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5 <br /> Commissioner Jacobs asked if the PART system, which goes to the University of North <br /> Carolina (UNC) Hospital, also goes through Mebane. <br /> Council Member Ed Hooks said yes, about 4 times per day. He said the missing piece <br /> of the puzzle is the residents of Mebane being able to get to the hub. <br /> Commissioner Price asked if the locations of the bus stops in Mebane could be <br /> identified. <br /> Council Member Ed Hooks said Cone Health, Tanger Outlet, and City Hall. <br /> Chris Rollins said when Burlington spoke to Mebane about its routes, there was very <br /> positive conversations with OPT regarding the Hillsborough Circulator route. He said nothing <br /> came of those conversations at that time, but it garnered useful information for future plans. <br /> Commissioner Rich said this is a 5-year plan, and asked Peter Murphy if he could clarify <br /> how long it takes to gather data in order to determine that the routes are working. <br /> Peter Murphy said a route will likely be left to run for about a year, in order to get the <br /> proper analysis. He said from there, routes will be adjusted as needed. <br /> Commissioner Price asked if the buses are going both directions at one time, or is it <br /> similar to the circulator. <br /> Peter Murphy said there is only one bus operating on it now. He said there is argument <br /> that the more frequent a service is offered, the greater the ridership; but it is a balance figuring it <br /> out. <br /> Commissioner Price asked if combining the Efland-Hillsborough with the Orange <br /> Alamance was ever considered. <br /> Peter Murphy said they have complementing services during the peak hours. <br /> Peter Murphy resumed the presentation: <br /> Orange County OPT Ridership Data FY2014-2015 (graph) <br /> OPT Service Improvements <br /> • Fareboxes approved <br /> o Electronic bus passes <br /> o GoPass capability <br /> • Technology approved <br /> o Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) <br /> o Passenger Call Back System <br /> Commissioner Pelissier said the ridership, shown in the PowerPoint presentation, has <br /> gone up, which is encouraging as other bus ridership have gone down, like GoTriangle, and <br /> Durham. <br /> Commissioner Pelissier said Duke University is prominent in the success of the Orange <br /> Alamance because they surveyed their own employees and their riding needs. <br /> 3. Planning and Development <br /> Background: Orange County Planning staff, primarily Perdita Holtz, has been participating in <br /> the City of Mebane's planning efforts related to the "Mebane by Design" comprehensive land <br /> development plan. The planning effort is led by Piedmont Triad Regional Council planning staff <br /> and a 29- member advisory committee was appointed by the City Council. Committee meetings <br /> began in January 2016 and, to date, seven meetings have taken place. <br /> Additionally, a public outreach meeting was held in March and another community anticipated to <br /> be held in the fall. Within Orange County, the general study area includes lands south of High <br /> Rock Road, west of Mill Creek Road and Frazier Road, and north of Hebron Church Road. The <br />