Minutes 02-04-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Timeline February: Completion of draft Five-Year Bus Service Expansion Program March: Presentation of draft Program to BOCC, TTA Board, and Hillsborough Town Council April: Requested approval or endorsement of final Program by BOCC and TTA Board Fall 2014: Earliest implementation of services Commissioner McKee asked if John Tallmadge could identify the potential locations of park and ride sites in western Orange County. He wants to make sure that the park and ride lots are located where it is convenient for the residents who will access the service. John Tallmadge said locations are being considered in the vicinity of central to eastern Mebane, Efland and Buckhorn. Commissioner Gordon asked about the draft 5 year bus service expansion plan. She asked how this relates to what is called for in the implementation agreement. John Tallmadge said the plan now creates an envelope of how many hours or dollars are available to implement service, and it describes it as expanding rural access to job centers or activities. He said this describes a commuter connection from Mebane to Hillsborough to Durham. He said this refines that and then puts it into specific services to be delivered on a specific timeline. Commissioner Gordon said the revenues have changed, and the plan is being reviewed and revised. She wants to know when this will be done. John Tallmadge said things should be aligned so that information is being brought at the same time. Commissioner Gordon said it would be helpful to look at the original bus and rail investment program and then look at how the numbers have changed in the amended plan. She said it would be better to have a comparison with the actual numbers in the same format. John Tallmadge said he will try to do this. Commissioner Price asked if Durham Tech is being considered in the plan. John Tallmadge said he received an email today asking about the possibility of more mid-day service connecting the campus and the new medical clinic to Chapel Hill. He said this is part of what will be considered in the program of services. Commissioner Rich thanked John Tallmadge for this update. She is excited to move forward with this project. Chair Jacobs said there had been some discussion about the Graham park and ride lot. He said there is no local funding and only one route to UNC and Duke. He said public transportation is needed in this area. He asked if the option of anchoring the Highway 70 route in Graham is still an option. John Tallmadge said there are some concerns about the Graham location, but there are other options being considered with PART in that area. Chair Jacobs referred to Commissioner Price's earlier question, and he said there was no UNC Hospital at Waterstone when these conversations started. He mentioned the issue of transportation options for students from Chapel Hill and Carrboro who are taking Middle College classes at Durham Tech in Durham. He said there will be a huge change in the commuter patterns between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill when and if Carolina North takes place. He said these things will change the plan even more. He said there is really no way to make predictions, and he thanked everyone involved for keeping things on track. David King said financial projections make him queasy, and that is why there is an implementation agreement. He said everyone is discovering how to do this, because this has never been done in North Carolina before. He said the group budgets one year at a time and corrections can be made as things move forward. He said this is a self correcting dynamic