Agenda - 04-18-2023; 6-b - Orange County Annual Transit Work Program

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1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 18, 2023 Action Agenda Item No. 6-b SUBJECT: Orange County Annual Transit Work Program DEPARTMENT: Orange County Transportation Services (OCTS) ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: 1. Annual Work Program Nishith Trivedi, Transportation Director, 2. Public Comments 919-245-2007 PURPOSE: To receive a presentation and consider action on the Orange County Annual Transit Work Program (AWP). BACKGROUND: In 2011, the Orange County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) authorized a referendum for a half-cent sales tax to expand public transit in Orange County. The funding is limited to public transit improvements identified in the Orange County Transit Plan approved by the County, the GoTriangle Board, and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) Board. All three boards must approve any material changes and amendments to the plan. This plan was recently updated due to the discontinuation of the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit project in 2019. An Interlocal Implementation Agreement (ILA) approved by the three boards in 2013 outlines the roles and responsibilities of each agency for the administration of the funding. It does not specifically address the development of the annual Work Program. A new ILA was approved by Orange County BOCC in February 2023. The new ILA provides a specific process for the development of the Work Program including approval by the BOCC ahead of approval by the GoTriangle Board. The Staff Working Group (SWG) met on February 15, 2023 and released the draft FY24 Work Program for public comment. DCHC MPO currently serves as the Staff Working Group administrator. Orange County is represented on the SWG by Transportation Services Director Nish Trivedi, with Deputy County Manager Travis Myren as the alternate. The DCHC MPO and Go Triangle staff are also represented on the SWG. The Orange County Transit Plan and ILA are approved to get projects implemented quickly. Several of the bus operating projects were approved with the FY23 Work Program, and, unfortunately, additional bus operating improvements and expansions for Orange County specific projects were not included, with the exception of Mobility-on-Demand. Any new FY24 Work Program County projects would require an amendment to the Orange County Transit Plan. If Transit Plan and Work Program approvals take place concurrently, no additional amendment approval will be necessary. If not, a Transit Plan Amendment would need to be approved by the BOCC.