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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: April 18, 2017 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 5-a <br /> SUBJECT: Presentation and Public Hearing on the Draft Orange County Transit Plan <br /> DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1. GoTriangle PowerPoint Presentation John Tallmadge, GoTriangle Director of <br /> 2. April 10, 2017 Draft Orange County Transit Plan Regional Services Development, <br /> Executive Summary (919) 485-7430 <br /> (The full April 10, 2017 Draft Orange County Travis Myren, Deputy County Manager, <br /> Transit Plan is available electronically at: (919) 245-2300 <br /> http://ourtransitfuture.com/plans/orange/) Gary Donaldson, Financial and <br /> 3. April 6, 2017 Draft Durham — Orange Cost Share Administrative Services Director, <br /> Agreement (919) 245-2450 <br /> PURPOSE: To receive a presentation on the draft Orange County Transit Plan (formerly the <br /> Bus and Rail Investment Plan in Orange County) and the draft cost share agreement between <br /> Durham and Orange County on the Durham-Orange Light Rail Project; and to conduct a public <br /> hearing on the Draft Plan following the presentation. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Orange County Transit Plan governs the allocation of transit taxes and <br /> fees to various transit services. This Plan updates the original Bus and Rail Investment Plan <br /> was adopted in 2012. The Plan allocates funding to bus services, the Durham-Orange Light <br /> Rail project, bus capital projects, an intercity Amtrak train station in Hillsborough, and a bus <br /> rapid transit project in Chapel Hill. The Plan is funded using four dedicated revenue sources: <br /> the Article 43 half cent sales tax, the Article 50 five percent (5%) vehicle rental tax, the Article 51 <br /> three dollar ($3) increase to the GoTriangle regional vehicle registration fee, and the Article 52 <br /> seven dollar ($7) Orange County vehicle registration fee. <br /> The 2017 update to the Orange County Transit Plan integrates changes to funding assumptions <br /> based on limitations placed on transit projects by the State and Federal governments. These <br /> changes reduced federal funding for bus capital projects, reduced State funding for the North- <br /> South Bus Rapid Transit project, and reduced State funding for the Durham-Orange Light Rail <br /> Project. <br /> The most notable reduction in the Plan is the amount of State funds dedicated to the Durham- <br /> Orange Light Rail Project. The 2012 Plan assumed a 25% State share. Based on legislative <br /> changes, the 2017 Plan includes a 10% State share. <br /> External funding limitations placed on the light rail project resulted in a series of reports to the <br /> Board of Orange County Commissioners. In November 2016, GoTriangle reported that the <br /> limitations resulted in a revenue shortfall in the light rail project. Based on this report, the Board <br />