Notebook - Agenda - 06-21-2011, Item 8g

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i • The Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan I. INTRODUCTION Orange County has achieved an enviable quality of life at the end of the first decade of the 21St century. Recent accolades include its ranking as the best place to live in the South by Money magazine,the#1 housing market in the US by the Wall Street Journal and one of the best places in the nation to raise children by Business Week magazine. The Chapel Hill- Carrboro City School System is one of the best in the nation, consistently ranking at the top of the state in student test score and boasting the lowest dropout rate in the state.The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks among the great institutions of higher education in the nation, most recently honored by US News& World Report. But, with these successes has come a surging growth in population and demand upon our roads and highways. Since 2004,the Triangle has moved from 46th largest metro area to 40th in the US for 2009, and our vehicle demand on freeways is up by 28%over those five years. Recently,our region was named the 3rd most sprawling urban area in the country among the 83 areas studied. In its 2009 long-range(2035) report,the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) noted that the region's population would more than double over • the 25-year period. For the last two decades,the demand on our roads has grown significantly faster than our population. Even with planned highway improvements and likely additional revenues for new roads, it is clear that Orange County and the region will see declining levels of service on major roads in the next 25 years. The economic costs for our increasingly congested roads are significant. In its 2010 Annual Urban Mobility Report,the Texas Transportation Institute estimated that our region has "congestion costs" of almost one-half billion dollars a year. Recently, a May 10, 2011 study cited in Forbes magazine found that the Triangle was the urban region in the nation that is most vulnerable to rising gasoline prices. Finally, it will be difficult to impossible for many of Orange County's low to moderate income families to afford to get to new jobs and take advantage of the region's prosperity unless enhanced transportation options are created. Orange County residents and its regional neighbors are aware of the growth in clogged roads, as well as the accompanying air quality problems, negative economic impacts and the loss of the quality of life we enjoy if these transportation challenges are not met. Local citizens and elected leaders have responded to these challenges,with some assistance from state government,as described in this investment plan. • 5/26/2011-Page 13