• In an effort to support UNC’s sustainability goals, reduce traffic congestion and the number of vehicles parked on campus, the Commuter Alternatives Program is designed to reward UNC faculty, staff and students who do NOT drive alone to campus. The CAP program encourages all forms of alternative transportation modes, including, bicycling, walking, transit, park and ride + transit, carpooling, vanpooling and carsharing
• If you don’t park on campus most days, and are a commuting student or permanent staff member, you’re already part of this effort – so please take the time to join. It’s free! For more detailed information about CAP registration click here.
CAP Benefits
Eliminating or slashing fuel expenses, a safer, more relaxing commute and helping improve both air quality and congestion on campus are benefit enough. Additional incentives for joining the program are listed below.
Employee Benefits
Permanent UNC Employees and UNC Healthcare Employees
- A book of 12 one day occasional use permits good for 1 day a month. Main Campus employees will receive permits for use in the S-11 parking lot. Employees with remote work sites receive permits for use in the R-lot closest to their building.
- The general public may use any of the five park & ride lots administered by the Town of Chapel Hill. In addition, CAP participants have five park & ride lots exclusively dedicated for their use. CAP participants receive CAP park & ride decals that allow them access to the extra five lots.
- CAP participants may receive a complimentary annual bus pass good on all Triangle Transit routes. CAP participants who use Triangle Transit will also have access to Triangle Transit’s emergency service called Emergency Ride Home.
- CAP participants who are registered Triangle Transit or P.A.R.T. vanpool participants receive a $20 subsidy towards monthly vanpool costs.
- Carpooling at UNC is defined as two or three employees riding together to commute to work and sharing the cost of one permit. The permit is received from the departmental permit allocation process. It can be payroll deducted from each carpooler's paycheck if desired. A deluxe carpool has four or more employees riding together to work sharing the cost of one permit. The single zone permit is received through a special Parking Services' carpool allocation on the seniority system, based on the total number of years of state service of all members in the carpool.
- CAP participants are eligible for prize drawings and receive discounts from many area merchants.
- Staff CAP members pay half of the $20 annual Zipcar membership fee. Staff members receive the first 2 hours free if used within 30 days of joining.
- Access to UNC’s Emergency Ride Back service, providing transportation from work to Park and Ride lots served by Chapel Hill Transit and locations within the Chapel Hill/Carrboro city limits by calling 843-7671. For detailed information about this service call 962-7867 (962 - P-TO-P).
Student
There are some great sources of alternative transportation information prepared especially for the needs created by the student schedule., as opposed to the commuting 9 – 5 schedule. Check out www.RedefineTravel.org (for general information) and www.AlternetRides.com (for one-time trips). To watch a video demonstration on Alternate Rides, Click Here.
Student Benefits
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The student CAP program has some differences in benefit eligibility.
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Commuting students living more than 2-miles outside the radius of the Bell Tower receive 2 one day temporary permits for the S-11 Lot. The permits are good for 1 day in the Spring Semester and 1 day in the Fall Semester.
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Students are not eligible for the $20 vanpool subsidy and resident students or students living within the 2-mile radius of the Bell Tower may not receive the free annual Triangle Transit GoPass.
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Due to the difference in insurance rates, the annual fee for students is $35 and it is reimbursible in driving hours. Zipcar is still $5 per hour.
