Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
DRAFT 5 <br /> 106 will be able to track the vehicles themselves utilizing the app. Hopefully by the end of December we'll start going through <br /> 107 the process of transitioning our services to the new software. <br /> 108 <br /> 109 Randy Marshall: Allyson seemed to be saying that with the additional needs for funding for Orange County Public <br /> 110 Transportation, some of those funding sources were being pulled off for the light rail project. What's the relationship <br /> 111 between the funding of each of those, and is it true that there's competition and public transportation is losing funding to <br /> 112 the light rail? Is the light rail just banking the funds that they are getting, or do they actively have things that they are <br /> 113 spending it on? How does that work? <br /> 114 <br /> 115 Theo Letman: A concise answer would be that in the original Transit Plan called the (BRIP) Bus, Rail Investment Plan; <br /> 116 there was a negotiation done way before my time here. Each entity within the counties was designated or allotted <br /> 117 certain amount of funds. <br /> 118 <br /> 119 Heidi Perry: From the Transit tax? <br /> 120 <br /> 121 Theo Letman: From the Transit tax. As well as funding going toward the light rail which takes the lion's share of those <br /> 122 funds. At the time there was very little leadership at Orange County Public Transit and so was got a paltry amount of <br /> 123 funds. Now as we see the demand growing and increasing over the years, we are going back and renegotiate this <br /> 124 arrangement so that we get more funding. I think the Commissioner as well made it very clear that there needs to be <br /> 125 more investment in bus transportation because a huge part of the county will probably never utilize the light rail. It's in <br /> 126 the rural areas, some of the urban areas that don't connect with the light rail, so the Commissioners pushed that there <br /> 127 should be more investment in bus. <br /> 128 <br /> 129 David Laudicina: Isn't it true though that the plan has provided quite a bit of service already for Orange County? <br /> 130 <br /> 131 Theo Letman: Yes. The Transit tax is doing what it is supposed to do. <br /> 132 <br /> 133 Heidi Perry: There were also a couple of projects that were in the running for state funding and they were all pulled so <br /> 134 that the light rail would be the only project that was in contention for the funding. They didn't get any funding, so that <br /> 135 means it can't be implemented. <br /> 136 <br /> 137 Dave Laudicina: Was it just pulled or postponed? <br /> 138 <br /> 139 Theo Letman: It was part of the SPOT process that things have to go before the state and the state Board of <br /> 140 Transportation for approval. The reverse circulator scored better than both the light rail and the BRT and it got pulled <br /> 141 because it was taking votes away from the light rail. <br /> 142 <br /> 143 Heidi Perry: How is a Transit Uber superior to a regular Uber? Is it more efficient? It is because you're piling up rides <br /> 144 and doing more than one at a time? <br /> 145 <br /> 146 Theo Letman: Uber is not even in this area from what I understand, so I am trying to capitalize on that and provide some <br /> 147 type of service. <br /> 148 <br /> 149 Randy Marshall: Has the OUTBoard as a group had discussions about light rail? <br /> 150 <br /> 151 Art Menius: We have and it's generally relative toward the concept of light rail with the issues towards where this <br /> 152 particular light rail services. <br /> 153 <br /> 154 Randy Marshall: Especially regarding funding? <br /> 155 <br /> 156 Art Menius: And how that impacts the rest of the county. <br /> 157 <br /> 158 AGENDA ITEM 6: REGULAR OUTBOARD AGENDA <br /> 3 <br />