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i <br /> • Year four and beyond following successful sales tax referendum <br /> A total investment that equals about 50,000 new bus service hours will be provided during <br /> year four of the plan implementation through the end of the program (year 2032). <br /> Improvements include: <br /> • Increase frequency in peak hours <br /> • Increased peak hour service on Pittsboro—Chapel Hill Express. <br /> • Continued increased peak hour service on the existing Triangle Transit Route <br /> 800 between Research Triangle Park and Chapel Hill. <br /> • Continued increased peak hour service in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC. <br /> • Fill in gaps in existing service <br /> o Continued enhancements to rural transit service in unincorporated Orange <br /> County. <br /> C. New Light Rail Service <br /> The Orange County Bus and Rail Investment plan provides funding for a fixed guideway <br /> transit system that serves Durham and Orange counties using Light Rail technology(LRT). <br /> The 17-mile alignment extends from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Hospitals to <br /> Alston Avenue in East Durham. A total of 17 stations have been proposed including a <br /> station next to the Dean Smith Center,the Friday Center,as well as a potential station at <br /> Meadowmont in Chapel Hill. Stations in Durham include Patterson Place along US 15-501, <br /> • the South Square area,at Duke Medical Center, Ninth Street, and downtown Durham, <br /> with convenient access to nearby bus and Amtrak intercity rail connections. Due to the <br /> light rail vehicle's capabilities and the requirements of the activity centers and <br /> neighborhoods being served along the corridor, light rail station spacing is routinely <br /> between%mile and 2 miles apart. <br /> Light Rail vehicles are electrically powered and travel at speeds up to 59 mph. The total <br /> travel time for the 17-mile alignment is about 35 minutes, including stops. The vehicles <br /> are approximately 90 feet long, can operate in both directions,and can be coupled with <br /> additional cars as demand increases. Initial 2035 projections indicate that ridership will <br /> exceed about 12,000 boardings per day. These projections are subject to change as the <br /> model is refined and validated. <br /> Light rail vehicles can operate in exclusive right of way, as well as along urban streets, and <br /> characteristically serve accessible low platforms(14 inches high) at each station. The <br /> operations plan for the 17-mile alignment includes train frequencies(headways)of 10 <br /> minutes during the morning and evening peak and 20 minutes during the off-peak hours <br /> and on weekends. Fifteen vehicles will be required to operate the system on the basis of <br /> an 18-hour schedule each weekday. Several potential light rail vehicle maintenance <br /> facility locations are being evaluated. Detailed alignment and station location decisions <br /> will occur in the future when final project design is addressed. <br /> • <br /> 5/26/2011-Page 17 <br />