OUTBoard Minutes - June 18 2025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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�E ORANGE COUNTY ORANGE ORA TRANSPORTATION SERVICESCOU ,,,� vueuc r y NOXI fi CAROUNA Op t xansir MEMORANDUM TO: Orange Unified Transportation Board FROM: Nishith Trivedi, Transportation Director DATE: August 8, 2025 SUBJECT: Planning Update Orange County Transportation Services will be completing some ongoing planning projects while updating other plans over the course of the next couple of years. This memo updates the Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard) on each of them. NC 86 Multimodal Corridor Study During the County's bi-annual Strategic Prioritization of Transportation (SPOT) 8 project selection process, the Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard) reaffirmed the critical importance of advancing the NC 86 multimodal corridor as a high-priority initiative. Recognizing its role in improving safety, mobility, and accessibility for all users, including motorists, transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians, the Board requested that the corridor be subjected to a comprehensive data-driven analysis, consistent with the methodology applied to other locally adopted corridor plans previously approved by the Board of County Commissioners. This evaluation will examine existing conditions, identify infrastructure gaps, assess multimodal integration opportunities, and explore potential design alternatives. The County's Transportation Director will serve as the project lead, overseeing coordination with local and regional partners, public engagement, and alignment with state and federal transportation priorities. A detailed update covering the corridor's scope, planning process, funding strategy, anticipated schedule, and key milestones will be provided at project initiation, which is expected to occur before the end of this calendar year. Transit Plan Update In line with the 2022 Orange County Transit Plan, the County has completed and surpassed all initially programmed projects, demonstrating its strong commitment to enhancing public transportation and meeting evolving community needs. Building on this success, it expanded service routes, hours, and coverage by 10 miles into surrounding counties, improved regional connectivity, advanced the transition to an electric fleet, and implemented first- and last-mile projects in partnership with local municipalities. Notable efforts include Hillsborough's Ridgewalk Greenway, development of a Regional Multimodal Transit Hub, Carrboro's sidewalk and greenway investments despite rising costs, Chapel Hill's pursuit of funding for major projects like the North-South BRT, and Mebane's upcoming local circulator service. Looking ahead, the 2025 Transit Plan Update will align these initiatives through a revised financial model, robust public engagement, and a new Transit Tax Tracking System to ensure transparency, furthering the County's vision for equity, sustainability, regional mobility, and economic vitality. OCTS is currently seeking BOCC authorization to update the transit plan which follow a similar planning process as the previous update, with more OUTBoard and public involvement.