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5 T:\Advisory Boards\Orange Unified Transportation Board\Minutes\2006\OutboardMinutes8-16-06.doc 5 OPT Service Improvements – Continuing discussion of OPT’s role in the Hillsborough Downtown Parking Study, Lincoln noted that the NCDOT and Orange County have worked out the STIP scheduling problems for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant-funded project for a park and ride lot at the Durham Technical Community College Orange Campus and 3- years operating assistance for a new OPT intra-Hillsborough transit route. Baker questioned if the projects are prioritized in the STIP, and Lincoln responded that they are just listed without prioritization. Lincoln said there is a lot of interest in transit services and that the Board should have a session devoted to discussion of transit issues. She suggested that the Board’s October meeting may be a good time for discussion of these issues. Terry stated that there is a January deadline for this Board to develop a status report on these priorities for the BOCC retreat, and that specifics are not necessary, but should identify where the Board is in the process. The group decided to end discussion of topic priorities because of time constraints and continue with the remaining business items. VIII. 2007-2013 TIP and MTIP Comments - Lincoln stated that the TIP is a fiscally constrained, minimum 4-year investment program that schedules and funds major transportation projects. The program is updated every two years. Lasris asked for clarification of the MPO boundary lines, and Smith noted that the lines were based on census data. Jacobs said that the boundaries for the MPO are flexible, and that the BOCC would like to keep the RPO projects separate from the MPO, since there are different competing needs. Lasris questioned the funding for the MPO projects, and Lincoln said that Lincoln said that funding is by NCDOT districts. Orange County is in District 7 and does not compete for MTIP funding with Durham County in Division 5, or Chatham County in Division 8. Baker questioned how the priority list was developed. Lincoln responded that potential projects came from previous Priority Project Lists, approved plans and recommendations from transportation studies that had been approved by the Board of Commissioners. The last priority list had received input from the Planning Board, the Commission for the Environment and the Economic Development Commission before being adopted by the Board of County Commissioners. Benedict added that a difficulty with the MPO priority list is combining our requests with those of other jurisdictions, as the competition for funded projects is very tough. Grossman questioned the actual success of Orange County projects being completed, and Lincoln said that it took many years, sometimes 10-20 years or longer, to get a project in the TIP and through the process. Jacobs indicated that, especially with the current lack of funding, the County needs to look at projects differently, such as requiring turn lanes with subdivisions to maintain adequate capacity of secondary roads in the county. Some of these solutions can be implemented at the County/Staff level. DOT has positively cooperated with this in the past. The County has had good success in getting projects funded through other NCDOT funding programs.