Orange County NC Website
ORANGE COUNTY <br />ORANGE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION BOARD (OUTBoard) <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date:August 19, 2015 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No.4.a. <br />SUBJECT: Proposed Orange Public Transportation Fixed-Route Fare Structure <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N)Yes <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1.Fare Increase Public Hearing Notice <br />2.Draft Fixed-Route Fare Structure <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Bret Martin, Transportation Planner, <br /> 245-2582 <br /> Peter Murphy, Transportation <br /> Administrator, 245-2002 <br />PURPOSE: To hold a public hearing regarding a proposed fixed-route fare increase for persons 60+ <br />years of age and consider recommendation to the BOCC of a slightly modified fixed-route fare <br />structure for Orange Public Transportation (OPT). <br />BACKGROUND:In advance of the implementation of the five-year bus service expansion program <br />approved by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in October 2014, Orange <br />County transportation planning staff is proposing a new fare structure for OPT fixed-route services. <br />The only major change to the fare structure is an increase in the cash fare for a one-way trip for <br />passengers 60 years of age or older from $0 to $1. The proposed fare structure also sets the one- <br />way trip cash fare for passengers with a Medicaid or Medicare card and children at $1, whereas the <br />existing fixed-route fare structure does not. Further, the proposed fare structure addresses transfers <br />between OPT-operated services and other agencies’ services and provides options for users to <br />purchase packages of bus passes that allow a reduced cost per trip based on frequency of use. The <br />proposed fixed-route fare structure is provided as Attachment 2. The existing fixed-route fare <br />structure for OPT is as follows: <br />Service Fare <br />Hillsborough Circulator Free to all passengers <br />Hill to Hill Shuttle <br />$2 one-way fare for general public <br />$1 one-way fare for passengers with disabilities <br />Free to passengers 60+ years of age <br />Although OPT is not yet a direct recipient of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 <br />Urbanized Area formula grants, OPT is in the process of positioning itself to receive this funding in the <br />near future. OPT is also currently a sub-recipient of Federal Section 5311 funding for non-urbanized <br />area use that is passed through to the County by the State. Consequently, OPT is subject to certain <br />12