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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: April 2, 2019 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 6-c <br /> SUBJECT: Consideration to Discontinue the Durham-Orange Light Rail Project <br /> DEPARTMENT: County Manager's Office <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Attachment 1: Cost Sharing Agreement Travis Myren, 919-245-2300 <br /> John Tallmadge, 919-485-7430 <br /> Attachment 2: GoTriangle Press Release <br /> on Discontinuation of the <br /> Durham-Orange Light Rail <br /> Project <br /> PURPOSE: To consider discontinuing the Durham-Orange Light Rail Project as recommended <br /> by the Go Triangle Board of Trustees. This action will satisfy the requirements of the Interlocal <br /> Cost Sharing Agreement for the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project by formally <br /> discontinuing the project and beginning a process to reallocate funds that had been allocated to <br /> the light rail project through an amended Orange County Transit Plan. <br /> BACKGROUND: On March 27, 2019, the GoTriangle Board of Trustees voted unanimously to <br /> recommend that the cost-sharing partners in Durham and Orange counties and the Durham - <br /> Chapel Hill - Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization discontinue the light-rail project. <br /> According to a statement issued by GoTriangle (Attachment 2), the Federal Transit <br /> Administration informed GoTriangle leadership that due the continued uncertainty with Duke <br /> University, the North Carolina Railroad, and additional environmental assessment needed for <br /> the downtown Durham changes, it is no longer practical to anticipate that the Durham-Orange <br /> Light Rail Project will receive a Full Funding Grant Agreement by November 2019. This means <br /> the project would not be able to meet the November 30 deadline set by the North Carolina <br /> General Assembly and therefore would no longer be eligible for any State funding. <br /> The Interlocal Cost Sharing Agreement for the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project <br /> (Attachment 1) prescribes a decision making process when funding becomes unavailable. It <br /> requires the parties to the agreement to meet within fifteen (15) business days to determine how <br /> to address the situation. One of the options available to the cost share partners is to <br /> discontinue the project. If this option is chosen, the Agreement stipulates that the Staff Working <br /> Group comprised of representatives from each County, GoTriangle, and the Durham - Chapel <br /> Hill - Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization shall convene within twenty (20) business <br /> days to begin the process of developing new Transit Plans that reallocate the dedicated transit <br /> revenue that had been allocated to the light rail project. <br />