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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: January 16, 2024 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-g <br /> SUBJECT: Approval of Orange County Transit Service Area Update <br /> DEPARTMENT: Orange County Transportation Services (OCTS) <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1. Transit Service Area Map Nishith Trivedi, Transportation Director, <br /> 919-245-2007 <br /> PURPOSE: To approve the Orange County public transit service area for federal compliance. <br /> BACKGROUND: On September 21, 1982, the BOCC approved the creation of the Coordinated <br /> Agency Transportation (CAT) as the County's public transit service, within the Department on <br /> Aging, focusing primarily on medical trips (link). This was established through the revision of the <br /> County's 1981-1985 Transportation Development Plan, and funded through the Urban Mass <br /> Transportation Act of 1964 (UMTA 16(b)(2)). The initial service area was as far north as Prospect <br /> Hill, a township located north of Hillsborough at NC 86 and NC 49. It also included Hillsborough, <br /> Chapel Hill and the Cedar Grove area. <br /> On January 22, 1991, the BOCC approved a new CAT Express Shuttle, and County transit <br /> services were extended to Carrboro through the 1991-1994 Transportation Development Plan <br /> (link). On February 6, 1995, the BOCC approved the name change from CAT to Orange Public <br /> Transportation (link). Subsequent updates to the County's Transportation Development Plan — <br /> now called Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) — have expanded Orange County public transit <br /> services to encompass the all of Orange County for all residents and businesses. <br /> The 2017 Transit Plan and its most recent update in 2022 (link) introduced increased services to <br /> and from rural parts of Orange County through Demand Response and Mobility-on-Demand. As <br /> these services are the County's predominate public transit use, staff requests the service area be <br /> defined as ten (10) miles outside Orange County (Attachment 1). <br /> On December 15, 2023, Orange County Public Transit became a Direct Recipient of the Federal <br /> Transit Administration 5307 grant. Orange County's transit service area delineation is necessary <br /> for compliance as it is specific to demand response services like ModiveCare and Department of <br /> Social Services clients as well as improve coordination with adjacent County transit agencies. <br /> This service will provide Orange County residents access to Duke medical facilities in Durham, <br /> including the Veterans Administration Hospital. It will also provide job access to Chatham Park, <br /> Tanger Outlet Mall, health care providers like Cone Health, and other important resources to and <br /> from neighboring counties. Orange County must approve changes to the public transit service <br /> area so that it can be incorporated into the Short Range Transit Plan update. <br />