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34 <br /> 1 need the transportation services did not get them, and they will not. He said the $600,000 is the <br /> 2 only benefit that the county will get out of it. He said that all of the other money spent is not <br /> 3 transferrable to light rail 3.0 but he highly suspects it is still out there. He asked what the <br /> 4 number 1 lesson is learned at GoTriangle to avoid light rail 3.0 or some version of that. He <br /> 5 asked what we are going to do. He said that the money is already gone, and it did not move one <br /> 6 person. He asked what we are going to do to avoid that happening again. <br /> 7 Charles Lattuca said there is no benefit except the property and software. He said that <br /> 8 the lessons learned are difficult and painful. He said there have been many changes been made <br /> 9 in how they address their studies. He said there has been discussion of a light rail replacement <br /> 10 project, but he is not sure where that light rail discussion is today. He said he has heard there is <br /> 11 some interest in Orange County, in Chapel Hill, in developing a project that would serve that <br /> 12 corridor. He said that the data that shows how Orange County is going to grow, and the 15-501 <br /> 13 corridor will grow a lot. <br /> 14 Commissioner McKee said he fears that it is still being considered and he does not want <br /> 15 another set of plans at his house. <br /> 16 Charles Lattuca said GoTriangle is not driving that conversation. He said that will come <br /> 17 from this body, along with the MPO, and Durham. <br /> 18 Commissioner McKee said he focuses on GoTriangle but understands that this was not <br /> 19 just a GoTriangle debacle. He said that GoTriangle has a huge influence because of the <br /> 20 information they got was from GoTriangle. <br /> 21 Commissioner Greene thanked the representatives for being at the meeting. She said <br /> 22 she is sorry the light rail project is over, but she is not interested in relitigating it at this point. <br /> 23 She said that one of the lessons is shoring up those relationships in writing and via contracts. <br /> 24 She said that they have seen the draft of the Orange County Transit Plan and there is no light <br /> 25 rail project depicted. She said they are working in tandem with Durham County in forging a <br /> 26 regional connection, and the plan that will be adopted will be very constrained and it is basically <br /> 27 a pay as you earn transit system. She said that another lesson that they have learned is to think <br /> 28 carefully about the resources they have. She said that she does not think that this is a time to <br /> 29 relitigate and cry in their beers over what happened. <br /> 30 Charles Lattuca said that he recognizes the dissatisfaction of the folks here and in <br /> 31 Durham. He said that they did not have all of the answers and that they want to be more <br /> 32 thorough with any future plans. He said that they also want to make sure that they answer all <br /> 33 previous questions before another project is taken on. <br /> 34 Commissioner Bedford said there is zero talk of light rail 3. She said that the 15-501 <br /> 35 study will be redone and it has not gone out to bid yet, but the conversations are about bus <br /> 36 rapid transit (BRT). She said they still have work to do to get the North South BRT in Chapel <br /> 37 Hill. She said that she wants to reassure folks that what Commissioner Greene said is accurate. <br /> 38 She said that the MPO pushed NCDOT to consider changes in how they fund bike/ped and <br /> 39 mobility. She said that this could get better impact of travel and transit by adding other projects <br /> 40 at a lower cost. She said that NCDOT has been receptive. She said that with the governance <br /> 41 study, her board would like GoTriangle to be a little more flexible with working alongside the <br /> 42 staff working groups from the municipalities. <br /> 43 Chair Price said that at least three of her colleagues were not on the board when the <br /> 44 light rail drama was occurring. She said that as background, Durham had a lot of concern about <br /> 45 the consultant fees. She said that as she left the MPO one of the big concerns was 15-501 and <br /> 46 the widening. She said that it was sent back several times because NCDOT wanted to widen <br /> 47 but the MPO wanted bike lanes and pedestrian paths. She said that they talked more about <br /> 48 buses and the last mile and one of her biggest issues was that so many people got left out of <br /> 49 light rail. She said that is why there is a lot of focus on buses right now. <br /> 50 6. Adjourn <br /> 51 <br />