Do you remember the first time you rode a Chapel Hill Transit bus? My family landed in Chapel Hill in 1998, my boys were three and one. Before we moved here, we lived in New Orleans and one of my favorite pastimes with my boys was to ride the streetcar.
That old rickety, loud, hot, public transportation thrilled my boys every single time, and they didn’t have to be riding. Just the site of the streetcar passing by made them pause. We rented out a streetcar (yes, a thing in NOLA) for the boys third and first birthday party. We invited all their little friends to come ride and have cupcakes, and he joy on the little faces as we rode through NOLA was priceless.
Growing up in a city, public transit was the way we got around. I walked or rode the city bus to school and took the tubes (Path Train – Heavy Rail) into NYC or to Newark to connect to the airport shuttle. Of course living in NYC, the only fast and convenient way to get around was the subway. One of my favorite rides was from midtown Manhattan to Yankee Stadium starting underground, traveling north, landing on the front door of the stadium, above ground. No trip to the Bronx was complete without stopping at the Court Deli for a pastrami sandwich before the game, but that’s another column.
Soon after we arrived in Chapel Hill, I checked out CHT. I lived off MLK Blvd, then called Airport Road. Access to the bus was easy. Looking for something fun to do with the kids playgroup, I suggested taking a bus ride to Franklin Street. The little ones loved it. I remember having to help them climb the steps and get in their seats close to the window so they could watch the world go by. It became a regular outing, and I think for some a life-long attraction to public transit.
I haven’t been on my F bus in more than a year due to the Greensboro traffic circle construction and COVID. But it’s time to inch our way back to normal and “Hop on the Bus, Gus.” Better yet, make a “New Plan Stan” and commit to use public transit as your new normal. Teach your children how to use public transit!
The HS route kept my boys mobile all through high school. The CHT shuttle to the Tar Heel games and yes, the Springsteen concert at Kenan Stadium September 14, 2003, is easy, and a no brainer. My boys learned early and continue to use public transit today. As a matter of fact, it is clear that folks in their 20’s understand the connection between public transportation, racial equity, and climate change, and have already made that shift.
So how do we get folks to use public transit? I asked Brian Linchfield to meet with me hoping to learn more about the different routes, connections, schedules, and suggestions on how we get folks back on the bus after a year of covid. Brian suggested we have our meeting about transit, while in transit. We met at Open Eye and walked over to catch the J on Main Street. Rode that to Columbia Street and connected to the NS. We rode the NS bus north to the Eubanks Parking and Ride and hopped back on the NS heading south to Franklin Street where we transferred to the U. The U zig zags through campus and then heads back to Franklin Street where we caught the CW back to Carrboro. You can find your bus at this link here.
You can track your bus with the Nextbus App that provides real time arrivals of the buses. Load that app onto your kids phones and they’ll show you how to use it.
Brian and I spoke about the safety procedures in place, buses are wiped down twice a day, all buses have a UV filtration system that recirculates clean air every eight minutes, masks are required and if you don’t have one, there is a dispenser at the back door where you can grab one as you enter. Plexiglass has been installed to protect the driver and folks entering and departing the bus. The bus is now open to all riders, limits have been lifted. Traditionally ridership is down during the summer because students leave, but the medical facilities continue to grow their work force and encourage transit ridership by supplying incentives to staff. Now is a great time to commit to riding the bus. Plans are in the works to extend hours on certain routes meaning that you can have dinner, catch a movie, and still get home on the bus.
Why is public transit so important? Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation account for about 28 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gases making it the largest contributor to climate change. By reducing the amount of emissions from single-occupancy vehicles (SOV), and offering more public transportation options, cities/counties can help meet air quality standards, and decrease the health risks to their residents. Public transportation also benefits those not using it because it helps reduce energy consumption, and curbs other pollutants. Transit Equity or Transit Justice allows for freedom of movement. When people can count on the bus/rail/train to get where they need to go, they can easily access jobs, education, medical care, culture, goods and services, and daily life.
As we celebrate 47 years of CHT in our service area, how are you going to get back on the bus? Can you commit to riding public transit a few days a week? What would it take to change your commute? WCHL readers and listeners and local electeds, we want to hear from you. What bus do you ride? How often do you walk or ride your bike vs. firing up the SUV? How are you teaching the next generation to use public transit?
Penny and her family moved to Chapel Hill in 1998. She soon joined the Town of Chapel Hill’s Telecommunications and Technology advisory board and was appointed by the town to the OWASA board of directors where she served 6 years and held the Vice Chair position. In 2009 she ran and was elected to the town council in Chapel Hill, and in 2012 ran and was elected to the BOCC where she served 8 years, the last two as chair of the board. Penny owns and operates a personal chef and catering company and has been published in Cary Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, INDY Week, Southern Neighbor and News14. She lives in Carrboro with her mom Jersey Jacky. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram
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