Chapel Hill’s public transportation is one of the best and most successful features of both the University and the town. UNC is proud to boast an incredibly efficient bus system to incoming students, a key selling point for students unsure of campus accessibility. As Chapel Hill and UNC begin to navigate the financial future of the bus system, the benefits of ensuring the system’s continued success while maintaining its fare-free status outweigh the cost of the town and the University raising their respective financial contributions.
However, despite students being the vast majority of Chapel Hill Transit riders, they cannot be expected to shoulder the gap created by decreased federal funding alone. Chapel Hill must also increase its contribution to the system.
The relevance of the bus system to UNC students cannot be overstated. It provides accessibility between the far southern reaches of campus and the town, and many students can attest to the relief a bus ride around campus may provide in bad weather.
Many of the buses currently in use in Chapel Hill are 10 to 12 years old, a major cause for concern for the system. These buses will need to be replaced in a relatively short timeframe for the system to uphold its efficacy.
This is not a time for increased costs to students if possible, whether they are in the form of higher tuition or student fees. However, the importance of public transportation in Chapel Hill is a cause that challenges this opinion.
This week, two public forums will be held by the group hired by the town seeking input from the community towards the future financial sources of the system. UNC students, this is an excellent opportunity to fight increased student fees while upholding the prioritization of fare-free public transportation.
