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- Hillsborough Town Commission Review B&R Investment Plan -June 13 <br />- BOCC Approval of Orange'B&R Investment Plan and Authorize Referendum -June 21 <br />- Triangle Transit Board Approval -June 22 <br />Commissioner McKee said that he does not want any of his questions to be taken as <br />personal attacks. He said that he would not be willing to ask the Orange County voters to vote <br />on two taxes in the same year. He does support the bus service and the County just had a <br />reduction in bus service between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough due to reduced ridership. He <br />said that he would prefer to expand the bus service within Orange County, Chapel Hill, and <br />Durham County rather than go with a light rail system. He said that the population base for <br />Durham County and Orange County does not even match those of Wake County, so it would <br />make more sense to start the light rail component where the population base is, in Wake <br />County. <br />Commissioner McKee said that he understands that extensive development will occur <br />around the rail line, and he does not have a problem with that. His concern is that this extensive <br />development might siphon development away from the rest of the County. <br />David King said that the Route 420 reduction in service was around the midday route, <br />but there was more growth in other times. Regarding the density in Wake County, it is about <br />900,000 and Orange County and,Durham County together are only 450,000. He said that the <br />connection between Orange County and Durham County would be a commuter rail. He said <br />that, in Mecklenburg County, the development community did a lot of development in <br />anticipation of that rail line. He said that he would anticipate the same thing for this area. <br />Commissioner McKee said that he understands the arguments, because this area will <br />grow. The point is that he does not want to create a financial black hole with a rail component <br />at this time. He looks at it as two different components -bus and rail. He is in favor of the bus <br />component at this time. A bus system is much more flexible than a rail system. He said that he <br />does not know what kind of answer he can give to the rural areas of Orange County as to why <br />they should pay a %2-cent sales tax when it may end up taking more sales tax in the future to <br />support this proposed light rail system. That is why he prefers abuilt-out bus system. <br />David King said that the $3.2 million annual cost for light rail is for 2025 and they grew <br />this with inflation. He said that the segment in Orange County that is proposed will be the best <br />in the area. <br />Commissioner McKee asked if this was a $1.4 billion project for the total cost and David <br />King said yes. Commissioner McKee said that this will be an ongoing expense for the County <br />and the Towns. <br />Commissioner Yuhasz said that this is a lot of material to digest all at once. He said that <br />he does not think this is the right time for Orange County to go to the voters for a %2-cent sales <br />tax at this time and would make it very difficult for either of these taxes to be approved ('/4-cent <br />or %2-cent). He said that he agreed with Commissioner McKee that this is the most expensive <br />way to provide this service. He said that it seemed that this light rail is not serving a very dense <br />area with the exception of the universities and the hospitals. This is not like downtown <br />Charlotte. He does not believe that this is 'the right time to go to the voters to ask for a %2-cent <br />sales tax. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that they are talking about the timing of the transit <br />investment, so it is important to figure out what they want in bus and rail systems and how they <br />can join regionally with their partners. She said that in the longer term she hoped the <br />Commissioners would agree to do something to enhance public transportation. She said that <br />the compressed time schedule is daunting. But regardless of when they schedule a <br />referendum, the Commissioners need to come to a consensus on what assumptions they will <br />make, and what they see as their future and then to adopt a plan. She said that she does not <br />want to stop the planning even if a fall referendum is not scheduled. ,She suggested taking up <br />