According to a press release from the Town of Chapel Hill, that work was recently recognized when Go Chapel Hill, an alternative transportation advocacy group, and its Go Triangle partners received the Goodmon Award for Strategic Partnership and Chapel Hill was named a bronze-level bike-friendly city by the League of American Bicyclists.
Len Cone, a spokeswoman for Go Chapel Hill, said the award is the result of the region’s transportation demand management, or TDM, work.
“The TDM effort is to improve our air quality, reduce traffic congestion and in general keep the community healthy, clean and green,” she said.
“This has been an effort that the University as well as the town has worked on for several years now, with the two entities, along with the work being done in the rest of the Triangle, making those efforts even more intense.”
Cone said that during a 12 month period, more than 14,000 specific participants have been involved in the partnership. She said each partner has a person on staff to promote various efforts to reduce traffic and increase air quality through programs, special events and special campaigns.
Cycling, walking and using public transportation aren’t the only alternatives to driving — Cone also mentioned carpooling and skateboarding.
“In the last ten years, skateboarding has become more and more frequent — so far, we have not addressed it specifically,” she said. “I see it is regularly used by many citizens for getting out and about.”
Current major projects include the Watch for Me NC campaign, which encourages police officers to spread information about pedestrian and cyclist safety; the Lighten Up Chapel Hill campaign, which promotes proper lighting for cyclists riding at night; and the Go Chapel Hill Commute Club, whose members pledge to use alternative transportation several times during the year, Cone said.
