HomeMy WebLinkAboutOUTBoard minutes 061808Approved 8/27/08
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MINUTES 1 ORANGE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION BOARD MEETING 2 JUNE 18, 2008 3
4 MEMBERS PRESENT: Nancy Cole Baker (Vice Chair), Pedestrian Access Advocate; Karen Barrows, Little River Township; Jan 5
Grossman, Bicycle Transportation Advocate; Paul Guthrie, Chapel Hill Township; Julian (Randy) Marshall, Bingham 6
Township; Pascale Mittendorf, Hillsborough Township; Bryn Smith, CFE Representative; Al Terry, Transportation Services 7
Board Representative; Eric Tillman, EDC Representative; Alice Gordon, Board of County Commissioners. 8
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MEMBERS ABSENT: Sam Lasris, Cedar Grove Township and Chair, Dawn Brezina, Eno Township. 10
11 STAFF PRESENT: Karen Lincoln, Transportation Planner. 12
13 OTHERS PRESENT: Pat Strong, Triangle J. COG. 14
15 I. Call to order and roll call 16
Vice Chair Nancy Baker called the meeting to order. 17
18 II. Consideration of additions to the agenda 19
Bryn Smith stated that she is writing a letter to the editor of multiple newspapers to request support for obtaining free 20
or reduced transit passes like UNC’s “Go” pass for employees who work in the the Duke University system. She would like to 21
mention her affiliation with the OUTBoard and it’s role as Orange County’s transportation advisory board. 22
23 III. Board Comments/Updates 24
Nancy Baker gave an update on Orange County’s Safe Routes to School Action Plan Service Award application, 25
which the OUTBoard championed. Leza Mundt, NCDOT SRTS Coordinator has notified the County that Orange County has 26
received the award. 27
28 IV. Approval of Minutes of May 21, 2008, meeting 29
The OUTBoard approved the May 21, 2008, minutes by affirmation. 30
31 V. Election of Officers 32
The board unanimously affirmed reelection of Sam Lasris as Chair and Nancy Baker as Vice chair. 33
34 VI. Final report of the Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) 35
Pat Strong gave a presentation of the final report of the STAC, and distributed handouts of his presentation. Key 36
points of the presentation included: 37
• STAC process and relationship to the regional transportation process; 38
• Capital Area MPO and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO agreement for joint development of a Regional Transit 39
Vision Plan; 40
• Robust public outreach/community engagement effort through the appointment of the Special Transit Advisory 41
Commission; 42
• Guiding principles for the Regional Transit Vision Plan study; 43
• Transit Infrastructure Blueprint Project technical analysis; 44
• Types of corridor transit investments; 45
• Maps showing 1) recommended Regional Transit Vision Plan transit investments; 46
2) enhanced region-wide bus service; and 47
3) recommended rail investments; 48
• Cost of recommended transit improvements and recommended major funding sources. 49
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Paul Guthrie asked if the technical analysis considered changes in development trends. Pat Strong replied that the 51
technical analysis included a land use analysis that looked at current and projected development in corridors. He directed the 52
board to look at the full report, which is available on the internet. 53
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Approved 8/27/08
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Pat noted the maps showed proposed bus circulator routes to feed the recommended rail corridor. He continued that 55
the NC Railroad has a new view of commuter rail and is studying infrastructure improvements needed for commuter rail 56
service in its corridor from Goldsboro to Greensboro. In closing, Pat said that STAC members had been very committed to the 57
process, and would continue to be involved. 58
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The OUTBoard agreed to review the report and provide feedback at its next meeting. 60
61 VI. Special meeting to receive presentation by the DCHC Lead Planning Agency(LPA) on the 2035 DCHC Long 62 Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Alternatives 63
Karen Lincoln explained that the model projections for the alternatives, which include different land use scenarios, 64
will not be ready until late June. In order to get comments to the Board of County Commissioners for its August 19 meeting, 65
the OUTBoard must receive the information, and comment prior to its regular meeting on August 20. Chair Sam Lasris has 66
requested a special meeting of the OUTBoard for July 16 to receive the presentation, and discuss comments to recommend to 67
the BOCC. 68
69
The board agreed to hold a special meeting on July 16 to receive information from the DCHC Lead Planning Agency 70
and discuss recommendations to the BOCC. 71
72 VII. Draft Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element 73
Vice Chair Nancy Baker went over proposed revisions to the goals and objectives for the Transportation Element of 74
Comprehensive Plan. She explained that the revised goals address the framework approved by the OUTBoard for developing 75
a Transportation Plan and that she had simplified the goals and objectives to eliminate redundancy of objectives in the 76
Transportation Element. She proposed stating qualities and characteristics desired in the transportation system as an addition 77
of the overarching goal and to not repeat those as goals and objectives, keeping goals and objectives strictly addressing 78
transportation. 79
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The board discussed the revised goals and objectives. Paul Guthrie stated that he would like to rewrite Goal T-3.3 to 81
include future County partnerships with private industry to ensure availability of new technology such as hydrogen fuel for 82
cars. The board decided to keep the objective as stated (“Support local production, distribution, and use of renewable, 83
sustainable fuels.”) and not get into specific actions that would be developed during the implementation stage of the plan. 84
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The board discussed how to proceed since the Planning Board had requested that advisory board comments to be 86
considered in the Planning Board’s recommendations for the Comprehensive Plan be provided to the Planning Board by the 87
July 9 Planning Board meeting. Board members will email proposed revisions/comments to Karen Lincoln, who will prepare 88
materials for the special meeting July 16. That will allow proposed OUTBoard revisions to the Transportation Element to be 89
finalized at the July meeting and forwarded to the Planning Board with the agenda packet for its meeting in August, at which 90
the Planning Board will continue discussions of the Comprehensive Plan. 91
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VIII. Future Agenda Items 93
Karen Lincoln distributed a schedule of known and proposed items for the OUTBoard Fiscal Year 2008-2009 94
calendar. The OUTBoard did not discuss/take action due to time constraints. 95
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Vice Chair Nancy Baker noted an informational item included in the packet, an email from Hillsborough Planning 97
Director sharing concerns from a citizen in the Wildwood neighborhood regarding lack of sidewalks on NC86 between 98
neighborhoods within ¼ mile and the Walmart shopping complex where there is a public transit stop. 99
100 IX. Adjournment 101
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. 102
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Sam Lasris, Chair