OUTBoard agenda 101619 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

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