Orange County Bus

and

Rail Investment Plan

David King

January 5, 2012

Quick Background Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) – 2008

Joint MPO Long Range Transportation Plan – 2009

Passage of HB 148 Congestion Relief and 21st

Century Intermodal Transport Fund - 2009

County Bus and Rail Planning – 2010 to 2011

Durham County residents approve ½ cent sales

tax transit referendum - Nov. 2011

(60% YES- 40% no)

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Alternatives Analysis • Light Rail • Commuter Rail • Stations • Cost Estimates

Bus Planning

•new service • increased frequency • park and ride • amenities

Financial Model

• Balance of Bus & Rail • Settings for variables • Use of borrowing • Plan must be affordable!

The

Draft

Plan

Public Input

• 19 public workshops • 1,100 participants • 54, 000 visitors to website

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Elements of the

DRAFT Bus Plan

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1. LOCAL - Service Improvement CH, C UNC in the 15/ 501 corridor

2. REGIONAL – Carrboro- CH- Durham Express (Route 405)

3. REGIONAL – Mebane – Hillsborough – Durham Express

4. LOCAL – 54 Corridor Improvements (Orange and Durham Counties)

5. LOCAL – Support existing services

6. LOCAL – Chapel Hill – Carrboro – UNC Sunday Service 7. LOCAL - Hillsborough Circulator 8. LOCAL – Chapel Hill – Carrboro – UNC Saturday Service 9. REGIONAL – Route 800 – SW Durham (Southpoint) – Chapel Hill peak 10. RGP- Improve service in unincorporated Orange County 11. LOCAL – Extend evening service in Chapel Hill – Carrboro- UNC 12. REGIONAL – Carrboro – Chapel Hill- Durham Express (Route 405) – Saturday 13. REGIONAL – Chapel Hill – Regional Transit Center via Southpoint (Rte. 800) – Saturday 14. LOCAL – Hillsborough Circulator 15. REGIONAL – Hillsborough – Chapel Hill (Route 420) - peak

By Year 1

By Year 3

1 Bus = 3,150 bus hours

16. RGP – Improve service in unincorporated Orange County

17. REGIONAL EXP – Pittsboro – Chapel Hill Express

18. REGIONAL – Route 805 – RTC via SW Durham (Woodcroft) Chapel Hill

19. LOCAL – Improve peak hour bus frequency Chapel Hill Carrboro UNC

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By 2035

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Examples: Light Rail Transit (LRT)

Denver

Exclusive Running

Charlotte

Phoenix

Salt Lake City

Denver

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Examples: High Level BRT

Bogota, Colombia

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Curitiba, Brazil

Guangzhou, China

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UNC Hospitals Mason Farm

Road Station - A3(d) LRT/BRT High

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Mason Farm Station

LRT/BRT High

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Hamilton Station

LRT/BRT High

Final station location to be

determined in PE/DEIS

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Alternative C1: Friday

Center Station (A)

LRT/BRT High

Alignment:

Friday Center – Meadowmont - Leigh Village

Alternative C1: Friday Center – Meadowmont Leigh Village

14 LRT/BRT High Bridge over NC 54 into

Meadowmont

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Alternative C1:

Meadowmont Station

LRT/BRT High

Alignment:

Friday Center – Meadowmont - Leigh

Village

Alternative C1:

Friday Center – Meadowmont - Leigh Village

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Alternative C2: Friday Center Station

(B) LRT/BRT High

Alignment: Friday Center-Woodmont-

NC 54 / George King Road-

Leigh Village

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Alternative C2: Woodmont

Station LRT/BRT High

Alignment: Friday Center-Woodmont-

NC 54 / George King Road-

Leigh Village

Woodmont (Hillmont) Station Concept

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Alternative C2: Friday Center-Woodmont-NC 54/ George King Road-

Leigh Village

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Leigh Village Station

LRT/BRT High

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Gateway Station

LRT/BRT High

DRAFT Orange Bus and Rail Investment Plan

Bus Investment

New bus hours by end of FIRST

year – 22,050 hrs

New bus hours by end of

THIRD year - 44,100 hrs

Total number of new bus

hours by 2035 – 50,400 hrs

MLK Busway Improvements

completed -2017

Potential Rail Dividend Bus

Hours – 30,000 to 45,000

Rail Investment

Opening year of Light Rail –

2025

LRT Capital Cost - $330 m

LRT Annual Operating Cost –

$3.2 m

* Sales Tax Growth Rate –

3.6 %

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Financial Resources available for

Transit

Local revenue in Bus and Rail Transit Investment Plan

½ sales tax

$7 vehicle registration fee

$3 increase in Triangle Transit vehicle registration fee

Rental car tax revenue

State participation - 25% assumed

Federal participation – 50% assumed

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Approval Process

DCHC MPO

Considers approval of Bus and Rail

Investment Plan

Triangle Transit Board of Trustees

Considers approval of Bus and Rail

Investment Plan

Orange County Commissions

Considers approval of Bus and Rail

Investment Plan

Authorizes referendum and selects date

* All municipalities within Orange County must

receive copy of Bus and Rail Investment Plan

for review 23

The people will have an

opportunity to vote on the

Plan by way of a public

referendum

Discussion and Questions

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