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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: November 19, 2013 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 6-i <br /> SUBJECT: Orange Public Transportation Expansion Vehicles for FYs 2016-2020 <br /> DEPARTMENT: Planning/Transportation PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1. Local Funding Commitment Form Craig Benedict, 245-2585 <br /> Bret Martin, 245-2582 <br /> Pearl Waite, 245-2004 <br /> PURPOSE: To consider approving a project funding request from Orange Public <br /> Transportation (OPT) to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for three (3) <br /> expansion vehicles for fiscal years (FYs) 2016-2020 and to authorize the Chair to sign the <br /> associated Local Funding Commitment Form. <br /> BACKGROUND: At its November 5, 2013 regular meeting, the BOCC considered and <br /> approved a grant application that included a request for two (2) expansion vehicles to be <br /> added to the OPT fleet for FY 2015. The acquisition of these two (2), 25-foot, 18- <br /> passenger buses is intended to expand OPT's fleet for FY 2015 to implement service <br /> recommendations outlined in the Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan (OCBRIP) <br /> and OPT's Five-Year Bus Service Expansion Program currently under development. That <br /> request required a commitment from Orange County to provide a 10% local match for these <br /> vehicles in that year, the funding for which will come from a capital set-aside reserve <br /> managed by Triangle Transit and taken from the transit sales tax/vehicle registration fee <br /> revenues collected to implement the OCBRIP. <br /> In addition to the two (2) expansion vehicles already approved by the BOCC, staff <br /> estimates a need for OPT's fleet to be expanded by an additional three (3) buses over FYs <br /> 2016-2020 to continue implementation of the County's bus service expansion <br /> recommendations. This project funding request is to receive one bus in each of FYs 2017, <br /> 2018, and 2019. This would equate to a total expansion of OPT's fleet by five (5) buses <br /> through FY 2020. If awarded, this fleet expansion would accommodate up to an additional <br /> projected total of 7,600 hours (approximately 1,520 hours per bus) of service beyond OPT's <br /> current service program by FY 2020. The services to be implemented with these buses will <br /> likely involve a mixture of both existing fixed-route service frequency increases and <br /> expansions, new location fixed-route services, and enhanced general public demand <br />