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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 11-09-2010 - 3• ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 9, 2010 Agenda Item No. 3 SUBJECT: Orange County and Regional Transit Initiatives DEPARTMENT: Planning & Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) ATTACHMENT(S): 1. Table of Contents Draft 2. Schedule Draft 3. Power Point Presentation INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Benedict, Planning Director, 245 -2592 Mila Vega, Land Use/Transportation Planner, 245 -2582 PURPOSE: To report on the status and progress of regional and county transit initiatives: • 1. Orange County Transit Plan and test the Assumptions; and 2. Orange Public Transportation (OPT) — Chapel Hill Transit (CHT) Consolidation Study /Community Transportation Service Plan. BACKGROUND: Orange County staff has been meeting with an ad -hoc committee of stakeholders, local governments, UNC, and transit agencies (i.e. Orange County Transit Partnership) since May 2010 to further the. development of the Orange County Transit Plan, which was first presented in the spring of this year by the Triangle Transit and Chapel Hill Transit. Since then, the Partnership has delved into the prior assumptions, developed countywide service needs, and created a prioritization matrix based on general transportation goals. This work session is an update and checkpoint to make sure that staff is proceeding with the draft Orange County Transit Plan with the correct direction. As important, is the outcome to make sure all transit partners remain onboard through proper outreach, dissemination of information, and collaborative decision - making. 1. Orange County Transit Plan Orange County Transit Plan is a part of the Triangle Regional Transit Program initiated after the passage of House Bill 148 into Session Law (SL) 2009 -527. SL 2009 -527 is the legislation that allows a transit agency to leverage a Y2 sales tax and use the collected • revenue to provide new transit services. The Y2 sales tax is contingent upon a successful referendum that must be authorized by the County Commissioners. The legislation also includes a provision for a ten - dollar vehicle registration fee. 2 2. Orange County Transportation — Chapel Hill Transit Consolidation Study /Community Transportation Service Plan (OPT - CHT /CTSP) • In Spring 2010 the County went through a departmental review and reorganization process. As a result, Orange Public Transportation (OPT) was transferred from the Department of Aging to Planning, due to ongoing regional transportation planning initiatives. Also being considered countywide, is how can local governments or public /private sector agencies find a better way to provide service. Accordingly, public transit collaboration is being considered through a consolidation study with Chapel Hill Transit or other regional providers. To evaluate such consolidation, Orange County and Chapel Hill Transit are pursuing a consolidation study sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Transportation ( NCDOT). NCDOT requires that a Steering Committee be created to guide the study; the Steering Committee composition requirements were provided to Orange County and Chapel Hill Transit. FINANCIAL IMPACT: 1. Orange Countv Transit Plan There is no financial impact to receive a plan update. The implementation of the Orange County Transit Plan will require a new revenue source — '/z sales tax and vehicle registration fee. The new revenue is contingent upon a successful Fall 2011 referendum. The estimated annual revenue levels are $5M for % cent sales tax and $1 M for the vehicle registration fee. The county financial services division has offered projections for sales tax revenue. • 2. Orange Public Transportation — Chapel Hill Transit Consolidation Study /Community Transportation Service Plan (OPT -CHT SC /CTSP) • There is no financial impact associated with the Study. NCDOT is providing 100% funding to complete the study. The study cost will be developed during final scoping meetings with contracts to the BOCC in December. • The financial impact of study recommendations will be determined once the study is completed. The study will be completed within the 15 months timeframe with interim phases to assist the County in other decision phases. Orange County Transportation Planning staff along with director involvement is collaborating with partners and other stakeholders in these efforts. