Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
98 <br /> Chapter 6:Summary and Conclusions <br /> as open to the general public, though it has been for many years. Changes in funding now <br /> allow for a change in both reality and perception to a system that continues to serve its <br /> specialized population and is also a general public transit provider. <br /> Orange County is receiving funds from the 1/2-cent sales tax to provide new general public <br /> services.At the same time, larger portions of the county are now included in the Durham- <br /> Chapel Hill Urbanized Area and the Burlington-Graham Urbanized Areas, each of which <br /> receives direct FTA transit funding for urban areas. Orange County has developed plans <br /> for expanded services that complement existing regional commuter bus services <br /> (GoTriangle's ODX Orange -Durham Express and Route 42o Hillsborough-Chapel Hill <br /> services) and provide additional coverage in areas that potentially have the density and <br /> need to support such service. In the lower-density rural portions of the county, zoned <br /> route deviation services open to the general public are planned for near-term <br /> implementation. A review of county demographic data demonstrates that these are <br /> appropriate service types for the areas covered. <br /> As part of this study, additional service expansion is proposed and costed primarily to: <br /> • Provide more hours and days of service in the rural areas <br /> • Provide for more specialized demand response transportation to address the <br /> potential needs of aging baby-boomers and other unmet human service <br /> transportation need <br /> Specific information on unmet demand or need could result in a call for even more <br /> service to meet specific needs. These expanded services are included to assess the likely <br /> size of the OPT program over the next several years, which influences the options for <br /> organizing the expanded program. This study calls for adoption of more detailed <br /> performance guidelines and monitoring to make sure that expanded service is cost- <br /> effective. It also calls for expanded marketing and information so that the public and <br /> other stakeholders are aware of the new services and their mobility options, potentially <br /> joining the regional GoSmart transit information system. <br /> The change in roles and the near-term expansion led to an examination of options for <br /> OPT's organization. As the system expands its operational aspects become significant, <br /> and it may make sense to move the operations out of Planning and Inspections. There are <br /> several options for creating a separate Transit Department, located with programs that <br /> have a similar functional area focus of providing services to the public. In addition to <br /> OPT's operations, there is a significant ongoing need for transit planning staff time to: <br /> • Develop and maintain policies <br /> • oversee implementation of new services <br /> • seek and apply for grant funding <br /> • work with the two Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and Rural <br /> Planning Organization (RPO) on transit plans <br /> - KFH <br /> NCDOT Orange County 82 <br /> Transit Assessment Study <br />