Success of Bus Lines Called "Phenomenal"

by JEFFERSON WEAVER

Staff Writer

Just a month into its year-long trial run,

the Wilmington-to-Charlotte bus line now

stopping in Whiteville is popular among

customers.

“We had no idea it would go over this well,”

said Billy Ray Rhyne of Horizon Coach Lines.

The company provides the Queen City Coastal

connector, stopping in Whiteville twice a day.

For around $40, customers can be in either

city in just a few hours, on a modern coach

equipped with wifi and modern seats.

“This isn’t the bus I grew up cleaning,”

Rhyne said. Having worked in bus lines since

he was a child, Rhyne said the Whiteville route

is turning out to be one of the most popular

connector runs he has ever seen.

“We have been really impressed,” he said,

”and this is the summer time—we expect to

see even more this fall.”

Rhyne pointed out that he foresees a lot of

weekend travel by college students this fall,

as well as tourists and people traveling to see

family during the holidays.

“Using the Queen City Connector,” he said,

“you can travel to anywhere you want from

right here in Whiteville.

The line connects with Greyhound, which

Rhyne says goes to all the continental United

States and Canada.

“We see a lot of truck drivers riding the

bus, students, people who are looking for an

efficient, reasonably priced way to travel,” he

said. ”It’s a good deal. You can leave Wilmington

in the morning, and be in the mountains

by that night, then be back in

Wilmington by the next night,

with plenty of time in between.”

Pre-purchasing tickets is

encouraged, Rhyne said. Tickets

can be purchased online at www.

greyhound.com, at stations

along the route, or in the case

of Whiteville, at the Columbus

County Transportation office,

when the bus arrives.

“You could get a ticket as

long as your arm, and go anywhere

you wanted,” he said.

“It’s really a nice way to travel,

if you have the time.”

The bus route is a cooperative

effort between Horizon Coach

Lines, Greyhound, and the N.C.

Department of Transportation

mass transit initiative.

Unlike the lines of 30 and 40

years ago, the Queen City Coastal

is not designed to get workers

to and from Wilmington.

“This isn’t a commuter line,”

Rhyne said, ”but it’s an efficient,

comfortable way to travel. We

just appreciate the support Columbus

County has shown us in

this venture. I had no idea for

sure if it would work, but this

has been phenomenal.”

For schedules and tickets,

call (704) 509-1725 or go online

to greyhound.com.

CCFC 10th Anniversary Celebration

05.29.14

The Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition held their 10th Anniversary event on Thursday, May 29, 2014 at the Foundation for the Carolinas in uptown Charlotte. The event celebrated past accomplishments, recognized valuable stakeholders and encouraged stakeholders to meet future challenges.

Featured speakers at the event included:

· Keynote: Larry Shirley, Director of Operations and Planning at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
· Nick Tennyson, North Carolina Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary;
· Miles Atkins, Mooresville Mayor;
· Jim Taylor, Matthews Mayor; and,
· Vi Lyles, Charlotte City Council Member At-Large.
"The goal of this event is to take a step back and recognize the stakeholders who have helped us achieve so much in the region in the past ten years,” said Jason Wager, Centralina Council of Governments Planning Program Supervisor – Sustainability. “Since being officially designated within the US Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program, the Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition has displaced over 10 million gallons of gasoline equivalents.” Recognizing stakeholders took place throughout the entirety of the evening with many honorable mentions from the speakers.
Keynote speaker, Larry Shirley, declared, “Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition’s successes are a result of its leadership. Their success goes beyond reducing consumption of oil and extends to growing jobs and the economy, controlling cost of government and improving quality of life in this region.”

CCFC Awards Recognition-

Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition recognized stakeholders for their actions and activities related to reducing petroleum dependence, improving air quality, and expanding alternative fuel use and technology.

Kicking the Dinosaur Habit - Rowan Transit System

This award recognizes an organization or individual who has greatly reduced their gasoline or diesel fuel consumption. Rowan Transit System is a non-emergency public transportation service for Rowan County residents. Rowan County Transit made the decision to convert 10 of their 28 vehicle fleet to propane for many reasons, including energy security, finances, and environmental concerns. As a result of the success, Rowan Transit now plans to convert their entire fleet to run on propane. Gary Price accepted the award on behalf of Rowan Transit System.