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board to receive the reports and: 1. Review and comment on the Orange County Transit Plan assumptions. 2. Discuss the OPT -CHT SC /CTSP Steering Committee creation process; discuss committee's roles and responsibilities. Attachment 1: Table of Contents Draft iOverview. The following page is a table of contents draft of an upcoming report. On Thursday, November 4, representative Planning and Transit staff will be meeting with the managers to discuss various elements of the report and how to present information and gather guidance at this stage in the development of the Orange County Transit Plan. After that meeting, we will be able to send additional focused materials that provide text and a PowerPoint to the table of contents. 1 Orange County Transit Plan Report 1.1 Project Background 1.2 Financial Model 1.3 Transit Components 1.3.1 Light Rail Component 1.3.2 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Component 1.3.3 Bus Component 1.3.3.1 Service Goals 1.3.3.2 Overall Plan Emphasis Areas 1.4 Orange County Transit Plan Assumptions 1.4.1 Background • 1.4.2 Goal 1.4.3 Assumptions 1.5 Important Milestones 2 Orange Public Transportation — Chapel Hill Transit Consolidation Study /Community Transportation Service Plan Report 2.1 Background 2.2 Study Scope Draft 2.3 Study Timeline Draft 2.4 Study Steering Committee 2.4.1 Steering Committee Mission and Responsibilities 2.4.2 Steering Committee Composition 3 Attachments 3.1 Transitional Analysis Report Summary Draft • 3 Attachment 2: Schedule Draft County OCTP March 2011 County TRTP LPA Aril 2011 County TRTP Financial Model Early May 2011 MPO Vote Mid May 2011 TT Vote Late May 2011 Count % Sales Tax Referendum Authorization Late May 2011 Note: There is a host of intergovernmental and university coordination necessary before March 2011 is • • Orange County Transit Initiatives 1. Orange County Transit Plan 2. Orange Public Transportation — Chapel Hill Transit Consolidation (a.k.a Countywide Seamless Transit) Study BOCC Work Session Southern Human Services Center November 9, 2010 Presenter: Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director On behalf of Orange County Transit PAL nership LAND USE�1� V oxen /tum/ tmaq REGIONAL TRANSIT PLANS DC HC MPO/CAMPO Ouft (SfAC R(+tb11N11C'�t!{�ll()118) GOVERNANCE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COLLABORATION . 11111110 1; SERVICES MARKETING v= 4: SALES TAX I COUNTY 1, EQUIPMENT MIDRANGE BUS teu TECHNOLOGY (to SERVICE PLANS 49 1 Orange County 'transit Partnership Staff Level Orange County Chapel Hill Carrboro Hillsborough Mebane University of North Carolina Orange Public Transportation Chapel Hill Transit Triangle Transit DCHC Metropolitan Planning Org. Triangle Area Rural Planning Org. Chatham County Alamance County Public Outreach Collaborative development of a comprehensive mid -range bus service plan for Orange County. Coordination of Orange and Durham County plans. Presentation Format — Interactive Discuss presented topics Confirm assumptions Ask questions Seek guidance 2 Presentation Pert 1 Orange County Transit Plan/ Triangle Regional Transit Program (OCTP/TRTP) Purpose of the Work Session 1.Background 2.Financial Model 3.Transit Plan Components 4.Assumptions. 5.Outreach 6.Timeline 3 Background - Session Law 2009 -527 (House Bill 148) MOBILITY BILL Triangle Regional Public Transit Orange- Wake - Durham FUNDING SOURCE 1/2 Sales Tax (Next Year ?) $10 vehicle registration fee County: $7 Triangle Transit: $3 Orange County Transit Flan Finances Prepared by Triangle Transit Revenue: V2 Sales Tax ;::� $5M Vehicle Registration Fee ti $1.1M ® Fixed Guideway ■ Bus ❑ Debt Chart Orange County TRTP Resources Allocation Note: Chart includes additional revenue assumptions: - Federal -State -Local -Debt Service 0 Orange County Transit Flan Finances Revenue Assumptions -` /2 - cent sales tax in Orange County — Approx. $5M/year (annual growth rate approx. 