Last week, we celebrated the 50th birthday of Chapel Hill Transit, which started up on August 1, 1974. After publishing, we heard from Elena Elms, a retired cataloger at Davis Library, who has used Chapel Hill Transit to get around for the past 46 years. Here are Elena’s memories.
I arrived in Chapel Hill the day after Elvis died. After a few days of scouring the want ads, I found a room to rent in Colony Woods. Other than a school bus, I’d never ridden public transportation anywhere.
Somehow I figured out where and when to catch the bus to campus for my graduate studies. I took the F bus every weekday to the Varsity Theater stop and returned from the Carolina Coffee Shop stop. On Fridays, I’d stop at University Mall for a Big Mac. The routine of the daily bus rides provided me comfort and familiarity during a stressful phase of life.
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In those days, they used cardstock fare cards. Bus operators had hole punchers to punch the card with different shapes — V’s, hearts, flowers, rabbits. Cash was also accepted. For university students, staff and faculty, the cards were blue. For other residents, they were yellow. Once a driver asked if I was under 12, since kids got a reduced fare. I was actually twice that age.
Eventually I moved closer to campus and was able to walk to classes and then to my job with the university libraries. I still took CHT for grocery shopping and learned other routes to explore the town. I always had a collection of paper schedules.
I’m retired now and use Chapel Hill Transit a few times a week to go shopping, to medical appointments, baseball games, the North Carolina Botanical Garden and wherever else I need to go, sometimes connecting to GoTriangle to go to the airport, to Raleigh or Durham. As a volunteer at the Seymour Center senior center, I’m on the Transportation Committee for the Master Aging Plan and give my input as a regular bus rider. When I work at the front desk, I ‘m always happy when I get questions about using public transportation.
Happy birthday to Chapel Hill Transit for making it easy for me to be a non-driver, and for giving me community, connection and independence. – Elena Elms