Early Pioneers & Explorers - Dan Nuckolls

This award recognizes an organization or individual who helped lead the charge for CCFC and our mission. Dan is the longest serving member and core stakeholder, joining in 2003 he assisted with the designation process. As Director of City of Concord Fleet Services, he has worked to decrease the City’s use of petroleum and has helped displace almost 700,000 gallons of fuel by using biodiesel and electric vehicles in the City’s fleets.

Taking the Bullhorn - Bryan Steiner

This award recognizes an individual or organization who has taught and provided outreach activities in line with CCFC and our mission. Bryan Steiner is a senior construction engineer and energy team leader at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Building Services. Specifically, he has made an effort to explore alternative fuels and clean transportation technologies in his role at CMS, making a noticeable impact on the information that gets shared within the organization and community.

Movers & Shakers - Gaston County ACCESS Central Transportation

This award recognizes an individual or organization that is a leader and has made significant accomplishments in line with CCFC’s mission. In early 2012, Gaston County ACCESS converted 15 transport vans to run LPG with the bi-fuel PRINS system. This conversion allows the vans to run either LPG or gasoline, and was funded by an ARRA grant. Since 2012, Gaston County ACCESS has burned approximately 80,157 gallons of clean burning LPG instead of gasoline. Cheree Wilson accepted the award on behalf of Gaston County ACCESS.

A League of Their Own - Marcie Smith

This award recognizes an individual or organization who is in a league of their own. Marcie Smith, Solid Waste and Recycling Administrator for Gaston County, has embraced the concept that waste management is evolving into Resource Management. In 2006, she partnered with CCFC to be the first landfill in NC to fuel all of the off-road equipment with B-20. She has helped develop Gaston County’s Renewable Energy Center which converts landfill gas to energy.

These awards included handmade art from local artists and were specifically picked for each winner based on the award.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Fontaine Modification

Piedmont Natural Gas

Duke Energy

Silver Sponsors

Roush Clean Tech

NCDENR

Trillium CNG

Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition is a local initiative of Centralina Council of Governments and is a part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program. Since 2004, the Coalition has worked throughout the Centralina region to further the Clean Cities mission of reducing dependence on foreign oil, improving air quality, and promoting the use of alternative fuels and technologies.
The Coalition is made up of local, regional, and state government agencies, private companies, non-profit organizations, and interested individuals who work together towards the Clean Cities mission.
Sponsors for this event included Duke Energy, Fontaine Modification, Piedmont Natural Gas, ROUSH Clean Tech, North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, and Trillium CNG. We would like to thank our sponsors, along with the many who were involved in the program, for their generosity and time in allowing us to host such a special event.

Centralina Council of Governments
525 N. Tryon Street, 12th Floor
Charlotte, NC 28202

