It's time to give a 2008 summer update on the Blue Urban Bikes project [1], our own innovative bike loan effort, brought to fruition by the volunteer efforts of the ReCYCLEry [2] and SURGE [3]. Awards and BUB Hub updates are here.
We can now officially call the program, the "award winning" Blue Urban Bikes. At the "Annual Kick Gas Celebration" held today at Research Triangle Park Headquarters, the Blue Urban Bikes Program was awarded the Go Chapel Hill Community Cycling Award and a shiny new plaque for which we need to find a humble, yet prominent placement.
The luncheon and awards ceremony celebrated the achievements of this year's transportation demand management (TDM) programs, including the Durham County Trip Reduction Ordinance and TDM Programs in RTP, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties. Other recognitions included this year's statistics for the Smart Commute Challenge and recognition of the accomplishments of the region's Best Workplaces for Commuters.
Mary Lindsley, Kirk Schmidt and Chris Richmond attended on behalf of the program and the awards were presented by Len Cone [4] of Go Chapel Hill [5]/Town of Chapel Hill Public Outreach Director and Town of Chapel Hill Council Member, Ed Harrison [6]. We wish to thank Len and Ed, also give special thanks Claire Kane, of UNC-Chapel Hill Commuter Alternatives Program [7], who played a key role in our nomination for the award.
We were also very pleased to meet up with other influential and hard-working individuals, sharing ideas to promote new and innovative solutions for local transportation and commuting options. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the gathering was the opportunity to meet and discuss these ideas with a great variety of concerned and dedicated neighbors.
When RTP Headquarters publishes the other award winners and press from the event we will mirror and link from our website.
If that wasn't enough, there's more Blue Urban Bike News! We have a new BUB Hub at The Chapel Hill Town Hall and one of BUB Hubs is temporarily closed.
3 Cups coffee shop [8] at 431 W. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill [9] has temporarily closed and according to Orange Politics discussion [10], is planning on relocating. We have no news regarding the new potential BUB Hub possibilities. We must thank 3 Cups for being on the cutting edge, and taking a chance hosting the untested BUB Hub. 3 Cups and the Skylight Exchange / Nightlight [11] were our first two BUB Hubs. Thank you and good luck!
We're working on quite a number of new BUB Hub locations, namely on the UNC campus and we're hoping to form a partnership with TTA to provide locations at bus stops, and possibly upgrading the current BUB cards so they can operate similar to a credit card and allow easy lock-opening access in remote locations with card readers. This is still in the early planning stages and we welcome any input with experiences with the new Washington DC system or those systems in Europe or elsewhere on the planet.
The current BUB Hubs are as follows:
BUB Hubs
Skylight Exchange / Nightlight [12] at 405 1/2 W. Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill [13]
According to the 3 Cups website, the business and therefore the BUB Hub, is temporarily closed
3 Cups coffee shop [14] at 431 W. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill [15]
Back Alley Bikes [16] at 108 N. Graham Street, Chapel Hill [17]
Townsend Bertram & Company Adventure Outfitters [18] at 200 N. Greensboro St. facing Weaver Street, Carrboro [19], in front Carr Mill Mall to the right of Weaver Street Market
Owen's 501 Diner at 1500 Fordham Blvd. (15-501 bypass), Chapel Hill [20], in between Eastgate and Rams Plaza
YMCA [21] at 980 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Chapel Hill [22]
Balanced Movement/ Balanced Physical Therapy [23] at 304 W. Weaver St., Carrboro [24]
Chapel Hill Town Hall [25] at 405 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd,
Chapel Hill [26]