Go! Chapel Hill - Command Your Commute!
Welcome to Go! Chapel Hill - The place to learn how to lead a more active life, while decreasing your dependence on automobiles, in our community - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Researchers are showing increased interest in the link between our built environment - such as neighborhoods, roads, sidewalks - and our health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, "the interaction between people and their environments, natural as well as human-made, continues to emerge as a major issue concerning public health." What's clear is that ditching the car is not only good for our environment, but good for our waistlines as well. Therefore, this site aims to give you the resources you'll need to leave your car at home and lead a more active lifestyle.
How can you lead a more active lifestyle everyday? A brief list of the many ways is below. You can follow the links on this web site for more information on these and other ways to be more active.
- Ride the Bus - Chapel Hill Transit offers fare-free bus service throughout the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Additionally, Triangle Transit offers service from Chapel Hill to destinations throughout the Triangle, such as Raleigh and Durham. The short walk to and from the bus stop may seem like a small step towards a more active life, but it quickly adds up. Additionally, public transportation is a sustainable method of transportation in an age where gas prices are unstable and global warming is increasingly a concern.
- Bicycle - Chapel Hill and the surrounding area offers cyclists several miles of exclusive bikeways and bike lanes along many roads. Like public transportation, using a bicycle to commute or run errands is another sustainable method of transportation that is also beneficial to your health.
- Walk - If you're not in a rush, slow down and enjoy a walk along Chapel Hill's extensive trail system, sidewalks, and designated walking loops. The town continues to take steps to promote walking by improving the sidewalk network and other pedestrian infrastructure.
Please take some time to explore our web site and learn more about how to Drive Less & Live More! Current News and Events can be found below!
Go Triangle - Your Link to Transportation
Take time to explore the web site of Go Triangle, your link to Transportation for the entire Triangle region. You can use Go Triangle to learn how to get to points throughout the Triangle using Triangle Transit and the other transit providers in our region, including CAT (Raleigh) and DATA (Durham). Click the Go Triangle logo to visit www.gotriangle.org
Triangle Transit News
**Newman Center Bus Stop Closure
The bus stop at the Newman Center will be closed (beginning late January 2010) for approximately the next eighteen (18) months due to construction on Pittsboro Street. A temporary bus stop will be located at 210 Pittsboro Street (News Services Building) near the intersection of Cameron Avenue.
The right hand lane of Pittsboro Street (beyond the temporary bus stop to McCauley Street) will be closed. The left hand lane will remain open during this time. Triangle Transit and Chapel Hill Transit routes may experience schedule delays as a result of the lane closure. Triangle Transit and CHT will make every attempt to maintain schedules but is advising customers to expect delays and to allow extra travel time.
Chapel Hill Transit Service Advisories
**Services Rerouted Due to West Drive Construction
Starting Monday, February 1, 2010, several routes will be rerouted due to a major construction project along West Drive. The CCX (limited), D and NS routes will be rerouted along Manning Drive to East Drive and Mason Farm Road. Passengers will be able to board buses at the UNC Hospital Parking Deck stop. The CL, G, HU (Ronald McDonald trips) and T routes will be rerouted along South Columbia Street, Mason Farm Road and East Drive. Passengers will be able to board buses on Manning Drive at the UNC Hospital Parking Deck stop. The routes will experience schedule delays as a result of the West Drive project. CHT will make every attempt to maintain schedules, but is advising customers to expect delays and to allow extra travel time.
**F Route Bus Stop Closures
CHT will temporarily close the following F route bus stops: Landerwood at Ephesus Church Road, Landerwood at Ferrell Road, Landerwood at Fountain Ridge and Fountain Ridge at Overland Drive beginning Tuesday, January 26, 2010, due to construction on Fountain Ridge Road. Please board the buses at Fountain Ridge at Highview Drive or on Ephesus Church Road at Landerwood (westbound).
**Pittsboro Street Construction Travel Restrictions
Construction of the University's Cogeneration Facility Steam Tunnel Replacement project requires that Pittsboro Street, between Cameron Avenue and McCauley Street, be reduced to one travel lane for a period of up to 18 months. That construction work is scheduled to start in late January 2010 and will continue until summer 2011. Bicycle lane, one travel lane and sidewalk on one side on Pittsboro Street will always be open during this phase of the project.
**G Route-Temporary Bus Stop Relocation
CHT will temporarily relocate the northbound and southbound bus stops on Willow Drive at Spruce Street beginning Monday, January 4, 2010, due to construction. The bus stops will be relocated east on Willow Drive past the intersection of Spruce Street, away from Fordham Boulevard. The relocation is expected to last until the end of February 2010.
**Take Tar Heel Express to UNC Men's Basketball Games
CHT's Tar Heel Express services provide shuttles from park and ride lots throughout Chapel Hill and Carrboro to UNC men's basketball games. Service begins 1 1/2 to 3 hours before the scheduled start of each game. The shuttles provide continuous and fully accessible service, running every 10 to 15 minutes between the park and rides and Dean Smith Center. Shuttles operate forty-five (45) minutes following each game.
Tar Heel Express shuttle stops are located at the park and ride lots at Friday Center, Southern Village, University Mall (next to Dillard's), and Jones Ferry. An additional downtown stop is located at the Carolina Coffee Shop located at 138 East Franklin Street (no parking provided). The shuttles will provide continuous and fully accessible service, running every 10 to 15 minutes between the park and rides and the Dean E. Smith Center. The shuttles will operate for forty-five (45) minutes following the game.
Shuttles drop off and pick up on Bowles Drive in front of the Dean E. Smith Center. Shuttle rides are $5 for a round-trip or $3 for a one-way trip. Rides from the Carolina Coffee Shop are $2 one-way or $4 round-trip. Please visit Tar Heel Express for complete listing of park and ride lots and service hours.
Announcements
**Recent News - Riding Public Transit Saves Individuals $9,242 Annually
"The Transit Savings Report" released monthly by APTA calculates the average annual and monthly savings for public transit users. The report examines how an individual in a two-person household can save money by taking public transportation and living with one less car. Transit riders can save on average $770 per month. The savings amount is based on the cost of the national averages for parking and driving, as well as the January 11 national average gas price of $2.75 per gallon for self-serve regular gasoline as reported by AAA.
Taking public transportation provides a safe and affordable way for individuals and families to cut costs. In addition, local public transit offers a travel option that has an immediate positive impact in reducing an individual’s overall carbon footprint while helping reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.
The national average for a monthly unreserved parking space in a downtown business district is $154.23, according to the 2009 Colliers International Parking Rate Study. Over the course of a year, parking costs for a vehicle can amount to an average of $1,850.
For more information on this report, please the APTA website.
**Contact Us
Please e-mail lcone@townofchapelhill.org if you would like to receive periodic updates, information, and a newsletter from Go! Chapel Hill. You will receive information about developments, initiatives, and competitions such as the Smart Commute Challenge.
**Check out the Google pedometer
Google pedometer is a great way to keep track of how far you run or walk. Google pedometer eliminates the need to drag along a pedometer or GPS system to determine your distance. In addition to learning how many calories you burn during exercise, you can save your route and share it with others. Check it out at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/
**News - Perils for Pedestrian Features Go! Chapel Hill
Go! Chapel Hill was recently featured on "Perils for Pedestrians," a monthly television series promoting awareness of issues affecting people who walk and bicycle. Learn more about Go! Chapel Hill by watching this episode, which features Chapel Hill near the beginning.
Perils for Pedestrians Episode 100 Google Video
