A developing Chapel Hill Transit project is a recent recipient of a federal grant, which will help create a new bus line through the town.

The Federal Transit Administration announced earlier in December nine transit projects would receive a combined $6.2 million in funding to support planned public transportation projects. Among the projects is Chapel Hill’s North-South Bus Rapid Transit plan, which aims to create a streamlined bus route from Southern Village to the Eubanks Road park-and-ride lot.

A release from the agency said the Chapel Hill project has been awarded $592,000 to help build various development around the 16 planned stations along the BRT line’s proposed eight-mile route.

Chapel Hill Transit Director Brian Litchfield celebrated the news on Twitter, thanking the FTA for its help funding the project that began its planning study in 2013.

In 2019, Litchfield described the project to Orange County commissioners as plan much greater than establishing a new bus route in a heavily traveled corridor. With plans for the BRT corridor to include an 11-foot multi-use path on each side of the roadway, the project is a chance to improve several methods of transportation.

“This is an investment in improving transit in the corridor but also a multi-modal investment,” Litchfield described. “It’s going to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists.”

In an email to Chapel Hill Town Council members about the grant, Litchfield also said the FTA has given permission for the North-South Bus Rapid Transit project to proceed with design plans up to 60%. The project is continuing to complete environmental work and completed its 30% designs in 2019.

Most recently, the Town of Chapel Hill adopted a Locally Preferred Alternative plan for the project in June, which provides a description of the type of transit to be implemented, the line’s specific route, station locations and how the BRT vehicles will operate with surrounding traffic.

More information on Chapel Hill’s bus rapid transit plan can be found on the project’s website.

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