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10 <br /> Brian Litchfield said hopefully two electric buses. <br /> Alderman Slade asked if there is a plan moving forward regarding buses. <br /> Brian Litchfield said a federal grant was received to fund two electric buses, and the <br /> invitation to bid should go out within the next week, bringing the buses into service 12-18 <br /> months thereafter. He said the idea is to bring two of these buses into the fleet, try them out in <br /> different scenarios, and see how they work out. He said if the experience is positive, the goal <br /> will be to expand the fleet. He said they have already learned a lot of lessons from the hybrid <br /> buses in the fleet. <br /> Commissioner McKee arrived at 7:53 p.m. <br /> Alderman Slade suggested looking into the feasibility of charging these buses with in- <br /> house solar power. <br /> Brian Litchfield said staff has written a few grants to fund feasibility studies to move this <br /> idea forward. He said this has been unsuccessful so far, but staff is looking for other ways to <br /> pursue this possibility. <br /> Theo Letman reviewed Attachment 2c— Summary of OCPT Data. <br /> d) Current Transit Connections (i.e. how people move from town to town, county to <br /> county) <br /> Theo Letman said the fixed routes are not as popular, and ridership is not as strong, so <br /> services may shift to other routes. He said one idea is service from northern Orange County to <br /> Durham. He said the mid-day connection between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough is not as strong <br /> either. <br /> Attachment 2d-1 — Transportation Needs Extend Throughout County <br /> Attachment 2d-2— Transit Strategies <br /> Attachment 2d-3— Regional System Map <br /> Mayor Stevens said at some point he would like a lot more information about the <br /> circulator, especially the idea of a reverse circulator. He said it is important, on many levels, for <br /> residents to be able to get around with greater efficiency. <br /> Theo Letman said the inter-locking loop concept may provide more frequency and meet <br /> more needs. <br /> Commissioner Ferguson said she is happy to see the Durham and Hillsborough <br /> connector, and asked if there is a reason for the hours being 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., as this <br /> misses commuter hours. <br /> Theo Letman said transit in this area is a regional concept, rather than just one service. <br /> He said if Orange County does not provide service during a peak area then someone else may. <br /> Commissioner Ferguson said she worked in Research Triangle Park (RTP), and it takes <br /> 3 hours one way to get there via public transportation, which is unacceptable. She said they are <br /> missing the boat on this. <br /> e) Potential Improvements to Better Move People in the Future <br /> Attachment 2e— Potential Transit Vision Improvements <br /> f) Hillsborough Train Station and Light Rail (FRT) Transit Update <br /> Background: <br /> The Durham-Orange Light Rail project continues to pursue a full funding grant agreement from <br /> the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Due to the limitations imposed on State funding, <br />