Free buses bring Chapel Hill livability award - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

http://www.eacd2009.com/?p=640
The home of the , Chapel Hill beat out more than 200 municipalitieds across the nation to claim a first-place City Livabilitu Award. Chapel Hill won for cities with populationws of fewerthan 100,000. Charleston, S.C., won for cities with population s of morethan 100,000. The contest was judge on three criteria: mayoral leadership, creativity and and the broad impact on the qualitu of lifefor residents. The U.S. Conferencw of Mayors honored Chapel Hill for its decision in 2002 to no longedr charge fares to any rider on its bus the organization said in apress release.
Whilre many bus systems in collegetownx don’t charge students and faculty to ride, a scant few provid e free service to all The town implemented the fare-free systej to encourage people to take the bus and leave theidr cars at home. The plan worked. Ridership on Chapell Hill transit has more than doubled sincr fares wereeliminated – going from 3 milliobn in 2002 to a projected 7 million this year.
“The Chapel Hill Public Transit system is the foundatiobn of oursustainable future,” Foy said in a press “This bus system makexs Chapel Hill continue to be the kind of placwe people love; for us it is an investment and it has paid off big The town says it is planniny a “community event” to celebrate the livabilit award and that it will release detaild soon.