "Safe Ride routes" operate on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday on three routes when the university is in session. Chapel Hill transit currently owns 98 busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es and 11 lift-equipped van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
s. The basic hours of operation are from early morning to evening. Eight Park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
lots are also available. Connections to other local transit systems, Orange Public Transportation and Triangle Transit Authority
Triangle Transit Authority
The Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority which is known by the name Triangle Transit provides regional bus service to The Triangle region of North Carolina in the counties of Wake, Durham and Orange.- History :The 1989 Session of the North Carolina General Assembly enabled...
are available.
Route List
- A Martin Luther King Blvd/Northside
- CCX Chatham County Express
- CL Colony Lake-Sage Rd/UNC Hospitals
- CM Carrboro/Merrit Mill Rd
- CPX Carrboro Plaza Express
- CW Carrboro/Weaver St
- D Culbreth Rd/Franklin Rd/Eastowne
- DX Eastowne Express
- F Colony Woods/Franklin Rd
- FCX Friday Center Express
- G Booker Creek/Briarcliff via University Mall
- HS Chapel Hill High School/Rogers Rd/Downtown
- HU UNC Hospital/Hwy 54 Park and Ride
- J Carrboro/Downtown/Jones Ferry Rd
- JFX Carrboro/Jones Ferry Express
- N Estes Park/UNC Hospitals
- NS Eubanks Rd/Southern Village
- NU UNC Park and Ride/UNC Hospitals
- PX Pittsboro Express
- RU South Campus/Law School
- S South Campus/Hwy 54 Park and Ride
- T Martin Luther King Blvd/UNC Hospitals
- U UNC/Downtown
- V Southern Village/Meadowmont
EZ Rider service
A free "EZ Rider" service provides a demand-responsive transit service for the handicappedDisability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
and elderly that are unable to use the regular fixed route service. The service operates from morning to evening on weekdays and on Saturdays.
Tarheel Express
Express bus service is provided for each North Carolina Tar HeelsNorth Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
home football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
game as well as most concerts at the Dean Smith Center
Dean Smith Center
The Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, usually called simply the Smith Center and popularly referred to as the Dean Dome is a multi-purpose arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The arena is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels men's basketball team, and temporary...
for paying riders. Service begins one and a half hours before the scheduled start of an event, and return trips begin immediately after each event and continue for approximately half an hour.