Commuter Alternatives Program (CAP)
Launched in August 2002, the Commuter Alternatives Program(CAP) has registered over 3,500 members to date. Members receive emergency rideback service anywhere in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, including park and ride lots. They also receive free campus parking one day per month and 10-15% discounts from many local merchants. The free program is available to participants who walk, bike, take public transit, vanpoolor carpoolcampus. More than 700 enrollees have voluntarily given up their campus parking permits to register in the program. Starting in 2004, transit passes on Triangle Transit Authoritybuses were offered to the university community at an 80% discount. Employees riding in Triangle Transit Authority TTA vanpools receive a $10 per month subsidy and free, reserved parking on campus.

Park and Ride Lots
Since 2001, UNC and the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro have added over 1,500 park-and-ride spaces, bringing the total available to 3,800. A 2004 commuting survey for the Department of Public Safety showed that 17% of employees used park-and-ride lots to get to work in 2004, compared to 8% in 2001. During the ‘05-‘06 academic year a new park and ride lot opened in Chatham County and in January 2007 a new location opened at Chapel Hill Bible Church. Now there are at least two park and ride lots available on the eastern, northern, western, and southern approaches to campus. 

Permit Parking
Under the Campus Master Plan, 20 acres of surface parking lots will be replaced with 10 acres of green space and 10 acres of buildings and parking structures.

Transit
Chapel Hill and Carrboro introduced fare-free buses in January 2002. Since then, ridership has increased by more than 60%. The number of students who report using the bus to get to campus nearly doubled between 2001 and 2004. The towns now have among the highest per capita bus ridership in the country. Double-digit growth continues each year, with more than 5 million rides provided annually.

UNC remains the largest funder of Chapel Hill Transit, contributing $4.7 million to the system’s budget in 2004. Each student pays $47.50 per year toward this service as part of his or her academic fees. Departments pay an annual 0.104% on all salary sources.

All Chapel Hill Transit buses are equipped with bicycle racks, making it easier for commuters to mix their transportation modes. New, weather-protected route maps and schedule displays inform passengers waiting at the bus stop where each bus is going. In 2007, bus stops were equipped with electronic signs that inform passengers when the next bus will arrive. Real-time information on bus locations and arrival times is available on the Chapel Hill Transit website.

University Rental Vehicles
The university has long maintained a small fleet of rental vehicles in the Carolina Motor Pool. These vehicles are for the use of departments that do not need a permanently assigned vehicle or that need to occasionally supplement their fleet. The 28-vehicle fleet consists of various size sedans, including a hybrid, and passenger vans. During ’07-’08, more than 1,870 reservations were made, ranging in length from a single day to several weeks. Occasional rentals are less expensive than the minimum $3,655 annual lease and parking fee. 

Zipcars
A fleet of four “zipcars” was introduced to campus in 2004. These vehicles are available on demand for a fee of just $5 per hour. Departments, individual employees, and students can join the program for a $20 fee, creditable toward four hours of driving during the first month of membership. Previously available only to students 21 and older, zipcars are now available to students 18 and older. An electronic reservation system and swipe cards programmed to unlock the vehicle at the time of your appointment make the system easy to use. Demand is slowly growing with an average of ten new members signing up each month.