Starting Monday, Chapel Hill Transit will restore bus trips on the CL, D and J routes. The routes were reduced in January when high numbers of employees called out due to safety protocols related to COVID-19 and other illnesses, according to an email statement from the Town of Chapel Hill.
Nick Pittman, transit planning coordinator at Chapel Hill Transit, said the organization feels comfortable adding the routes back given the current state of COVID-19 in Orange County.
As of Wednesday, 75 percent of the county is fully vaccinated, according to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
"We know these service changes impacted a lot of customers," he said. "We’re excited to be able to begin returning service to our community members.”
Jeffrey Sullivan, community outreach manager for Chapel Hill Transit, said that as issues related to COVID-19 decrease, the organization plans to continue to increase transit services.
"Please continue to be patient with our team and follow COVID-19 safety protocols on our buses, including wearing a mask over your nose and mouth while on the bus," Sullivan said in the emailed statement.
The CL route will run routes departing from the following locations:
- East Drive at Jackson Circle: 7:10 a.m., 8:10 a.m., 9:20 a.m., 10:20 a.m.
- Franklin Street at the Varsity Theater: 11:07 a.m.
- Franklin Street from Carolina Coffee Shop: 2:30 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 5:40 p.m.
The J route will run routes departing from the following locations:
