The Transportation Tar Heel Team believes that more is better.
In a few weeks, when Service Center of Excellence (SCE) staff members move into their new Roberson Building space, they will have a variety of options for getting to and from campus and for parking on campus when necessary – perhaps even more options than they need initially.
“Our team has been working very hard to help provide for people’s transportation needs,” said Laura Corin, team leader.
The five-member Transportation Tar Heel Team was tasked with developing and implementing plans for modes of transportation between the Roberson Building and campus, for parking at work-related campus locations and for creating a courier route that loops between the SCE and campus.
“We divided the issues into transportation for the commute to and from work and transportation during the workday,” Corin said. “While the University is not responsible for how a person gets to work, the leadership team wanted to be as helpful as possible by providing commute options.” Transportation team members are Corin, Carly Perin, James Balfour, Barry Crossett and Lynn Farrar – all of whom are part of the SCE.
To outline the range of commuting options, the transportation team is working with the communications team to create a shared website with links to commuting information, including Chapel Hill Transit and the NextBus app, which provides the location for specific buses and estimates the arrival time at a given stop in real time. The bus stop closest to the Roberson Building is only a half-block away on Weaver Street.
In addition, Amanda Simmons, Public Safety’s Transportation Demand Manager, is available to talk with people, either in a group or individually, to discuss commuting options in more detail. She can be reached at amanda@unc.edu or 919-843-4414.
Parking at the Roberson Building is free for both SCE staff and visitors, with ample space provided in the newly repaved parking lot. For people who want to bike to work, there are bicycle racks outside as well as bicycle storage space inside the building.
The team has researched and suggested several ways to assist with transportation and parking on campus during the workday, including:
- Service passes for employees to attend meetings of up to two hours on campus;
- All-day parking passes for designated lots when employees need to work for an entire day or two in a satellite location; and
- Two all-electric 2015 Nissan LEAF cars, leased from NC Motorfleet specifically for SCE employees to use for workday trips.
All of these options can be reserved online through an Outlook calendar.
The team also is developing a secure courier service to supplement the regular delivery of interoffice mail and packages. The courier will make a designated loop twice a day from the SCE to various campus locations before returning to the SCE.
For employees who want to get some exercise, walking and biking options are nearby.
Just outside the Roberson Building is the Libba Cotton Bikeway, a .4-mile path that leads to the Cheek Clark Building near the railroad tracks at the end of Cameron Avenue. The bikeway accommodates walkers and bicyclists who want some fresh air and exercise, either heading to campus or during a break in the workday.
Also, the Department of Transportation and Parking is partnering with the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro to implement a bike-sharing program to expand biking options for the University community, which SCE employees will be able to utilize.
The team is working to anticipate employees’ transportation and parking needs, and Corin encourages people to contact her with any concerns or suggestions at corin@unc.edu or 919-962-1480.