Minutes 02-27-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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about 20,000 hours per year, including the demand response service and the Hillsborough circulator. He said of those 30,000 hours; 64 percent of the funding goes to Chapel Hill; 24 percent goes to Triangle Transit; and 12% goes to OPT. He said staff has been working with TTA for the past year on the OPT and Triangle Transit routes that would service central and rural Orange County. b) Central and Rural Orange County 5-Year Bus Service Expansion Program, Including Update on Hillsborough Circulator Craig Benedict said staff is looking at some routes based on community outreach and will be providing a formal presentation with Triangle Transit to the Board of County Commissioners on April 1St Craig Benedict reviewed the routes while referring to a display map. He said the majority of the money in this new program will be put toward an East/West route in Mebane, Efland, Hillsborough and over to Durham. He said the important piece in this is stopping in northern Hillsborough and creating some sort of transit stop to hook up with the Hillsborough circulator route and the 420 route. Kathleen Ferguson asked if this would include the grocery stores and stops along 70. Craig Benedict said this would be more of a regional express route. He said the Hillsborough circulator might be able to branch out to go to the Food Lion, but this would be more of a local route. Kathleen Ferguson said it is critical that the 70 corridor have a route with stops for northern residents. She said this is vital, as it is the only transportation for many of those citizens. Craig Benedict said there are many different types of routes, and the task will be finding a combination of routes that serve the community best. He said conversations have been had with Hillsborough residents about this. He said there are limited hours available to add, and one full day route is 3,500 hours. Kathleen Ferguson said she understands this, but this is about people who have no other option. She said if that group of citizens is not being served she does not see the point. Commissioner Price agreed and said the majority of residents she has spoken with are looking for a local bus with local stops. She said maybe the percentages need to be reconsidered. She said there are more people moving in at Hampton Pointe and in the new development on Business 70, and these residents are going to need bus service. Craig Benedict said he does not disagree with the needs along 70; however it may require using a variety of routes and providers to make this work. He said there are limitations, and maybe these numbers can be reviewed at a subsequent meeting. He said these comments are being noted and will be kept in mind by his staff and TTA. He finished reviewing the display map. Craig Benedict said OPT received $88,000 the first year; it will receive $200,000 this year, $300,000 the following year, and $380,000 the last year. He said that is a reasonable amount of money; but there is about $800,000 now in OPT's budget, $400,000 of which is out of OPT's pocket, with the rest being leveraged by state and federal dollars. He said this runs 20,000 hours, so $300,000 doesn't stretch too far. He said Commissioner Gordon and Commissioner Price have stressed in past meetings, the importance of additional bus hours, and staff is examining this. Commissioner McKee said that the focus must be on the needs of the users, rather than the convenience of the service providers. Kathleen Ferguson said those with no options or few options should be served before those who have multiple options.