Minutes 02-23-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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12 Commissioner McKee said he has raised this at this meeting as some are advocating for a reverse circulator route. He asked if this would qualify as new service under this plan. Craig Benedict said yes, and this is not currently in the plan, but now is the opportunity to ask for additional service. He said this would be supported in part by the transit tax and the tag fees. He said other monies could be leveraged through state and federal funds. Commissioner Weaver said she thought the reverse circulator was already in the works. Commissioner McKee said it has been advocated for, but has yet to occur. He said trying to allocate sufficient service out of the allotted hours is next to impossible, and additional service would have to be paid for. Craig Benedict said the original plan did not include this route, but the 2012 plan is being updated. He said the local match dollars for the public transportation would be part of the transit tax. He said this is the time to add things to the plan, including mid-day service and rural routes. Commissioner McKee said he is against LRT due to the impact on local services. He said Hillsborough needs another reverse route, and this is not possible unless the plan is radically changed. Commissioner Price said she agrees with Commissioner McKee, and with the increase in population and business, public transportation will be even more important. Commissioner Price asked if there is a status update on the railroad crossings in West Hillsborough. Margaret Hauth said the redevelopment of the Dimmocks Mill Road trestle was submitted in the SPOT 4.0 prioritization, and it did not score well. She said it will be resubmitted. She said if the trestle is not reworked; none of the crossings will close. Commissioner Weaver asked if a sign could be posted at Waterstone to indicate the Southern Bypass Route, in an effort to re-route traffic from Churton Street. Craig Benedict said that would be a DOT matter, and it can be brought up at the next quarterly meeting with them. Chair Dorosin asked if the bike share flier at their places could be explained. Max Bushell, Orange County Transportation, said a bike share program is being proposed. He said Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the University of North Carolina (UNC) are also considering it. He said it would be a 2-year pilot program involving 10-15 "smart" bikes, with all the technology on the bike. He said there would be three stations in downtown Hillsborough, and one in West Hillsborough. He said users could check out and return the bikes in some predetermined time limit. He said this would involve sponsorship opportunities for local businesses. He said nothing will proceed without the support of the County and the Town. He said Carrboro cannot come up with the funds, but UNC plans to proceed, and it would be wise to use the same vendor to allow for integration across the County. Commissioner Price asked if the estimated rental cost is known. Max Bushell said if the County sponsored it, there could potentially be no cost. He said the cost structure can be changed. Max Bushell explained the concept of a smart bike versus a smart docking station to the Boards. He said these bikes would be lighter than the typical bike share bike. Commissioner Rich said the bikes should not be free due to maintenance costs, etc., and at least a minimal fee could be charged. She said she loves bike shares, and thinks this is a great idea. 4. Intergovernmental Relations & Collaboration