Minutes 04-18-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

18 transit line like the light rail has the unique opportunity to position and direct development investment along its length, mitigating sprawl and providing denser land uses where they are most needed: job centers, schools, hospitals, and denser residential. She said this enables transit riders like herself to get around more efficiently. Molly DeMarco said she is in support of light rail and BRT, and this plan will help people move around the County better. She said the light rail location is in the right spot as it serves people, not the land. She said it is a benefit for so many, and if the BOCC walks away from this plan, the federal money will go away, and starting from scratch will take years. She urged the BOCC to vote in favor of this plan. John Morris said the idea of light rail has drawn support, but it is important to understand how drastically the plan has changed, and how the costs have increased. He said GoTriangle has had to perform financial acrobats to make this plan feasible. He said the Davenport analysis has told them that this will put the County's credit rating and general fund budget at risk. He said the President has proposed a cease in additional funding for new starts, like the LRT. He said cities all over the country are concerned about this, and the BOCC should be worried too. He said the State continues to reduce or restrict funding for projects like the LRT, and he doubts the State will provide the 10% that is currently promised. He encouraged the BOCC to say no to LRT, and to create a better transit plan for the County. Matt Clark is from Durham, and he got in a traffic jam on his way to tonight's meeting. He said he was able to think about the roads while sitting in traffic. He said this area has world-class universities, healthcare at its best, and communities working at their best. He said this project is more than their transit future, but a foundation for the future of education, affordable housing, etc. He said these are values that everyone shares. He said barriers and fears do not need to separate them from the shared responsibility to build the best future possible. Alison Stuebe read the following comments: Good evening. I would like to thank the commissioners for their patience and stamina in hearing from our community tonight. My name is Alison Stuebe, and I am a physician living in Meadowmont. I am speaking tonight to support the Durham-Orange Light Rail. I've been a regular bus-rider for the past 5 years, loading my bike on the front of Chapel Hill Transit Buses and, when the weather is fair, riding home on the downhill side of Raleigh Road. I support light rail because it will improve my commute, offering shorter headways and bypassing the traffic that snarls buses and cars Eastbound on 54 at rush hour. I also support light rail on behalf of my neighbor, who commutes from Meadowmont to Duke every day by bus. She could not be here tonight because she does not have a car. I support light rail as a mother - I have three boys, and my eldest just got his learner's permit. I will breathe easier when my sons can navigate the Triangle via a backbone of light rail supporting a vibrant bus network. I support light rail as a physician. I care for low income pregnant women, who rely on infrequent midday bus service to access care at UNC Hospital. Regular, efficient light rail, intersecting with bus routes, will connect my patients with specialty care. I support light rail for the future of development in Durham and Orange Countries. We moved to Chapel Hill from the streetcar suburb of Brookline, Massachusetts, a testament to the power