Local officials are working out a plan to make transit in the Triangle faster and more efficient. But they are also running into a problem — money.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners discussed shared benefits of light rail transit investments near the Durham-Orange County line and development plans for 15-501 Corridor Tuesday night.
The proposed Durham-Orange light rail line would be 17 miles long and would serve 17 stations.
Commissioners said the investment would bring mutual benefits to the most intense and transit-supportive groups at both ends of the line: UNC-Chapel hill on the west and Duke University on the east.
“We identify places that seem to have the greatest potential for future development and we want to bring forward those benefits,” said John Hodges-Copple, director of regional planning of Triangle J Council of Governments.
The investment will provide more property tax revenue, less roadway traffic and will better accommodate the growing ridership numbers in both counties, according to Hodges-Copple’s memo.
But how Orange, Durham and Wake counties should raise revenue to fund the project and split its cost remains unsure, commissioners said.
Craig Benedict, planning and inspections director for the county, said sales tax revenues have dropped $7.5 million since 2008 because of changing revenue formulas and the economic downturn.
“We have to find ways to bolster our sales tax opportunity so we are looking at the shared benefits,” he said. “It is very important to find retail opportunities in Orange County.”
Notable:
Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt also spoke about how good transit planning can positively transform the local area — and he said he encouraged retailers along the 15-501 corridor to be visionary about their own future.
“We have to create the great Chapel Hill- that burden has been passed to us,” he said. “We have to maintain our commitment to the vision so that the future generation can enjoy it.”
_Quotable: _
“We are proud to improve transit in ways that other communities don’t have the guts to do,” Kleinschimdt said.
Quotable: “I’m concerned if we have the ability to absorb the [growing] population and justify the railroad construction,” Craig said.
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