TITLE: Title
Presentation on the draft Orange County Transit Plan.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to receive a presentation from GoTriangle on the draft Orange County Transit Plan (formerly the Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan).
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Christina Moon - 919-918-7325; Patricia McGuire - 919-918-7327; John Tallmadge, GoTriangle Director of Regional Services Development - 919-485-7430
INFORMATION: At the February 7, 2017 Board of Aldermen meeting, the Board received a presentation from GoTriangle on the process for updating the Orange County Transit Plan. (<https://carrboro.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2953465&GUID=6EAEADAC-8AD3-4B6C-8C14-4640F43DF1B3&Options=&Search>=)
Transit plans for Durham and Orange counties were adopted by formal agreement between the county, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO (DCHC-MPO) and GoTriangle in 2011 and 2012, respectfully, and are subject to formal updates every four years. The plans outline each county’s commitment to expand public transit systems including major investments such as light rail and commuter rail, enhanced bus service, including bus rapid transit and associated bus access improvement projects (bus shelters, sidewalks, etc.). Funding targeted for bus access improvement projects, provides a revenue source for small-scale infrastructure projects such as sidewalks at 100-percent cost (no local match) as well as money that can be applied toward the local match for larger-scale projects for which the Town has received state or federal funds. The availability of monies for small projects ($300,000 or less) fills a revenue gap for infrastructure such as missing sections of sidewalk, which can be difficult to fund through other sources.
The draft Orange County Transit Plan is provided (Attachment C). The plan includes an update of planned projects and services, proposed transit deliverables, and financial analysis. Information relating to proposed changes to the cost-sharing agreement between Orange and Durham counties should also be available albeit in separate, forthcoming, documents. The list of Town projects submitted for bus access improvement includes: the sidewalk on South Greensboro Street, the Morgan Creek Greenway, a corridor study of Estes Drive, sidewalks and bike lanes on Estes Drive, a sidewalk on West Main Street between Fidelity Street and Poplar Street, a sidewalk on Old Fayetteville Road behind Carrboro Plaza and a HAWK signal on NC 54. The Old Fayetteville Road sidewalk project is the only project that has not been selected for funding in the draft plan. Approval of the plan and by association confirmation of the remaining funding for the South Greensboro Street sidewalk would allow the Town to move forward with a municipal agreement with NCDOT and subsequently advertise the Request for Letters of Interest (RFLOI) to begin project design.
The schedule of information sessions and meetings is provided (Attachment B). The twenty-one day comment period extends from March 31st to April 21st. The next public information session for the Orange County plan will be held on Tuesday, April 11th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Orange County West Campus Office Building, in Hillsborough and on Thursday, April 13th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Chapel Hill Town Hall. The Orange County Board of Commissioners is anticipated to vote on the plan on Thursday, April 27th.
Additional information relating to the update process may be found via the Our Transit Future website, administered by GoTriangle (<http://ourtransitfuture.com/>). The 2011 Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan (BRIP), and the original interlocal agreements may be found on the Orange County Planning and Inspection Department’s website at the following link: (<http://www.orangecountync.gov/departments/planning_and_inspections/transportation_planning.php> )
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact with receiving the presentation. Future implications will depend on the development of the financial model associated with the updated Orange County Transit Plan, the use of local transit tax dollars toward the projects outlined in the plan and the availability of funding for capital projects in the Town’s jurisdiction.
RECOMMENDATION:r Staff recommends that the Board receive the presentation, ask questions and offer comments on the draft plan. The Board may also wish to authorize the staff or the Town’s MPO Board representatives to convey comments or formal recommendations to the DCHC-MPO Board, per the resolution provided (Attachment A).