Transportation fair hopes to help people get around town

From GoTriangle buses to bike sharing, a wide variety of transportation options were ready to help commuters find the best ways to travel around campus and Chapel Hill at UNC's annual transportation fair on Thursday.

Tar Heel Bikes, a new bike sharing system, was among the programs promoted at the fair. Displayed in front of their booth was one of the Carolina blue bikes to be used in the new program.

A common feature each representative seemed to boast was the convenience of each mode of transport.

Ray Rodriguez, an officer for the community service division of the UNC Police, was present at the event. He commended the bus system, making note of Chapel Hill Transit's convenience. 

“I think it’s awesome because you get free transportation for students,” Rodriguez said.

UNC first-year Emily Huang enjoys the accessibility of campus transportation. While she finds that the buses aren’t always on time, she appreciates the availability of campus transportation.

“Although it’s not very consistent, it’s free, and it gets me from point A to point B,” Huang said.

Brian Litchfield, the director of Chapel Hill Transit, similarly appreciated the accessibility of transportation on campus and around Chapel Hill. 

“Whether you have a dollar in your pocket or $500 in your pocket, you can hop in the bus and ride,” Litchfield said.

Litchfield said he was interested in improving mobility and access throughout Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC. To him, anything the community can do to increase accessibility is a step in the right direction.

Another major point of the event was the issue of safety when traveling from one place to another. In response to safety concerns, Rodriguez brought up the LiveSafe app. The app helps individuals to keep themselves and their friends safe through features such as instant emergency calling. The emergency button on the app may even make it too easy to contact emergency officials.

“I hit that by accident one time. I was teaching a self-defense class and I didn’t have my radio on, and they sent two guys to come find me,” Rodriguez said. 

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