Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
17 <br /> MPO Board 10/9/2019 Item 8 <br /> Ref: 38587.01 <br /> October 1, 2019 <br /> Page 11 <br /> The Town of Chapel Hill is in the process of designing the North-South Bus Rapid Transit.This system will run <br /> between the Eubanks Road Park-and-Ride and the Southern Village Park-and-Ride, providing frequent all-day service <br /> to downtown Chapel Hill and UNC Hospitals. Bus rapid transit(BRT) elements such as dedicated lanes,traffic signal <br /> priority, and high capacity transit vehicles,will further increase level of service and convenience for those choosing <br /> to park-and-ride from Southern Village or Eubanks to ride the North-South BRT. These enhancements will increase <br /> the appeal for those previously using Carrboro Park-and-Ride or the Jones Ferry Park-and-Ride to reroute their trip <br /> to one of the BRT stations for the premium transit service provided by BRT. <br /> The Draft Chapel Hill Transit:Short Range Transit Plan provides short-term recommendations to improve bus <br /> routing and frequency on key routes, while remaining cost neutral.The Plan also lays out a set of unfunded <br /> improvements. Several desirable service upgrades were identified that could not be achieved within the existing <br /> budget. One such improvement was the West NC 54 Route, which would provide new weekday peak-only service <br /> from White Cross along the NC 54 corridor to UNC Chapel Hill. This route adds approximately ten route-miles per <br /> trip, and is proposed to run at 70-minute headways during peak periods only, Monday through Friday, at an <br /> additional annual operating cost of$154,000. <br /> One alternative suggested for a park-and-ride at White Cross could be the Henry Anderson III Community Park in <br /> Carrboro. However, a park-and-ride lot does not appear to be compatible with park operations, given current <br /> parking demands. <br /> Emerging Technologies <br /> Emerging technologies continue to redefine transit and the micro-mobility industry while providing alternatives to <br /> traditional fixed route transit service.Transit companies in the region continue to explore the possibilities of on- <br /> demand service and its potential to best meet the agencies goals at a reduced cost compared to fixed route service. <br /> Beginning in August, GoTriangle is partnering with Uber and Lyft to subsidize Ride Sharing trips up to ten dollars if it <br /> connects with one of the GoTriangle bus routes within the Research Triangle Park. GoDurham's long term transit <br /> vision also includes "on-demand zones" where GoDurham will subsidize ride sharing trips connecting to their transit <br /> service.The on-demand type trips are viewed as being most effective where traditional fixed route service may not <br /> be efficient as well as when the on-demand trip connects with high frequency transit. PART has also tested on- <br /> demand shuttles around Piedmont Triad International Airport but reverted to fixed route shuttles when on-demand <br /> ridership did not meet expectations. On-demand style shuttles are best used when looking to replace a costly, low- <br /> ridership, inefficient route to soften the financial burden while still providing service coverage to an area. <br /> Transit agencies continue to face a constrained funding environment and must make tough decisions on trade-offs. <br /> Extending transit service along NC 54 would provide additional coverage to an area previously unserved and thus <br /> would create the possibility for new trips. However, given limited resources, extending service further west from <br /> Carrboro limits other opportunities, such as providing more frequent service on core routes with higher ridership. <br /> Page 11 of 12 <br />