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<br />4 <br />T:\Advisory Boards\Orange Unified Transportation Board\Minutes\2006\OUTBoard Minutes 10-18-06.doc <br />4 <br />V. Presentation by Triangle Transit Authority <br />Tallmadge gave a brief history of TTA. TTA , created in 1989 by the NC General <br />Assembly as a unit of local government, operates a regional, primarily commuter <br />transit service in Wake, Durham and Orange Counties. The TTA Board of Trustees <br />has 13 members, ten are appointed by the region’s principal municipalities and <br />counties and three non-voting members are appointed by the NC Secretary of <br />Transportation. Funding is provided through the $5 vehicle registration fee in the <br />three counties and a 5% rental vehicle tax, which is dedicated to the regional rail <br />project. Fare box returns are approximately 12.5% of the operating costs. Other <br />revenue comes from federal and state grants. <br /> <br />TTA provides a carpool and ride-share matching service as well as regional bus <br />service and a shuttle from RTP to the airport. TTA Emergency Ride Home Program <br />provides contracted taxi service for up to 20 miles. If the commute is greater than 20 <br />miles, rental car service is available. <br /> <br />TTA also coordinates vanpool service made up of no fewer than ten (10) commuters <br />who live and work near each other and who share approximately the same work <br />hours. One leg of the vanpool's trip must begin or end in Wake, Durham, or Orange <br />County. TTA provides the van, pays for gas and insurance; and arranges, oversees, <br />and pays for all maintenance. Riders pay a low monthly fare based on the average <br />daily round-trip mileage. <br />TTA operates Monday-Friday from 6 am – 10:15 pm, and Saturday from 7 am – 6 <br />pm. Riders can purchase a day pass for $4 or pay $2 fare per trip. TTA also works <br />with corporations to develop commute programs and/or subsidies for employees. <br />Current efforts are making arrangements with UNC, NCSU, State government <br />offices, and the City of Raleigh for employees to ride free (employer picks up the tab, <br />offers subsidies). <br /> <br />TTA also hosts www.gotriangle.org , a trip planner that gives advice on the best <br />public transportation connection to your destination within the Triangle region. <br /> <br />TTA ridership has increased 7% in the last year, and van pools have also increased <br />7%. <br /> <br />TTA is providing staff support for the development of a Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro <br />Metropolitan Planning Organization Regional Human Services Transportation Plan. <br />TTA plans two public workshops in November and December to determine unmet <br />needs for service for the disabled, low income and elderly populations. <br />TTA needs to replace numerous vehicles within the next five years, and wants to get <br />public input on the features desired, and is planning public outreach to ask the public <br />to define the TTA experience for the future. <br /> <br />VI. Discussion of Transit Related Issues (discussion contained in above) <br /> <br />Baker asked about an update on the rail project. Tallmadge said that this program <br />was originally designed to run between 9th Street-Durham to downtown Raleigh. It is