Earth-Friendly Ways to Get Around Town
For over 50 years, the world has come together on April 22 to celebrate the environmental movement and raise awareness of the need to protect our natural resources. This Earth Day, you’re invited to cruise around Chapel Hill in eco-friendly style.
Bike and Scoot
With protected bike lanes and more than 17 miles of dedicated greenways, Chapel Hill is a great community to get around on two wheels. If you like the idea of biking, but want to arrive at your destination without breaking a sweat, check out the selection of electric bikes at the Bicycle Chain at 210 W. Franklin Street.
Later this year, the Town of Chapel Hill has announced plans to bring a bikeshare that will serve Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus. The e-bike program will make it seamless, convenient and affordable to commute across the three areas.
As the redevelopment of Glen Lennox progresses, the Copenhagenize strategy is coming into view. Based on Copenhagen’s bicycle-friendly culture, the community is integrating design principles that make it safe and welcoming for cyclists and pedestrians to navigate the neighborhood.
Commuter Alternative Program
University of North Carolina students living off campus and employees who choose to forgo an on-campus day-time parking permit can qualify for the Commuter Alternative Program, known as CAP. Members of the program have access to a variety of modes of transportation, and can win prizes for using buses, park and ride, rideshares, biking and walking.
With a bus pass through CAP, members can take free or discounted rides on Chapel Hill Transit, GoTriangle, PART Express and Orange County Public Transportation, making it easy and economical to get around UNC, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and beyond.
Rideshare options include carpooling through CAP’s free, secure ride-matching service, ShareTheRideNC, and vanpooling through UNC’s partnership with PART and Enterprise.
Personal Transportation
If public transportation doesn’t work for you, electric vehicles can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. These vehicles don’t emit pollutants, lowering the amount of smog and greenhouse gas emissions so we have cleaner air to breathe. They’re more energy efficient, typically require less maintenance, and as an added bonus, you won’t have to fork over your hard-earned dollars at the gas pump. To keep your vehicle running, there are more than 300 charging stations across Durham and Chapel Hill.
To reduce the need for individual car ownership, Link Apartments® Linden offers residents Envoy, an electric car sharing service and platform. Right outside their door, residents can rent a Tesla by the hour or the day. The vehicles have dedicated parking spaces and electric charging stations on the premises so it’s convenient to access the zero-emission transportation whenever you need a ride.
For Earth Day, try one of these modes of transportation, and if you want to make an even greater impact, we encourage you to incorporate it into your routine throughout the year.