Transit forum urges feedback

Residents will have a chance to have an impact on local transportation policy at a public forum tonight in Carrboro.

The Carrboro-Chapel Hill Transit Forum will be held in the Carrboro Town Hall at 7 p.m. and televised live on Channel 18.

The forum is co-sponsored by the Carrboro Transportation Advisory Board and the Chapel Hill Transportation Board and will consist primarily of a question-and-answer section.

“The forum is invaluable in affording an opportunity to everyone in the community to let their opinions and requests for changes to the system be known,” said Mary Lou Kuschatka, Chapel Hill’s transportation director.

Along with the two sponsors, officials from the Triangle Transit Authority, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the University’s Department of Public Safety will attend tonight’s forum.

During the question-and-answer session, the officials will hear concerns and consider suggestions residents might share.

Those unable to attend the forum can still provide input by e-mailing questions to transitforum@ci.carrboro.nc.us, by leaving a question on voice mail at 918-7311 or by calling in live at 918-7308.

The comments and ideas will also be compiled and will be available to other area officials.

Officials said that community suggestions can have an impact on the way transit systems operate.

“We have had suggestions that have come from previous forums that have been put into practice,” said Dale McKeel, Carrboro transportation planner.

McKeel said that after hearing from residents, Carrboro broke its C bus into a CM bus and a CW bus.

“That’s been in place for about two years,” he said. “It’s been a very popular change.”

Past forums have taken place later in the year — toward the end of February or the beginning of March — but the new date allows suggestions to be promptly discussed at the Jan. 26 annual meeting of the partners of Chapel Hill Transit.

Officials said that the forum will be an important venue for officials to get in touch with ordinary patrons of public transportation.

“The biggest thing is it’s an opportunity for both Chapel Hill Transit and TTA officials to hear directly from the citizens about their experiences with the services,” said Patrick McDonough, transit service planner for TTA.

Chapel Hill’s principal transportation planner, David Bonk, shared similar sentiments.

“It also allows us to get a feel for where there may be latent demand for transit service that we’re not meeting at this time,” Bonk said.

George Cianciolo, chairman of the Chapel Hill Transportation Board, said the forum organizers are hoping that more students will attend.

“We’d love to see the students come just because they are the biggest users of the system,” he said.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.