Chatham Chatlist Highlights

Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:18:13 -0400
From: Gene
Subject: Free Rides and Donuts on the Pittsboro Express

Chapel Hill Transit is offering a FREE RIDE on the
Pittsboro Express (PX) route during October.
http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page3D1220
The free ride pass will also be honored on Chatham Transit Network’s Cross-County route
http://www.chathamtransit.org/crosscounty.html

Download and print the FREE RIDE FLYER for your free ride pass.
http://chathamnc.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=14594

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Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:15:54 -0400
From: Laura Young
Subject: mass transit

Whenever a debate about funding mass transit comes up, there are many who do not want to spend the money because the numbers do not justify the expense.  I would hope that we consider the monetary cost of not having a mass transit system.  In addition to previously mentioned factors-traffic, the environment, global warming pollution..,  what did it cost the taxpayers to widen 15-501 between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill?  What was the cost to the people who live on the 15-501 corridor and lost their home or a part of their homeplace and its value because of the widening.  The cost of doing nothing is not always nothing.

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Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:49:59 +0000
From: Stephanie Peterson
Subject: Pittsboro Bus

I would like to thank Randy Voller, Chatham County Commissioners, Chapel Hill Transit, and everyone else responsible for the Pittsboro bus to Chapel Hill.  I ride this bus every day and am happy to say that the 7:15 bus is about half full every morning (a far cry from the 4 riders during the route’s first week in August).

A new bus route needs time to get the kinks out, so please be patient while the schedule and the number of buses is organized.  If you would like to ride the bus but the current schedule doesn’t fit your own, let Chapel Hill Transit know at:

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Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:13:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Linda Allred Cooper
Subject: The Bus

I am lovin all the bus comments – pro and con.  Stimulating, entertaining, and constructive conversation is my goal.

Randy (not Voller), thanks for asking about my son’s racing career (although, you sly thing, you claimed you are not interested in how we spend our time).  Yes, my son races “round track” for a living.  Yes, that requires gas, oil, etc., and I suppose some folks (non-fans, I’m sure) consider it an “antiquated quaint Southern tradition” although it is a multi-billion $$ industry growing in popularity every year.  Cooking with fat back could be considered “antiquated quaint Southern tradition” too – but I have pintos on the stove as I’m writing this.  Just call me old fashioned.

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Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:08:00 -0400
From: Rusty McIntosh
Subject: Saving the Earth

“Global warming, gas emmissions, cost of gas, traffic, etc.? That is what the bus is for.”

Sigh.

And the sky is falling.

Using these arguments to”justify” the overpriced Pittsboro to Chapel Hill bus at best, tiresome.

Just look at the “Carbon Footprint” that is associated with the construction of the machines, the fuel usage per rider…etc. Much like people that frown at my 1970 F-100, the emissions are bad, but it’s longevity has made it into an Icon as there have been many, many cars and trucks created and destroyed over the life of old reliable. Each one costing the environment for construction, usage and disposal. How long will the luxury bus last? 40 years?

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Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:57:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: Machai St. Rain
Subject: Pittsboro – Chapel Hill bus

I would like to know where/how to get info about this bus and who can ride?  I might ride if I’m allowed to – can anyone catch it along its route on 15-501?  I find it absurd that the general public can’t ride from the park and ride lot north of Cole Park Plaza.  I live very close to it and would even be glad to pay to ride – wouldn’t allowing paying riders be a boon?  …but no -they don’t want me to ride – even for money!  Is there anyone out there with info on this new bus?
Machai St. Rain

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Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:29:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: tim keim
Subject: Bussing Dollars?

Whenever opponents of the Chapel Hill bus route air their grievances, they invariably neglect to include this information: the federal government paid for half. The feds gave Chatham County $176,000 for an 18 month pilot transit program to encourage people to use the bus. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth is generally good advice in a situation like this. The self-appointed guardians of the public purse have no other plans for the future transportation needs of Chatham than to nit pick and criticize the prudent actions of public servants willing to make investments in our future.

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Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:29:30 -0400
From: Ann H. Deupree
Subject: Public Transportation

Thank you to Linda Cooper for her message about the new bus service.  This is a huge break-through for Chatham County, at a very reasonable cost.

As Linda says, “Global warming, gas emmissions, cost of gas, traffic, etc.  That is what the bus is for.”

Try it next time you need to go out, especially if you commute to work.  You’ll save money and you’ll be helping the environment.

Ann Deupree

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Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:49:26 -0400
From: James P O’Keefe
Subject: RE:  $360,000 to bus people

The cost for this money pit is $360,000 and it’s taxpayer money!

It’s money that probably could have been better spent on improving Pittsboro’s water system instead of footing the bill to benefit a couple dozen people. Don’t forget that the BIG Pittsboro Express advocate is our mayor Randy Voller.”

I work for a water/waste water engineering firm in Raleigh and let me tell you something; $360,000 may sound like a lot of money but it does not get you very much in the municipal water industry. Now If someone would please just offer a daily bus from Pittsboro to Raleigh, I’ll be the first happy customer. -Jim

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Date: Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:42:35 -0400
From: Jeff Lane
Subject: A bus between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill is just a niche

On Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 08:59, Chatham Chatlist chatlist@bellsouth.netwrote:

The bus is a perfect example of this.  Now that we have it, folks have to  give up their habit/addiction of driving their own car to  work/school/whatever and learn to ride the bus.  Admit it – you jump in your  car without even thinking of the bus, don’t you?  You don’t even wonder if a  bus/train/other form of public transportation is available that could save  you money, wear-and-tear on your car, the environment.  You just jump in  your car and off you go.  Same for everyone else out there.  It is a habit  that we all need to give up eventually when more and more Public  Transportation becomes available.

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