Part of the U.S.
DOE Clean Cities
National Network

NC: Report Looks at Charlotte's Sustainability Trends

Sustainability

Aug. 05--Charlotte trails national averages on transportation and land use patterns while showing improvement in energy use and other local measures, says a first-of-its-kind sustainability report card released Tuesday.
The nonprofit group Sustain Charlotte examined data trends in nine categories to produce the report, which is aimed to help local governments set goals and create policies.
"We're living in a time when more and more we're making decisions using big data," said Shannon Binns, Sustain Charlotte's executive director. "It seems important to have an understanding of whether we're making progress on these issues."
The report assigns two grades for each category, the first measuring local trends and the second a comparison to national averages.
The county's best grade was for water usage, in which Mecklenburg was given a B when compared to the nation as well as a B for its own usage trend.
Since the 2007 drought, water usage has declined significantly, which is one factor in a number of rate increases by Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities.
Mecklenburg fared worse on land use and transportation, getting Ds in both when compared to the nation. The trend line for transportation was better, with a B.
The report said the Charlotte metro area has been ranked as the fifth most sprawling area in the nation, and that the amount of land used for parks, on a per capita basis, has decreased since 2007.
In terms of transportation, Mecklenburg received high marks for an increase in people using public transportation to get to work (2.5 percent in 2000 to 3.8 percent in 2011), as well as the construction of the Lynx Blue Line.
But the report card noted that the area still trails national averages in terms of people who commute by biking, walking or taking public transportation.
Charlotte is building a $1.1 billion extension of the Lynx Blue Line to University City. But the Charlotte Area Transit System doesn't have enough money left to build other large rail projects.
Among the trends the report details: The number of local families and children living in poverty doubled between 2000 and 2011. Transportation costs are taking larger chunks of personal income. Sixty neighborhoods are "food deserts." Sprawling land development continues.
"Overall what this report shows is that there are very few areas in which we are making dramatic strides forward and outshining the national averages," Binns said.
Charlotte City Council member John Autry, who chairs the city's environmental committee, said the region can improve.
"Are we a leader (in these areas)? Not today," Autry said.
He said the region could make significant improvements, including a "pay as you throw" program in which residents pay for how much garbage they throw away.
"That would have a significant impact," he said.
County manager Dena Diorio said Mecklenburg's goal is to have a park within a 5- to 10-minute walk of all residents.
The report is aimed at local decision-makers, but the group hopes to also influence individual choices. It's also intended to serve as baseline data for residents involved in the Mecklenburg Livable Communities Plan, which will develop community goals.
Sustain Charlotte makes recommendations for each category, with some drawn from sources such as Mecklenburg County's biennial State of the Environment report.
The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation provides operating grants to Sustain Charlotte. The Davidson College Sustainability Scholars program provided intern Jordan Luebkemann, who helped compile the report's data. The report's other authors include Sustain board member Jennifer Fairchild, staff member Meg Fencil and Binns.
Copyright 2014 - The Charlotte Observer

NC: Raleigh's Capital Area Transit to Roll Out 'Smartcard' Fare System

Technology

Aug. 06--RALEIGH -- City bus riders will soon have an alternative to juggling coins and cash to pay their fare.
Capital Area Transit has accepted a $340,596 state grant to install "smartcard" readers on 70 buses. Unlike CAT's current magnetic strip tickets, smartcards can be reloaded using cash or a credit card.
Initially, riders will have to reload the cards with vending machines at the Moore Square bus station and at major transfer points throughout the city. But CAT plans to eventually set up a system for reloading cards online.
Raleigh will be the first bus service in the Triangle to use smartcards, but Triangle Transit and others plan to follow.
"We're very excited that we were successful with the grant," transit administrator David Eatman said. "Our partners will be watching as we go through the technology. They'll be evaluating the good and the challenges."
While nearly every business these days accepts credit cards, most CAT riders still use cash to pay fares, typically inserting $1 for a one-way ride or $2 for a day pass as they board the bus. Riders can buy a prepaid card, but those are only sold in $25 increments at two locations: the Moore Square station and CAT's Poole Road headquarters.
Eatman said the new vending machines will allow riders to load any amount or buy a one-day, weekly or monthly pass. And they'll be available around the clock -- a big improvement from the Moore Square ticket window that closes at 6.
If fewer riders use cash, bus boarding will move faster and the city will save on deposit costs. But Eatman said buses will never turn away someone standing at a bus stop with a dollar bill. "We don't want to do away with cash fares," he said.
The new system will also cost less to maintain because smartcard users won't have to run tickets through the fare box.
"When you have thousands of mechanical transactions per day, it does produce wear and tear on the system," Eatman said. "A contactless card does not."
Eatman expects to have the smartcard system in place within a year to 18 months. The new fare option will roll out as work begins on a $7 million renovation at the Moore Square station.
In addition to approving the smartcard grant, the Raleigh City Council got a look at the new station design Tuesday.
Highlights of the upgrade include new bathrooms, a central ticketing window with a big screen for arrival and departure times and a third bus lane. The goal is to make the station more inviting while allowing for more buses -- at least until a new bus station opens in the Warehouse District next to Raleigh's Union Station train hub.
The station hasn't gotten a major upgrade in 26 years, and city leaders hope the facelift makes riding the bus more appealing. Councilwoman Mary-Ann Baldwin said it's important that the city keeps the area clean.
"You can brighten this up, you can make it all it can be, but if we don't maintain it, it's for naught," she said.
Campbell: 919-829-4802; Twitter: @RaleighReporter
Copyright 2014 - The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)