2.0% to 2015, 2.5% beyond) -$10 additional vehicle registration fee in Orange County - $1.1 M/year - $460,000 /year Triangle Transit Major Transit Investment Fund (car rental dollars) -Orange County and Local Government Contributions (assumption 4): -Year 1 = Base $3.3M + $0 -Year 2 = Base $3.3M + estimated $560,000 -Year 3 and beyond =Base $3.3M + estimated. $1.12M -$87M in borrowing -State and Federal contributions assumed Orange County Transit Flan Finances: Expenditures 2035 - Light Rail Construction UNC — Leigh Village; 4.6 miles ($347M) (assumption 1) -Bus Operations and Maintenance ($132M) - Debt Service ($87M) -Rail Operations and Maintenance ($61M) - Enhances MLK BRT Bus Facilities Construction ($27M) - Eleven new buses purchased and their replacement every 12 years ($12M) ,&_ C Orange County Transit Plan Financial Model 2035 Balances ► Total Revenue: $673 million (OCshare approx. aoi) ► Total Expenditures: $667 million 1 Funds balance in 2035: +$6 million Ending Balances 14,000 12.000 10,000 8.000 $ 8,000 w 4,000 A 2.000 n - - - - I �] 0 Prepared by Triangle Transit Orange County Transit Plan Main Components: FIXED GUIDEWAY SERVICE (Long Range) (Al) Light Rail •Durham- Orange Alternative 4 - UNC Hospitals to Alston Avenue •UNC -Leigh Village — 4.6 miles -Leigh Village — Alston Avenue — 12.8 miles BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) (A2) 2 potential corridors: -Martin Luther King Jr. Corridor; OR -NC 54 Corridor BUS SERVICE (A3) Countywide Mid -range Service Plan developed by Orange County Transit Partnership .__ Go to ass C Assumptions Introduction Types of Services Consistent with : — Special Transit Advisory Commission Long Range Transportation Plan 2035; and — Community Transportation Service Plan Development of new regional transit services connecting smaller communities, rural and urban areas: — Light Rail — Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) — Expanded local bus services Assumption Orange County Rail Segment •Durham- Orange Alternative 4 (D -O 4) — Performance/Decision matrix available upon request *UNC to Leigh Village (OC share): — 4.6 miles segment length — 1.6 miles in Durham County *Estimated Cost in 2010 Dollars — UNC to Leigh Village (4.6 miles) $300 -350M — UNC hospitals to Alston Avenue (17 miles) $1.2B •Is it a fair share? Assumptions Kolat Questio s Co. • Are the assumptions ' correct and complete? Chapel Hill i Durham If no, what should be changed? • Can Orange County Carrboro 15 501 Uigh Yllag. afford to pay for 4.6 UN light rail segment from I I, UNC to Leigh Village? °�"''�� 5 Durham 501 Cb. • Is it a fair share? Chatham Co. AN A01M LoN Rei 9GytM� I <.9 �es) AL wen Revenue vs. Light Rail (D-0 4) Cost Revenue /Year (1/2 -cent tax + $10) Total Durham - Orange 4 Cost CVillage- Alston 18.7M 75% ® Orange ❑ Durham ® Orange ❑ Durham *Revenue & Costs are Approximate *Durham County Commuter Rail Cost is TBD ra0 • � f Assumption 2 Bus Rapid Transit 2 Potential Corridors OR Martin Luther NC 54 King Jr. $27M — set aside 0 OC Bus Service Plan • Annual $6.1M revenue - (LRT +BRT +$0.9M existing operations increase) = $3.3M for new bus service hours • OC Transit Plan overview & development • What is the OCTP product? • When is it due — timeline? • How does it relate to other transit initiatives: — TRTP — OPT -CHT Consolidation/CTSP Orange County Bus Service Plan Financial Model = 34,000 new bus service hours = $3.3 M Identified Need = 75,000 bus service hours Orange County Transit Partnership Prioritize Identified Need 10 Prioritizing Bus Service Needs Staff Level Step 1— Partnership Members Ranking Each partnership member provided projects ranking... BUT -Each identified project was selected at least once, SO Step 2 - Goal -Based Ranking -Set of goals for countywide transit improvements -Rank the