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19 1 The Board consideredvoting to approve an additional station for the Durham-Orange 2 Light Rail Transit Project at Blackwell and Mangum Streets in downtown Durham. The Orange 3 County Transit Plan requires the Board of Commissioners to approve the addition or elimination 4 of any stations in the proposed system plan. This addition cannot increase the total cost of the 5 project and must be accommodated within the current budget. 6 Travis Myren presented this item. 7 8 BACKGROUND: 9 At the Board’s November 20, 2017 regular meeting, GoTriangle staff introduced two potential 10 station changes to the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project. The first proposed change 11 would shift the Gateway station to the west in order to promote more economic development 12 opportunities, particularly in Orange County. The Orange County Transit Plan contemplated this 13 change. A change in the location of a station requires consultation with the Board of 14 Commissioners, but it does not require action. 15 16 The second proposed station change was the addition of a station at Blackwell and Mangum 17 Streets in downtown Durham. The Orange County Transit Plan requires that the addition or 18 elimination of any station must be approved by the Orange County Board of Commissioners, 19 Durham County Board of Commissioners, and DCHC MPO Policy Board, and the GoTriangle 20 Board. The Durham County Board of Commissioners will consider the item on December 11th, 21 and both the MPO Policy Board and the GoTriangle Board will consider the addition on 22 December13th. 23 24 GoTriangle staff has supplied the attached memorandum to provide additional information on 25 the proposed Blackwell/Mangum station. The station is intended to improve access to the 26 Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and other downtown 27 Durham attractions. 28 29 The Blackwell/Mangum station was not originally included in the project because it was not 30 technically feasible given the three-car platform length featured in the original design. As part 31 of the engineering process,GoTriangle revisited the three car platform concept and has 32 reduced the platform size to a two car platform. The shortened platform length represents a 33 cost 1 savings, but it allows sufficient room for the system to navigate between historic buildings 34 in the downtown Durham area, making the Blackwell/Mangum station technically feasible. 35 36 The addition of the Blackwell/Mangum station is expected to yield a net gain of approximately 37 600 trips per day according to GoTriangle’s regional ridership modeling. Thenew station is 38 expected to cost approximately $2.5 million,which is less than the estimated $8 million to shift 39 the Gateway station to the west. The new station costs less because it does not require any 40 changes to the rail alignment. The proposed Gateway update requires the addition of track and 41 a shift in the rail alignment while the new Blackwell/Mangum station is positioned along the 42 current rail alignment. GoTriangle staff report that the new station will add approximately 43 $150,000 in annual operations and maintenance costs and add less than a minute to end to 44 end travel time. 45 46 If the Blackwell/Mangum station is approved, it will be submitted for reevaluation by the Federal 47 Transit Administration (FTA) in January. If the FTA requires additional environmental analysis, 48 GoTriangle will complete that process prior to an amended Record of Decision from the FTA, 49 which is anticipated to be completed by the fall of 2019. 50