CHAPEL HILL – Director of Chapel Hill Transit, Brian Litchfield, says changes are coming to local bus routes just in time for the start of school.

“Many of our routes that were on detour as a result of the South Columbia project will be coming off detour at that time,” Litchfield says.

Also, due to new funds from the Orange County bus and rail investment plan, the bus route will be able to extend its evening times year-round.

“Right now, when UNC would not be in service, whether it was on a holiday or throughout the summer, some of our evening and late night service on many of our routes throughout the community would go away,” Litchfield says. “There’s significant demand for those services, we’ve just not had a way to finance that.”

Litchfield says funding public transportation is always a challenge, but with coming budget cuts, he says the department is working hard to find alternate methods of funding.

“That’s one of the reasons why we’re undertaking strategic financial plans: to begin to look at different ways that we could perhaps finance things, not looking at state and federal resources as the only area or a major area of funding for us,” Litchfield says. “We know that that’s likely going to continue to decrease.”

Litchfield, previous the interim director of CHT, was announced as the new director on Tuesday.

Related Stories
‹
Tar Heel Bikes Program To End May 31
Tar Heel Bikes, the UNC campus bikeshare program, will end May 31 of this year with the expiration of its contract, UNC announced last week. Tar Heel Bikes, the campus bikeshare program, will end May 31. The University is in the process of selecting a new bikeshare provider and plans to announce a new service […]
Hillsborough: Transit Visions + Occaneechei Rededication
Hillsborough Mayor Jenn Weaver joins 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Tuesday, April 19, to share some recent news from around the town government.
Public Transit Gets $3.7B to Woo Riders, Adopt Green Fleets
Written by HOPE YEN Public transit systems straining to win back riders after being crushed by the COVID-19 pandemic are getting a $3.7 billion boost to stay afloat and invest in new fleets of electric buses. With mask restrictions fading and workers beginning to return to offices, the Biden administration said Monday it was awarding $2.2 billion in […]
State BRT Funding a Sticking Point in Orange County Transportation Planning
Local officials hope to finalize a new transit plan this spring - but funding for bus rapid transit (BRT) will hinge on state support.
Chapel Hill Transit Marks 20th Anniversary of Fare-Free Service
When people hopped onto a Chapel Hill Transit bus this weekend, they may have thought about making sure they were on the correct route, what time it was or whether they were wearing a face mask. But one thing they didn’t have to think about? Having to pay for the ride. According to the transit […]
Chapel Hill Transit Announces Operation Changes Due to Staffing Shortage
Amid a shortage of dozens of staffers, the Chapel Hill Transit System is set to implement temporary changes to its frequency and operation of routes. The system announced Thursday that starting Monday, September 20, several schedule adjustments will go into effect with the aim of improving reliability of buses. Consistency in scheduling has been affected […]
Chapel Hill Transit Experiencing Critical Worker Shortage, More Than 50 Operators Needed
Chapel Hill Transit returned to full service operations in August, but some riders are seeing changes on their routes. The transit system is experiencing a critical operator shortage. Typically entering a new school year there are 130 to 140 operators. This year, however, there are only 86.
GoTriangle Bus System to Continue Fare-Free Model Through June 2022
One of the most popular transit systems in Orange and Durham Counties will not charge its bus passengers for the next year, continuing a fare-free model established during the coronavirus pandemic. GoTriangle announced on Monday it will continue its suspension of bus fares for GoDurham, GoRaleigh, GoCary and other GoTriangle routes through June 30, 2022. […]
NC Grants $2.5 Million To Transport People To COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics
Transit agencies across the state will soon receive money to transport people to and from COVID-19 vaccination sites at no cost to the rider. On Thursday, North Carolina’s Department of Transportation and state health department announced that new Coronavirus Relief Funding is being distributed to local transit agencies across the state. Secretary of […]
Panel Recommends Raising NC Revenues for Transportation 40%
A blue-ribbon panel called Friday on North Carolina to boost transportation spending by 40% through the next decade to improve its “mediocre” infrastructure of highways, railroads and transit as the state grows and current revenue sources dwindle. The North Carolina First Commission, formed nearly two years ago by Gov. Roy Cooper’s then-transportation secretary, suggests several […]
›