City of Greensboro Announces Partnership with Mobile App Waze

"GREENSBORO, NC (September 14, 2016) – The City of Greensboro announced a data-sharing partnership with Waze, a free, real-time traffic and navigation app owned by Google. Through the Waze Connected Citizens Program, the City can publish data from multiple departments that Waze can integrate, including road closures, construction and special events so drivers can find alternative routes, helping ease congestion within city limits.

“Partnering with Waze is an example of how the City of Greensboro is committed to using open data and new technology to provide greater services for our residents in very tangible ways,” said Jane Nickles, director of the City’s Information Technology Department. “This is a collective effort between multiple City departments to make local government more efficient and effective.”  

Established as a two-way data share, Waze provides partners with real-time, anonymous incident and slow-down information directly from participating drivers. The City will be able to provide Waze users with advanced notice of major traffic events, such as concerts, festivals and special events that may affect their daily commutes.

“The partnership with Waze and the City of Greensboro will disseminate more up-to-date traffic information to the public, so that safer and more reliable transportation choices can be made by drivers who need to move around Greensboro,” said Adam Fischer, director of the City’s Transportation Department.

According to Waze, there are more than 62,000 monthly active Waze users in Greensboro who drive nearly 17 million miles with the app each month. The Greensboro metro area was also found to have the most overall satisfying driving experience in the US, according to the 2016 Waze Driver Satisfaction Index released Tuesday, September 13.

The Waze app is available for download for IOS and Android at www.waze.com/get ."

- A Press Release

City Offers Free Bus Service to National Folk Festival September 11-13

"GREENSBORO, NC (August 10, 2015) – The City of Greensboro is offering free bus service along all routes during the National Folk Festival in downtown Greensboro from September 11-13. Festival goers can hop on any Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) bus along the route to downtown and be dropped off, free of charge, right in the middle of the festival. Free transit service is also available to all transit users throughout the City during the festival.

“We hope people will take advantage of free public transportation to get to and from the National Folk Festival,” says Greensboro Department of Transportation Director Adam Fischer. “This is an effort to reduce traffic congestion and ease parking issues in the downtown area throughout the Festival. We also hope residents will see how easy public transit is to use and be more inclined to use it in the future.” 

Three of the City’s four parking decks, located in the central business district, will be open throughout the Festival for a flat rate of $10. The Church Street deck will be reserved for official festival use. “The decks, located on Davie, Greene, and Bellemeade streets, offer up to 2,300 parking spaces and will likely fill up quickly each day,” adds Fischer. “The limited parking capacity at the downtown decks makes the free bus rides to the National Folk Festival, which is also free, all the more attractive.”

Plan your bus trip using Google Transit or review the various routes at www.greensboro-nc.gov/BusRoutes. Find the locations of the parking decks at www.greensboro-nc.gov/ParkingDecks.

Approximately 300 artists—musicians, dancers, puppeteers, storytellers, and craftspeople—will appear during the National Folk Festival, with at least 30 different individuals and groups performing on seven outdoor performance venues throughout downtown Greensboro. The three-day Festival is free to the public.

More than 20 National Folk Festival performers have been announced to date, with further announcements scheduled throughout the summer. Visit NationalFolkFestival.com for updates and information on all performers."

- A Press Release