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D R A F T <br />213 <br />It was agreed by all that the emerging issues list should include a recommendation to identify major route stops 214 <br />requiring bus stop amenities. 215 <br />216 <br />Alex Castro asked if copies of schedules would be available on the buses so people could have the various 217 <br />times and stops. 218 <br />219 <br />Peter Murphy replied that they should be able to get that from any of the bus drivers and also at all the senior 220 <br />centers. 221 <br />222 <br />Alex Castro commented that he wanted to add the light rail issue to the work plan so that if funding doesn’t come 223 <br />in, alternative transportation improvements needs could be studied. He referred to the commuter rail in Wake 224 <br />County. 225 <br />226 <br />David Laudicina added that is the same thing just rapid transit as opposed to light rail transit. 227 <br />228 <br />Alex Castro replied that it already exists. The infrastructure is in place for commuter rail. 229 <br />230 <br />David Laudicina responded that if you do light rail you are going to have to put up tracks and if you do commuter 231 <br />rail you need to install a second track if you are going to do it right. The commuter rail is on NCRR right-of-way. 232 <br />He added that the advantage to it is that if it gets to Durham, how soon will it get to Hillsborough, how soon will it 233 <br />get to Mebane and Efland and Greensboro. You could conceivably commute anywhere between High Point and 234 <br />Raleigh on a daily basis. 235 <br />236 <br />Heidi Perry noted you can take it from Cary and Raleigh on Amtrak. She asked if it should be added as number 237 <br />eight to reevaluate transit options particularly if light rail funding falls through and asked it that is the only time 238 <br />they should consider it. 239 <br />240 <br />Alex Castro replied that it would be a good one and could include Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or commuter rail as 241 <br />an alternative. 242 <br />243 <br />244 <br />Erle Smith added that it won’t be easy because it would probably mean starting all the way back at the beginning 245 <br />and going through the whole federal thing. They are well along the way for the light rail and if you go back to 246 <br />the beginning you are starting all over again. He added that the plan was commuter rail at one time and that 247 <br />went away. He added that BRT requires infrastructure and that means you have to build the infrastructure 248 <br />between Chapel Hill and Durham. He noted that the people of Orange County voted for the sales tax on the 249 <br />premise it would be for the purpose of light rail. 250 <br />251 <br />Heidi Perry commented that since they don’t know what will happen with the funding, if the cap is lifted and the 252 <br />study they did may have some problems with it too. She asked if it should be included or not. 253 <br />254 <br />Abigaile Pittman replied that if it is added as number 8 it be very generic. 255 <br />256 <br />Ted Triebel commented that his reading is the funding for light rail will up in the air for a year or two. He doesn’t 257 <br />think it is realistic to think that funding in 2016 is going to go away. 258 <br />259 <br />Heidi Perry suggested that it not be added and if it falls through it can be added. 260 <br />261 <br />The consensus was not to add the item to the list. 262 <br />263 <br />Heidi Perry asked if there is always a public hearing every year for transit. 264 <br />265 <br />7