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31 <br /> 1 Vijay Sivaraman said he is an ardent supporter of the LRT. <br /> 2 Alison Stoebe said she is in support of light rail and the letter of intent. <br /> 3 John Morris said public transportation is very important and he uses it frequently, but <br /> 4 they need a light rail plan that works for the residents of Orange County. He said this is not the <br /> 5 right project for Orange County, and it will only serve a tiny corner of Orange County. He is <br /> 6 concerned this will sap the budget for other County services. <br /> 7 Julie McClintock said she loves rail, but the figures are not adding up. She said the line <br /> 8 is not going where the people are. She said Wake County did away with the light rail plan and <br /> 9 went with BRT. She said Orange County should do the same. <br /> 10 Leif Rasmussen said this plan is too expensive, and it is better to invest in bike <br /> 11 infrastructure. <br /> 12 Taylor McAdam said she is in support of light rail, and urged the Board to sign the letter <br /> 13 of intent. <br /> 14 Cheryl Hardman said she does not support moving forward with the light rail, and does <br /> 15 not think there will be sufficient ridership. She said an independent analysis should be <br /> 16 conducted. <br /> 17 Bonnie Hauser thanked the citizens for coming out to speak, and the BOCC for <br /> 18 listening. She provided the Clerk with a community petition for the Board to delay a <br /> 19 commitment to light rail, not sign the letter of intent, and to conduct an independent analysis. <br /> 20 Alex Cabanes said this is a bad idea. <br /> 21 Commissioner Jacobs thanked the public that came out to speak tonight, as well as the <br /> 22 staff from GoTriangle. He said he is not prepared to re-adjudicate the project at this point, but <br /> 23 he does have some concerns, and the Board needs a better comfort level before the April <br /> 24 deadline. <br /> 25 Commissioner Jacobs asked the Manager to look into an independent consultant to <br /> 26 review the value engineering and finances. He suggested the possibility of Kimley-Horn, who <br /> 27 worked on Wake County's transit plan. He would like to review the possibilities of cuts; <br /> 28 combining the Dowling Creek and Woodmont stations; shortening the platforms; and a full <br /> 29 explanation of why BRT is not a preferable option. He asked the Manager to talk with the <br /> 30 Durham County Manager about the financial split between the two counties, especially given <br /> 31 the addition of the NCCU stop, and that most of the economic development is in Durham <br /> 32 County. He said Orange County is paying 23% of the plan. He said Chapel Hill — Orange bus <br /> 33 split should be reviewed again. He said the BOCC must set Orange County's transportation <br /> 34 priorities. He said a greater public forum is needed to discuss the issues in depth, with Orange <br /> 35 and Durham County staff, and GoTriangle staff. <br /> 36 Commissioner Jacobs said he has problems that over time, GoTriangle has been a <br /> 37 translucent organization, such as the numbers changing; and who will be giving them the <br /> 38 money. He referred to the MLK BRT, and said Orange County is the funding entity but there <br /> 39 have been no conversations with Chapel Hill. He said GoTriangle is working for the County, <br /> 40 and not the other way around. <br /> 41 Commissioner Jacobs said he is going to support the MOU, with the following addition: <br /> 42 <br /> 43 Proposed Item 2 under NOW, THEREFORE <br /> 44 <br /> 45 The Orange County Board of Commissioners considers this non-binding MOU between the <br /> 46 Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority and Orange County to keep faith <br /> 47 with voters who, by a large majority, approved the half-cent sales tax for enhanced public <br /> 48 transportation, including light rail. <br /> 49 <br />