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30 <br /> b. Orange County Annual Transit Work Program <br /> The Board received a presentation and considered action on the Orange County Annual Transit <br /> Work Program (AWP). <br /> BACKGROUND: In 2011, the Orange County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) authorized a <br /> referendum for a half-cent sales tax to expand public transit in Orange County. The funding is <br /> limited to public transit improvements identified in the Orange County Transit Plan approved by <br /> the County, the GoTriangle Board, and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning <br /> Organization (DCHC MPO) Board. All three boards must approve any material changes and <br /> amendments to the plan. This plan was recently updated due to the discontinuation of the <br /> Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit project in 2019. <br /> An Interlocal Implementation Agreement (ILA) approved by the three boards in 2013 outlines the <br /> roles and responsibilities of each agency for the administration of the funding. It does not <br /> specifically address the development of the annual Work Program. A new ILA was approved by <br /> Orange County BOCC in February 2023. The new ILA provides a specific process for the <br /> development of the Work Program including approval by the BOCC ahead of approval by the <br /> GoTriangle Board. <br /> The Staff Working Group (SWG) met on February 15, 2023 and released the draft FY24 Work <br /> Program for public comment. DCHC MPO currently serves as the Staff Working Group <br /> administrator. Orange County is represented on the SWG by Transportation Services Director <br /> Nish Trivedi, with Deputy County Manager Travis Myren as the alternate. The DCHC MPO and <br /> Go Triangle staff are also represented on the SWG. <br /> The Orange County Transit Plan and ILA are approved to get projects implemented quickly. <br /> Several of the bus operating projects were approved with the FY23 Work Program, and, <br /> unfortunately, additional bus operating improvements and expansions for Orange County specific <br /> projects were not included, with the exception of Mobility-on-Demand. Any new FY24 Work <br /> Program County projects would require an amendment to the Orange County Transit Plan. If <br /> Transit Plan and Work Program approvals take place concurrently, no additional amendment <br /> approval will be necessary. If not, a Transit Plan Amendment would need to be approved by the <br /> BOCC. <br /> The public comment period closed on March 28, 2023 and all public comments (Attachment 2) <br /> are incorporated into the Annual Work Program. The Annual Work Program will be submitted to <br /> GoTriangle Board for their annual budget and approval. <br /> Nishith Trivedi, Transportation Director, made the following presentation: <br />