After operating at a deficit of service for nearly five years, the Chapel Hill Transit system is set to fully restore some of its routes in the new year.

The local bus system said earlier in December that five routes with limited service times and frequency will return to full operations, as well as one route temporarily covered by Carolina Livery. The A, CL, CW, J and N routes will return to their full morning and evening times starting on Monday, Jan. 6, according to the town, and the CCX route will return to running Chapel Hill Transit buses.

Chapel Hill Transit Director Brian Litchfield told Chapelboro the updates are thanks to improved staffing for the transit system, which was forced to scale back its service during the COVID-19 pandemic for safety precautions and, later, out of necessity based on driver shortages. In 2021, the system said it had 36 full-time positions and 15 part-time positions it was trying to fill.

“This is a really positive step in the right direction, and the result of really good work by our recruiting and training team to continue to work to fill open positions,” said Litchfield. “This will move us to [more than] 95% of our scheduled service, so we’re getting really close to where all of our scheduled service is operating — and we know this has taken longer than we wanted it to, and it’s taken longer than our customers wanted it to.

“I’m Chapel Hill transit director, but I’m also a regular rider and user,” he added, “so I know how frustrating it is when things happen — when a bus is late or delayed, or when you’re looking at a schedule going, ‘Oh, I get off work at 7:30 or I need to get to something at 9:30, and there’s a line through [the bus time] on the schedule.’ We’re looking to get back to 100% [service], and that continues to be a priority for us.”

In addition to the returning services, Chapel Hill Transit also announced the addition of a route and tweaks to a pair of others. The new C route will service southern parts of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and UNC campus along South Columbia Street, Culbreth Road, and Smith Level Road in 30-minute frequencies. With the addition, the HS route will be shortened to remove that area from its line and go only as far south as East Franklin Street before returning north to Eubanks Road. Meanwhile, the NS route will see a new stop added for Saturday morning trips. The 8 a.m. bus departing the Eubanks Park and Ride lot will now also serve Homestead Road stops and the Seymour Center.

The Chapel Hill Transit system is in the midst of celebrating its 50th anniversary of operations, with the return to service being an unrelated — but additional — cause for celebration. Despite its staffing shortages and challenges during the pandemic, the service has remained fare-free to customers as it has since 2002.

To get the current route details and full updates, visit the Chapel Hill Transit Routes & Schedules page on the town government’s website.

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