Minutes 06-18-19 Regular Meeting

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24 Commissioner Dorosin clarified that Hillsborough to Southern Village has been determined, and will be dedicated curb lane convert from Hillsborough to Manning, then mixed traffic to Highway 54, and then construct from there to Southern Village. Brian Litchfield said yes. He said staff will look to see if there are ways to phase in the project, and the area further south may be able to be put to a future year. He said many variables, including cost, will have to be considered. Commissioner Price asked what would happen to the $8 million if the $25 million comes in. Brian Litchfield said if an amount close to $25 million comes in, staff would return to the staff working group for the Orange County transit plan, and talk about how to proceed. He said hopefully the $8 million could be reduced in that scenario. Commissioner Price clarified that the $8 million will not be used right away, and is rather just a commitment. Brian Litchfield said yes, and it is in the plan from 2022 onwards. He said the $8 million is not needed to do the 30% design or any other current work, and rather it is to show the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) that there are dedicated funds, should to project move forward. Commissioner Price asked if the community will be given a chance for input after staff does the charrettes, and goes back to the drawing board. Brian Litchfield said yes, probably in the fall. Chair Rich referred to the "what's happening slide" and the picture of the BRT running down the center of the lanes. Brian said that is not an example of this BRT project, but rather is illustrative of what some of the DOT design work could lead to over time. He said it is unlikely to happen with the current corridor. Chair Rich echoed Commissioner Dorosin's concerns of the BRT wiggling in and out of traffic, and how regular traffic keeps flowing. Brian Litchfield referred to the "current status" slide, and said the desire is to minimize transitions from one area to the next. He said when 30% design is done, from Eubanks through Hillsborough will either be dark green or light green. He said Hillsborough Street into downtown will have some transition areas, where buses are pulling out of dedicated lanes into mixed traffic. He said staff has visited other cities where buses transition in and out traffic, and there are signals that allow this to happen. He said there would be something similar done in Chapel Hill, along with signage and different colors of paint on the road. He said during peak hours, from Rosemary Street to the Carolina Inn, the outside lane almost operates as a bus lane already, with many buses lining up in that outside lane. Chair Rich asked if the BRT comes on in 2023, what would be done with the current buses that use that lane. She asked if the buses would be used for other service, or be worked out of the fleet. Brian Litchfield said this investment is building upon the investment that has already been made in the corridor already, and he said there is a 10-minute service on the north-south corridor alone, which takes 8 buses. He said in August that number of buses will move to 10, due to an investment from the Chapel Hill Transit partners. He said by August 2020, it will move to 12-15 buses, and provide 8 minute or better service. He said buses that need replacing will be replaced, and other routes that come into the corridor will likely be realigned to better serve different areas in that corridor. He said this will all be worked out in the new short range service plan, which will come online in August 2020. Commissioner Greene referred to South Columbia Street, from Mason Farm Road to Highway 54, and said it is a wide road, and asked if there is a reason there cannot be dedicated lanes here.