Minutes 06-18-19 Regular Meeting

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25 Brian Litchfield said there was strong neighborhood push back in 2014, and he said the initial LPA agreement stated that there would be no expansion beyond the current curb-to-curb area of this stretch of road. Commissioner Greene asked if the existing curb-to-curb is not wide enough to accommodate a bus lane, as well as two lanes of traffic. Brian Litchfield said his staff can look at this again, but it was expected that buses would operate in mixed traffic in that area, as there are no stops. Commissioner Greene said she has a lot of experience with this stretch of road, and it seems like operating in mixed traffic here will slow down overall traffic dramatically. She said the difference between being in a dedicated lane versus mixed traffic, is the difference between a BRT and an express bus. She said the real benefit of BRT is that one can rely on its timeliness, much like a train; and she cannot see this happening without a dedicated lane. Brian Litchfield said 80% of the corridor will be dedicated lanes, with a small section of Eubanks and Manning Drive through the James Taylor Bridge being the only parts which are not. Commissioner Greene said she imagines the scene after a basketball or football game lets out. Brian Litchfield said sporting events will be challenging in this corridor and the MILK corridor, regardless of dedicated lanes. He said this topic will be part of ongoing conversations with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the University of North Carolina (UNC). Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there are there going to be platform stations at each stop, even in mixed traffic areas. Brian Litchfield said that is the current plan, but the stop at Manning Drive has to be finalized with both UNC and UNC Hospital. He said the stations within the corridor are intended to be level boarding stations, with the base of the bus door being level with the stop, avoiding the need for any ramps. He said more of this will be work out as the design process moves forward. Commissioner Price asked if the project schedule has built in time for delays. Brian Litchfield said some reasonable time has been built in, but a significant delay would make the 2023 challenge difficult to meet. He said his staff is optimistic about the 2023 deadline, but will not really know if it can be a reality until the project moves past the 30% design into engineering. Commissioner McKee said finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel that is not attached to a light rail train. He said in 2011 he argued strongly that this should have been the second phase of improving Orange/Durham and the region. He said he also argued that the third phase should have been an expansion to all points of the compass. Commissioner McKee said he is pleased that they are here, and he is slowly getting over how they got here. He said he will be as supportive of this, as he was opposed to light rail. He said there will be opposition, and people will be inconvenienced, by both the construction and the final product, in Chapel Hill, but the governments must address transit needs locally and regionally. He said he plans to visit Richmond and DC later this week to learn more about this process. Brian Litchfield said the system in Richmond has been open since 2016-2018, and are currently operating about 4,000 rides within the GRT pulse system. He said there are already 4,500 in the Martin Luther King/South Columbia corridor. He said the anticipated ridership in this corridor, with the first year of construction, is about 8,500; and about 12,000 after 5 years. He said that number assumes no development or growth at Carolina North. Travis Myren made the following PowerPoint presentation: Orange County Transit Plan Financial Model Analysis