Minutes 03-17-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner Rich said people will be paying for service, and she asked how this fits in. Bret Martin said there is a revenue line in the budget for fares. He said payments will go into that revenue account. Commissioner Rich said this looks like a consistent service over the 5 years, and she asked if it is not estimated that more people will take advantage of it over time. Bret Martin said yes. He said this is a guess. Commissioner Rich asked if this will be brought back to the Board of County Commissioners for further discussion if the ridership does increase. Bonnie Hammersley said these are just projections over a 5 year period; however the numbers will be monitored annually through the budget process and adjustments will be made as needed. Commission Rich asked if adjustments will always come out of the half cent sales tax for operations. Bonnie Hammersley said yes. John Roberts referred to Commissioner Price's question. He said the appeal process is an administrative process, and if appeal is denied the person would have access to further appeal hearings through the office of civil rights. PUBLIC COMMENT: Alex Castro, Jr. is from the Bingham Township. He said he is vice-chair of the Aging Advisory Board, and vice-chair of the OUTBoard. He said this item has not yet come before the OUTBoard. He said his comments are personal, and they do not reflect the opinions of the opinions of the two boards. He read from the following submitted written comments: The proposed service expansion is a very positive step for the rural communities of Orange County. However, rural residents are not accustomed to riding a transit bus and marketing efforts are needed to increase ridership rapidly and ensure the success of an expanded Orange Public Transit service. Some suggestions: 1. Branding: Chapel Hill Transit has EZ Rider and Triangle Transit uses Flex Rider. Triangle Transit is also using GO Triangle. Orange Bus is vague and there should be a catchy name given to OPT to provide instant recognition. 2. A simple how to use the bus guide needs to be developed, made available on-line and in written form on each bus. On each bus there should be printed route schedules in a case mounted in a readily accessible location on the bus. A map showing the routes should also be posted on the bus. These schedules and guides should be widely distributed to congregations, key retail outlets and the Sportsplex/Central Orange Senior Center. Service changes should be forwarded to the Orange County Public Relations Director for on-line distribution to County residents. 3. Fixed route bus stops should have a posted sign indicating the name of the stop and a route map showing the times the bus arrives at the stop. Each stop should have a simple shelter that provides cover from the elements for waiting riders. Partnership with sponsors in exchange for simple acknowledgements of the sponsors should be pursued. A good start would be to provide shelters at the Wal-Mart in Hampton Pointe, the new UNC Hospital, and Durham Tech Community College Campus.