Hillsborough could have Amtrak and Orange County could have light rail within the next two decades if County Commissioner’s ideas come to fruition — but members of the public expressed skepticism at a Tuesday night meeting.
At the Board of Commissioners meeting, Triangle Transit Authority presented an expanded transportation plan that provides options for commuters in Orange County and could impact UNC students, with the construction of a light rail connecting UNC Hospitals and Duke.
“It will be similar to the light rail service provided in Charlotte,” said Patrick McDonough, senior transportation planner for Triangle Transit.
Transit plan expenditures also include new and expanded bus routes provided by Chapel Hill Transit, Triangle Transit and others.
Expansion of bus routes would add an additional 34,650 hours, and is set to be implemented by 2017. The transit plan will add bus-only lanes on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Chapel Hill by 2019.
Plans also include small capital projects including a train station in Hillsborough and additional park-and-ride lots. The proposed Amtrak station in Hillsborough is estimated to cost between $4 million and $8 million dollars and would allow travelers to commute to Richmond, Washington, D.C., and New York among many other cities.
The proposed measures are drafted into two separate plans: a core plan and an enhanced plan.
The core plan will include increased bus routes among other capital projects funded partially by the half-cent sales tax. It will be enacted if Orange County does not receive federal and state funding, whereas the enhanced plan relies upon funding from the state and federal government. The enhanced plan projects the light rail to open in 2026.
However, members of the public voiced concerns to the commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting.
Mary Carter, a Hillsborough resident and a candidate for Orange County Commissioners, feels that the transit plan is important to Orange County but residents are unaware of its implications.
“Transit is important to the residents of Orange County. If it’s done well it will focus density, encourage economic development, and alleviate traffic congestion. It can also help Hillsborough achieve its vision for an Amtrak service,” Carter said. “From what I can tell, citizens throughout the county are confused — especially about the scope and funding for light rail service. Most citizens do not realize that there’s a single light rail line and that Wake County has not yet committed to the plan.”
The next public input meeting will be held April 16.
Notable
McDonough urged residents who wish to voice their concerns about the transit plan to contact Darcy Zorio of the Orange County Transit Board at dzorio@co.orange.nc.us.
Quotable
Commissioner Pam Hemminger, joked about a meeting between local government officials and high school students in March.
“We had to explain to hordes of students who passed the cell phone ban in Chapel Hill,” she said.
Commissioner Steve Yuhasz replied, “Luckily, we were able to point them to the table across the room.”
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