Economy & Downtown

Triangle Transit, along with its local partners Chapel Hill Transit and the Durham Area Transit Authority, is currently in the process of considering service changes along the 15-501 corridor.  These changes present the opportunity for some much-needed improvements in the service between these areas, and as a Chapel Hill resident, I'm looking forward to greater connectivity to Durham.  But I think it is equally important to remember our friends in Carrboro who could greatly benefit from direct service to Durham (and of course, Durhamites deserve the opportunity to visit Carrboro in turn!).  I'm proud to be a supporter of a local effort called Connect Carrboro. They recently formed a Facebook Page to help supporters who want to learn more.

Yesterday was the last day of Buy Carrboro Week (see adorable flyer at left). This was an initiative of the new group LocalMotive, which is just one of several organizations focusing on economic development and "buying local" in southern Orange County.  Others include the Carrboro Merchant's Association's Walk Carrboro, and the Town of Chapel Hill's Downtown Economic Development Initiative and emerging Franklin Street Artists' Co-op. There are also older/more traditional groups such as the Chamber of Commerce (and their We Buy Local effort), the Visitor's Bureau, and the Downtown Partnership (risen from the ashes of the old Downtown Commission). I'm sure I'm forgetting some, and I'm not even touching on the groups covering Hillsborough and the rest of Orange County. Buy Carrboro Week got me to thinking about our evolving understanding of economic development in Orange County. Just like our views on other issues such as growth management, affordable housing, environmental preservation, and school achievement I think we as a community have been continuing to learn and to look ahead, leading to a change in attitudes and goals. I've started to wonder whether a traditional "Chamber of Commerce"-type approach is all that relevant here anymore.