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18 <br /> 1 class universities, healthcare at its best, and communities working at their best. He said this <br /> 2 project is more than their transit future, but a foundation for the future of education, affordable <br /> 3 housing, etc. He said these are values that everyone shares. He said barriers and fears do not <br /> 4 need to separate them from the shared responsibility to build the best future possible. <br /> 5 Alison Stuebe read the following comments: <br /> 6 Good evening. I would like to thank the commissioners for their patience and stamina in hearing <br /> 7 from our community tonight. <br /> 8 <br /> 9 My name is Alison Stuebe, and I am a physician living in Meadowmont. I am speaking tonight to <br /> 10 support the Durham-Orange Light Rail. I've been a regular bus-rider for the past 5 years, <br /> 11 loading my bike on the front of Chapel Hill Transit Buses and, when the weather is fair, riding <br /> 12 home on the downhill side of Raleigh Road. <br /> 13 <br /> 14 I support light rail because it will improve my commute, offering shorter headways and <br /> 15 bypassing the traffic that snarls buses and cars Eastbound on 54 at rush hour. <br /> 16 <br /> 17 I also support light rail on behalf of my neighbor, who commutes from Meadowmont to Duke <br /> 18 every day by bus. She could not be here tonight because she does not have a car. <br /> 19 <br /> 20 I support light rail as a mother- I have three boys, and my eldest just got his learner's permit. <br /> 21 will breathe easier when my sons can navigate the Triangle via a backbone of light rail <br /> 22 supporting a vibrant bus network. <br /> 23 <br /> 24 I support light rail as a physician. I care for low income pregnant women, who rely on infrequent <br /> 25 midday bus service to access care at UNC Hospital. Regular, efficient light rail, intersecting with <br /> 26 bus routes, will connect my patients with specialty care. <br /> 27 <br /> 28 I support light rail for the future of development in Durham and Orange Countries. We moved to <br /> 29 Chapel Hill from the streetcar suburb of Brookline, Massachusetts, a testament to the power of <br /> 30 light rail to foster walkable neighborhoods and business districts, while protecting open spaces <br /> 31 from sprawl. Light rail will concentrate development along the rail corridor, while preserving the <br /> 32 rural buffers that we know and love. <br /> 33 <br /> 34 Lastly, I support light rail for the health and wellbeing of all Orange County residents. According <br /> 35 to a 2013 MIT study, automobile exhaust causes 58,000 premature deaths each year in the <br /> 36 United States. Air pollution worsens asthma and cardiovascular disease, and these conditions <br /> 37 disproportionately affect rural residents: 10% of rural residents in the Piedmont have asthma, <br /> 38 compared with 6.6% of suburban residents. More travel by light rail means fewer vehicles on <br /> 39 the road and less pollution in the air, improving health for every resident of Orange County. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 Commissioners, this month we face a crossroads. We can move forward on a visionary plan <br /> 42 that has emerged out of nearly a decade of analysis and public hearings, or we can turn down a <br /> 43 billion dollars in federal funding and start from scratch. <br /> 44 <br /> 45 I urge you to vote yes on Durham Orange Light Rail. Thank you. <br /> 46 <br /> 47 Harold Gordon said he is a retired registered engineer, with 54 years of experience. He <br /> 48 said he received and reviewed two documents last week from GoTriangle. He said the project <br /> 49 costs come from utility relocation, hazardous materials identification and removal, etc. He sent <br /> 50 questions to GoTriangle, but has yet to receive a response. He said there are a lot of areas in <br />