Chapel Hill commuters will have to wait at least two more weeks to find out if they will be required to pay for access to local park-and-ride lots.
At a meeting Monday night, the Chapel Hill Town Council delayed a decision on a proposed $250 annual fee so the town can approach Triangle Transit about contributing financially on behalf of its riders.
The lots — which are located at Eubanks Road, Jones Ferry Road, Southern Village and Carrboro Plaza — are used by many residents who drive to the lots and then commute to locations throughout the Triangle via public transit.
The proposed fee would bring in about $81,000 for Chapel Hill, and the University would pay an estimated $150,000 for its students and employees that use the Chapel Hill lots.
Council members decided Monday to revisit the discussion on April 10 after asking Triangle Transit to pay for park-and-ride lot users who commute by Triangle Transit rather than Chapel Hill Transit.
Mayor Pro Tem Ed Harrison said he was concerned that the fee would lead to a decrease in users.
“Triangle Transit staff are certain if the kind of fees we are talking about are put on that lot it will affect their ridership,” he said.
Triangle Transit estimates only a small proportion of Chapel Hill park-and-ride lot users commute on Triangle Transit.
Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said he thought these commuters should be an exception.