Transportation officials say fare-free busing, a service that started Jan. 2 and developed from a cooperative effort between Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC, aims to integrate public transportation into everyday life.
Ray Magyar, UNC assistant director of transit, compared the new fare-free system to the introduction of the fare-free U bus route several years ago, which produced a 130 percent increase in ridership during its first week.
Officials will formally kick off the new service with a ceremony at 2 p.m. today at the Bell Tower. Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, Carrboro Board of Alderman member Alex Zaffron, Chancellor James Moeser and Student Body President Justin Young are scheduled to speak at the event.
Eleven new buses have been added to the system in an effort to reduce overcrowding and long waits at bus stops, Magyar said. "With this new system, we actually think overcrowding of buses should decrease, as with the new routes," Magyar said. "Students can grab any bus heading in their direction, as opposed to a specific line."
"The snow prevented the buses from running January 3 and 4, and the Carolina students being out of town means we won't be able to get accurate figures for a little while," Hannegan said.
Magyar said UNC, Chapel Hill and Carrboro are all making comparable efforts to fund the program. Last February, students approved an $8.49 increase in student fees that will fund the University's portion of the program.
"The University is contributing over $4 million every year to the project, up $2 million from what we initially planned," he said.
Along with fare-free busing, officials have added new routes and expanded operating hours -- an effort aimed at highlighting public transportation in residents' daily lives. A new EU route will service the UNC campus, originating at the Law School. The P and PR routes have been combined into the NU route, which will service all of the P and PR's original stops. The HU route will run to the Friday Center located on N.C. 54 and UNC Hospitals via Manning Drive and Fordham Boulevard.
Chapel Hill Transportation Director May Lou Kuschatka said officials are working to make detailed bus routes and schedules available.
Officials also are devising marketing strategies and promotional items to make residents conscious of the new policies.
The items include a change purse that reads "Change Savers" on it, reminding bus riders of the money they will save with the new system.
Kuschatka said that while minor adjustments might be made in route scheduling during the next few months, an in-depth evaluation of possible major changes will not take place until May and June.
The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.
