Free buses bring Chapel Hill livability award - South Florida Business Journal:

http://www.washingtoneast.org/freeanalysis.html
The home of the , Chapel Hill beat out more than 200 municipalitiese across the nation to claima first-place City Livability Award. Chapel Hill won for citiexs with populations of fewerthan 100,000. S.C., won for cities with populations of morethan 100,000. The contest was judged on three criteria: mayoral leadership, creativitty and innovation, and the broad impact on the qualituy of lifefor residents. The U.S.
Conference of Mayors honored Chapel Hill for its decision in 2002 to no longere charge fares to any rided on itsbus system, the organization said in a press While many bus systems in colleg e towns don’t charge students and faculty to a scant few provide free service to all The town implemented the fare-free systej to encourage people to take the bus and leavde their cars at home. The plan worked. Ridership on Chapel Hill transit has more than doublecd since fares were eliminated going from 3 million in 2002 to a projectede 7 millionthis year. “The Chapelk Hill Public Transit system is the foundationb of oursustainable future,” Foy said in a presd release.
“This bus system makes Chapel Hill continus to be the kind of placpeople love; for us it is an investmenty and it has paid off big time.” The town says it is planningy a “community event” to celebrate the livability awarc and that it will release details soon.