Agenda - 05-01-2012 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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22 Orange County's commitment to fund the transit program can only be through voter approval on November 6, 2012 or later after the legal requirements of a referendum are set earlier in the year. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board: 1. Receive the additional information; 2. Discuss and ask questions; and 3. Identify any additional materials that may be required to provide guidance to Commissioner Gordon, Orange County MPO representative on the Transportation Advisory Committee, for a proposed vote on February 8, 2012 by the DCHC MPO TAC and to provide guidance to Chair Pelissier for the Triangle Transit Board meeting on February 22, 2012. DECISIONS 4. Proceed with Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) study area known as Durham- Orange Corridor Alternate 4 from endpoints UNC to Alston Avenue (17.4 miles — $1.4 billion). NOTE: If FTA review suggests a shorter segment, the BOCC reserves the right to reanalyze its decision. 5. Proceed with LPA alignment and station suggestions of: a. UNC(D) which could allow potential future extension to the west to Carrboro b. Proceed with C-2 (Friday Center along NC 54 easterly past proposed Hillmont; aka George King Road alignment). NOTE: Extend easterly as close to 1-40 for another potential P&R station if Leigh Village P&R is suppressed in NC 54 Corridor Plan. c. Consider whether a detailed study and report for a possible third alignment consistent with the Alternatives Analysis for US 15-501 from Hamilton Station to Gateway Station is warranted. (1) This alternate alignment provides another option to avoid the environmental challenges noted in C-1 and C-2 corridors along NC 54 and the federal wetlands and would bolster economic development opportunities within Orange County which would be the source of the countywide financial commitment. (2) Incorporate findings of this study into the development of the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) which is in progress, so that this study may inform the 2-3 year New Starts application process with the most current data and community/local government mindset. 6. Proceed with the submittal of LRT in the Durham-Orange Corridor A-4 noted above at this time. The New Starts application process will include iterations of improving the Federal Transit Agency (FTA) Durham-Orange Corridor transit proposal. It would be prudent to analyze options if federal and state funding was not available in the short/mid-term and/or what alternative transit `safety-net' solutions could be considered to make the application or amended application more viable including ongoing implementation measures. NOTE: Over the next few months, the NC 54 Corridor Plan, the requested 15-501 Alternatives Analysis, and the development of an Orange County Transit Plan Core and Enhanced Program may support the need for BRT High in one or both corridors (NC 54 and US 15-501). This information will be critical over the next six months as the Risk Assessment Phase of the New Starts Application is prepared to include financial sustainability and environmental impact. In any event, BRT could be part of a complementary corridor development to support LRT. This may be in addition to BRT that is in the draft OCTP financial plan in the MLK Boulevard corridor of Chapel Hill. PUBLIC COMMENT Art Mines read a prepared statement. Dear Board of Orange County commissioners and Hillsborough Town Board Members; RE: Support for Y2-cent Public Transit Tax to include the Orange County Public Train Station We ask the Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Hillsborough Town Board to support using a portion of the proposed %-cent transportation tax to fund a rail station for Orange County in Hillsborough to access the current passenger trains that already pass through Orange