Minutes 04-18-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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17 Beyond the limited issue of the effects of at grade crossings, however, the EIS does not address what quantitative effect light rail will have on major regional roads. Would the light rail project reduce congestion on 15-501 between Chapel Hill and Durham? This road would presumably be the most likely to benefit. But the EIS provides no information to support congestion relief on 15-501 or any other thoroughfare. Affordable Housing The EIS addresses affordable housing under the topic of environmental justice. The conclusion is: "Gentrification, and more specifically a reduction in affordable housing, is a potential effect of the project because of likely upward pressure on land values and commercial rents that may occur in station areas." Light rail will create a powerful economic force that threatens affordable housing near the project route. To even partially overcome this force and assure some availability of affordable housing will take strong, sustained, and expensive local government action. Alternatives Evaluated The EIS evaluates only two alternatives, the recommended DOLRT plan and a "no build" alternative. The no build alternative includes existing and planned transit services proposed to exist in 2040 and included in the Metropolitan Transit Plan, but not the DOLRT. The no build alternative does not include any major transit investment in the Durham-Orange corridor. Regrettably, projects such as bus rapid transit with dedicated travel lanes and expanded bus service were eliminated from this evaluation. Bus rapid transit with dedicated travel lanes can be built for a median cost of about one third the cost of light rail, according to the EIS. GoTriangle should have compared the light rail plan with a plan using BRT and buses to serve many more Orange County residents than the light rail line. Such a plan could be built more quickly and at less cost, with more flexibility to respond to emerging needs and growth patterns. Sheila Creth said this plan is not finished, and she is concerned that they are not being given enough time for public input. She said she voted for the transit tax for transit, but not for light rail. She said three of the stations are on the UNC property, and no one pays taxes on this property. She said she is against light rail. Katy Lang said she is a car-free resident of Orange County and has lived without a car since 2010. She said she walks and takes the bus (GoTriangle routes 400, 405, 800, and Chapel Hill Transit routes J, D, NU/NS) almost everywhere she needs to go: work, social activities, community meetings, exercise classes, and errands. She said she supports the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit project. She said she is grateful that Orange County voted yes for transit in 2012, and that they are already seeing the bus service improvements provided for in the Bus and Rail Investment Plans — especially nighttime and Sunday service. She said one of the misunderstandings about the DO-LRT project is that it will "take all the transit money" away from bus to light rail, and that is not only untrue but misconstrues the benefits residents are already experiencing and will continue to experience as bus improvements are made. She said an integrated mass transit system must incorporate multiple modes — including bus and light rail —for the greatest connectivity and mobility. She said doing nothing/the status quo is not a viable solution for our growing region, and right now, our bus systems are adequate but not sustainable for our future growth. She said a fixed-route