goals Step2. Prioritizing Bus Service Needs 5 Service Goals 50 point scale; each goal (at least 5, no more than 20 points) 1. Fill in gaps in existing service 2. Improve connectivity (county & region) 3. Maintain existing service 4. Improve weekend/night service (off peak) 5. Increase frequency in peak -hour high use corridors (wow "�J _ � Am",d►- 11 Step 2. Prioritizing Bus Service Needs 5 Overall Plan Emphasis Areas Rank on a I to S scale (1 - highest, most important goal) 1. Provide geographic equity /countywide service distribution (urban, rural, small towns) 2. Support improved capital facilities (pedestrianibicycle connections, transfer facilities) 3. Provide positive impact on air quality 4. Improve mobility for transit dependent (senior, young, disabled, low- income, no car- ownership) 5. Support transit - supportive land use 12 Assumption 3 Supporting Bus Operations • Use a portion of the vehicle registration fee funds to support the increasing cost of existing operations; • Cap the amount at a certain level; and • Capped amount is not to exceed the total annual amount generated by the vehicle registration fee ($I. l M). • Fare system Assumption 4 Phased in Local Contribution New Bus Service Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Thereafter Sales tax Local 100% 0% 75% 25% 50% 50% 50% 50% 13 Assumption 5 Multi- County Bus Service •Cost- sharing method options: — by county (e.g. 33 %, 33 %, 33 %) — by population — by ridership — by mileage, etc. Assumption 6 Bus Ilan Capital Improvements Use sales tax and vehicle registration fee revenues to pay for transit supportive capital improvements: — Park - and -Ride — Transit supportive facilities — Excludes bus purchases •How much can we dedicate? •A set amount or a set percentage of the total? 14 Assumption 7 New Service Date House Bill 148 was signed into law on August 27, 2009. New service date would be considered after this. Assumption 8 Assuming you are still awake... 15 Orange County Transit Plan Outreach 1. Partnership staff level discussion 2. Managers, Mayors, Chairs and UNC 3. Countywide open house • OCTP public outreach — Jan — Feb 2011? 4. Plan "tour" of municipalities and UNC? 5. Countywide resolution of public transit support Timeline at a Glance Staff Draft .......... ............................Dec 2010 OCTP LG & UNC outreach ... Dec 2010 — Feb 2011 BOCC Financial Plan ...............April May 2011 MPO Financial Plan ......................... May 2011 TRTP TT Financial Plan ................... May 2011 1/2 Sales Tax Ref. Authorized...... Nay - June 2011 16 Major Project Milestones Presentation Fart 2 OCR' -CH's Consolidation /C SP (a.La Countywide Seamless Transit) •NCDOT — project manager /sponsor Scope /Contract —December 6, 2010 •Project Schedule (12 -15 months) *Committee —December 16, 2010 *Create Committee •Develop Reporting System 17 Trlongle Regional Transit W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W plan 1 2 3 4 1 2 7 4 1 2, 4 1 2 0 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 J 4 1 2 S 4 Determining LPA x x X X x X X X Locally Preferred Alternative X X X X County approval vote of Regional Transit Financial Plan x MPO approval vote of Regional Transit Financial Plan (LPA) x Referendum Authorized by SOCC (Spring 2011) x Referendum Campaign S An Fall 2011 t X W W W W W W W W w W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W Orange County Transit Plan 1 2 0 4 1 2 7 4 1 2 7 4 1 2 2 4 1 2 0 4 1 2 2 4 1 2 7 4 Prioritize Identified Needs X Meet with the Managers x Review and fine tune final draft X X X "Tour" of Local Governments and UNC X X X X X x X x x X X X SOCC Draft Plan Review X X X X Addressing ROCC x X X x Comments Final Midrange Sus Service X X X x Plan Presentation Fart 2 OCR' -CH's Consolidation /C SP (a.La Countywide Seamless Transit) •NCDOT — project manager /sponsor Scope /Contract —December 6, 2010 •Project Schedule (12 -15 months) *Committee —December 16, 2010 *Create Committee •Develop Reporting System 17 Thank You! Craig Benedict Orange County Planning Director cbenedict@co.orange.nc.us 919 -245 -2585