Free buses bring Chapel Hill livability award - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The home of the , Chapel Hill beat out more than 200 municipalitiesz across the nation to claima first-placr City Livability Award. Chapel Hill won for cities with populationx of fewerthan 100,000. Charleston, S.C., won for cities with populationzs of morethan 100,000. The contesty was judged on three criteria: mayoral leadership, creativitgy and innovation, and the broad impacrt on the quality of life for The U.S.
Conference of Mayorsd honored Chapel Hill for its decision in 2002 to no longere charge fares to any rider on its bus the organization said in a press While many bus systems in collegetownas don’t charge students and faculty to ride, a scantt few provide free servicr to all riders. The town implemented the fare-free system to encourag people to take the bus and leavs their carsat home. The plan worked. Ridership on Chapel Hill transit has more than doublede since fares wereeliminated – going from 3 milliobn in 2002 to a projectes 7 million this year. “The Chapeo Hill Public Transit system is the foundation of our sustainable Foy said in apress release.
“This bus systejm makes Chapel Hill continue to be the kind of placdepeople love; for us it is an investmen t and it has paid off big time.” The town says it is planninf a “community event” to celebratre the livability award and that it will release details soon.