The Tar HeelThursday, July 13, 19783
THE TAR HEEL
tate and Local News
Volume 85, No. 7
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
July 13, 1978
Carrboro bus service
doubtful
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The C bus: Carrboro may again be without public transportation this fall.
Orange D.A. to investigate
Libertarian petition drive
by Dave McKinnon
News Editor
Orange County District Attorney
Wade Barber, Jr. confirmed reports
Tuesday that his office will conduct
an investigation of complaints by
Orange County voters who said that
they had been misled in signing
petitions supporting the Libertarian
Party.
The Libertarian Party was
recognized July 5 as a legitimate
political party eligible for a place on
the ballot on - North Carolina's
November elections after
representatives collected the required
J 0,000 signatures from registered
state voters. The party plans to
conduct a convention in Greensboro
July 29 to nominate candidates for
state offices in the November
elections.
The complaints from Orange
County voters stem from allegations
of discrepancies between the
contents of the party's petitions and
the explanations of their contents by
the party's representatives. Some
voters said they were asked to sign
the petitions with the understanding
that the petition merely supported
the right of the Libertarian Party to
appear on the ballot, but that they
actually signed a petition which,
without their knowledge, said that
they would support the party's
candidates in the fail elections.
Barber could not say how many
complaints had been received.
But officials of both the state
elections board and the Libertarian
Party said that the procedures in the
petition drive had been perfectly
correct.
State Elections Board Chariman
Alex K. Brock said Tuesday that he
"could not imagine what the grounds
for any such investigations could be."
"The Libertarians have
misinformed no one," said Brock. "In
fact, I would have to say that they are
the most meticulous and attentive to
these sorts of details of any group
we've dealt with in the last fifteen
years."
Brock said that the petitions, which
he had reviewed prior to the Board's
approval of the Libertarian Party for
the November elections had been in
the proper form. The Libertarians
used the same wording in all their
petitions, and the same wording used
by every other party seeking
recognition from the Board in recent
years, Brock said.
He added that this type of petition,
which states that the signer supports
the petitioners, in no way means that
the signer must support the party's
candidates. "(N.C. Attorney General)
Rufus Edmisten ruled four
years ago that this type of petition
does not carry with it t it any
commitment to vote for the party's
candidates, and that a voter in no way
affects his previous party
Jresigstration by signing, "said Brock.
"Beyond this, there would simply be
no way to enforce a requirement like
that. "...
by Betnie Cook
Staff Writer
With the fall semester only 6 weeks
away, the fate of bus service for
Carrboro remains in doubt.
Last year, an experimental "C"
route was added to the Chapel Hill
bus system which linked Carrboro to
the town and University. Carrboro
paid $20,500 for the service. UNC
contributed $30,200. Rider response
to the line required an increase in the
originally planned service.
The contract for the "C" route
expired May 10. Since then,
Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and UNC have
been negotiating over the amount of
funds each unit should spend for the
bus line in the coming academic year.
Chapel Hill proposed a $52,000
price tag for Carrboro for the same
level of service that was provided last
year. Carrboro made a counter
proposal to pay $23,000. This amount
has not been accepted by Chapel Hill.
Meanwhile, Carrboro approached the
Asheboro Coach Co. which estimated
that it could run two routes between
the towns for $99,000. Carrboro
anticipated having to pay between
$35,000 and $40,000 after receiving a
payment contribution from UNC and
revenue from riders.
However, to run buses from a
private company on the streets of
Chapel Hill, Carrboro needed
permission from the town for a
franchise. The Villages Apartments
has a similar franchise which allows
them to operate a bus link between
the town and the apartments.
Last Monday, the Chapel Hill
Board of Aldermen voted t-l not to
allow the franchise. The Chapel Hill
Board of Transportation had
recommended against permitting the
franchise.
The board raised questions over
having a second bus system in what is
essentially one community. A method
of providing transfers between
systems would have to be devised.
Terry Lathrop, transportation board
chairperson, said there was also some
concern that having private buses
operating in Chapel Hill might affect
government aid for the Chapel Hill
bus system.
Alderman Gerry Cohen voted to
allow Carrboro the franchise. "I was
in favor of the franchise as long as it
was safe," he said.
He said the private bus company
was able to charge a lower price
because it paid its drivers less than
Chapel Hill drivers were paid. "It's
not that the Chapel Hill system is
inefficient," he said.
In response, the Carrboro Board of
Aldermen voted in a meeting
Tuesday to cut off negotiations
should not resume unless certain
principles were agreed to by Chapel
Hill and UNC.
Up to now, Carrboro has not
negotiated directly with UNC. One
principle stated that all future
negotiations should include
representatives from both towns and
from UNC.
Another principle called for
negotiations which are directed
toward adopting a formula with
which to allocate costs and revenues.
This formula could be used in future
years as well as this year.
Several Carrboro aldermen
expressed frustration that Chapel
Hill presented a flat rate instead of a
formula upon which future costs
could be estimated.
Alderman Doug Sharer, Carrboro
transportation committee
chairperson, said, "Chapel Hill has
established itself as a monopoly in
transportation in this community."
Further principles stipulated that
the formula must assign revenues
collected by the system based upon
the usage and relative efficiencies of
each town. The formula would also
apply adjusted gross costs to the "C"
line in calculating Carrboro 's share of
continued on page o
Board rejects Carrboro bus,
okays parking, block party
by Pat Daugherty - (- -
Staff Writer
The Chapel Hill Board of Aldermen
Monday night turned down
Carrboro's request for a franchise to
operate a public transit system in
Chapel Hill.
In other action, the Board approved
the request by Delta Delta Delta
Sorority for modification of a special
use permit allowing changes in their
parking lot. Also approved was a
resolution closing a portion of
McCauley Street on July 15, 1978, for
a block party.
The Tri -Delt Sorority, whose new
house is located near the corner of
Franklin and Hillsborough streets,
requested that they be allowed to
remove a shed located at the
northeast corner of the property and
replace it with two parking spaces, in
addition to altering the layout of the
off-street parking area to save two
' gardens, a tree and to move a bulk
trash container.
The Board approved the
; mofidication request provided the
property was adequately screened
from adjoining property and if the
immediate neighbors had no
objections.
Although it had been rumored that
t New York Yankees baseball team
owner George Steinbrenner planned
to purchase the sorority house, Mrs.
Phillip Ben, house director for the
' Tri-Delts, reported that their old
house at 210 Pittsboro St. was bought
by the University two weeksago. The
new residence should be ready for
occupancy by August 19.
In other action, the Aldermen
approved the closing of the portion of
McCauley Street between Ransom
Street and Pittsboro Street on July 15
to allow a block party.
continued on page 6