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Home My WebLink AboutOUTBoard minutes 051618Approved 8/15/18 1 MINUTES 1 ORANGE COUNTY OUTBOARD 2 MAY 16, 2018 3 REGULAR MEETING 4 5 6 MEMBERS PRESENT: Alex Castro (Vice-Chair), Bingham Township Representative; Donna Musson, Eno Township 7 Representative; David Laudicina, Cheeks Township Representative; Jenn Sykes, At-Large; Gary Saunders, At-Large 8 Representative; Ed Vaughn, Cedar Grove Township Representative; Brantley Wells, Hillsborough Township 9 Representative; Alyson West, At-Large Representative; 10 11 MEMBERS ABSENT: Jeff Charles, At-Large Representative; Justin Miller, At- Large Representative; Heidi Perry 12 (Chair), At-Large Representative; Erle Smith, Chapel Hill Township Representative; Art Menius, At-Large 13 Representative; Ted Triebel, Little River Township Representative;; 14 15 TRANSIT ADVISORY SERVICES MEMBERS PRESENT: Janice Tyler, Aging Director; Lisa Berley, Transportation Specialist; 16 Donna King, Public Health Education Director; Janet Sparks, Child Support Services; 17 18 STAFF PRESENT: Abigaile Pittman, Transportation/Land Use Planner; Nishith Trivedi, Transportation Planner; Theo 19 Letman, Transit Director; Teleishia Holloway, Transportation Administrator; Meredith Kern, Administrative Assistant. 20 21 OTHERS PRESENT FOR TRANSIT ADVISORY SERVICES: Cheryl Sadgrove, Minutes Preparer; Matt Day, TARPO 22 23 24 AGENDA ITEM 1: CALL TO ORDER AND DETERMINATION OF QUORUM 25 Vice Chair Alex Castro called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. and confirmed the presence of a quorum. 26 27 AGENDA ITEM 2: APPROVAL OF MINUTES 28 APRIL 18, 2018, MEETING 29 30 MOTION by Ed Vaughn to approve the April 18, 2018, OUTBoard Minutes. Seconded by David Laudicina. 31 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 32 33 34 AGENDA ITEM 3: CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONS TO AGENDA 35 There was none. 36 37 38 AGENDA ITEM 4: SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 39 There were none. 40 41 42 AGENDA ITEM 5. TRANSIT SERVICES/ORANGE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION (OPT) 43 44 45 AGENDA ITEM 5A. OCPT ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES (THEO LETMAN) -Introduction of new employee with OCPT: 46 TeLeishia Holloway, Transit Administrator. 47 48 Theo Letman gave the year-in-review presentation that had recently been made to the Orange County Board of 49 Commissioners. He noted that it had been the first year of having a transportation department and of him being the 50 director of that department. He noted it was a year of change including new personnel, new vehicles, new services 51 and amenities, and new activities to implement new services and boost staff morale. 52 53 Approved 8/15/18 2 Theo Letman noted that his department had added five full-time bus driver positions and TeLeishia Holloway’s and 54 Allyson Coltrane’s positions. He reported that the department will soon add a transit asset mechanic position to meet 55 growing maintenance and compliance needs. 56 57 Alex Castro asked about the age of the fleet. Theo Letman answered that just before he assumed the Director 58 position the County replaced some vehicles and the older ones are now on a schedule to be replaced. The 59 replacement vehicles have a lower profile. Also, there has been positive feedback on the new logo, which is on all 60 vehicles. 61 62 Theo Letman noted that the Orange-Alamance Connector was implemented in December and he shared its route. 63 There is intention to market the route to increase ridership and an effort to include Tanger Outlet Mall in its route. It 64 currently runs from northern Hillsborough to the Cone Health facility in Mebane. 65 66 Theo Letman shared a photograph of a Simme Seat recently installed to serve as the bus stop in front of UNC 67 Hospitals in Hillsborough. He noted this photograph would be appearing in AARP’s national publication. 68 69 Theo Letman reviewed that staff members in his department have become active members of several national 70 industry organizations and have taken training opportunities. His department also created an employee-of-the-month 71 program. He shared slides of statistics and data and noted that a contractor, Nelson-Nygaard, will be working with his 72 department to create a 100-year plan addressing future growth scenarios. Public meetings will be held to share the 73 needs of OCPT. 74 75 Alex Castro noted that demand response generates the highest ridership, as Theo Letman had shared, and asked 76 whether the department has smaller vehicles to transport one or a few people rather than using a bus. Theo Letman 77 answered that the department does not at this time but is considering using a 20-foot bus or a van in the future. His 78 department is exploring moving toward an Uber style of service where one can schedule a trip from a cell phone. 79 80 Theo Letman reviewed that the Hillsborough Circulator II scored well for SPOT funding but it was pulled out by the D-81 CH-C MPO. He reviewed potential technology improvements including automated passenger counters and dispatch 82 scheduling software. 83 84 Alex Castro asked if AVL will be available to customers. Theo Letman answered it is called NextBus and you can use 85 it on your phone. He noted that TARPO scored 100 points for two vehicles. 86 87 David Laudicina asked if there is any document that shows how much new equipment or services have been funded 88 by the light rail bond. Theo Letman answered that GoTriangle publishes an annual report that has that information, 89 available on the GoTriangle website. 90 91 Donna Musson said there was talk in the past of hiring someone specifically for billing through NCTracks, (the multi-92 payer Medicaid management information system for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services) because it 93 is cumbersome and she is wondering if there has been progress on that hiring. Theo Letman answered that he 94 attended a conference in Wilmington on NCTracks and found that every provider in the state is having problems with 95 it. His department cannot load trips into the software, which is required to receive Medicaid reimbursement. 96 97 Donna Musson said she has to use it for her work and has to procure older equipment to interface with it. 98 99 Alex Castro asked whether the department has had trouble getting drivers and/or keeping them. Theo Letman 100 answered that he has been able to hire and retain drivers and even attract experienced drivers from other agencies. 101 102 Public Health Education Director Donna King informed the Board that Allyson Coltrane was working on creating an 103 event to provide an opportunity for local service providers to take a transit ride so that they can be better informed 104 about the system that some of their clients use. This was also done a year ago, before Coltrane joined the newly 105 created department. 106 107 Approved 8/15/18 3 Alex Castro asked whether there is communication between the different transit service providers. Theo Letman 108 answered that there are regular meetings to discuss the connections and to make sure the timing is right for the 109 connections. He added that he is finding that a lot of folks want to go straight into Durham to the VA Hospital and to 110 Chapel Hill as well. Those preferences have been noted for the 10-year transit plan. 111 112 Lisa Berley asked Theo Letman whether he considers the steepness of the bus steps when buying a new one. Theo 113 Letman answered that he can definitely order a vehicle with a lower profile. He knows the steps can be difficult. 114 Specifications for new vehicles will come before this board. 115 116 117 AGENDA ITEM 5B. OCPT/OCCO UPDATE (ALLYSON COLTRANE) - OUTBoard/Transit Advisory Services Action: 118 Receive and review information, provide comments. 119 120 Theo Letman noted that Ms. Coltrane could not be present this evening due to a family emergency. Her 121 presentation will be given at the August 15 OUTBoard/TAS meeting. 122 123 AGENDA ITEM 5C. TRANSIT ADVISORY SERVICES (TAS) COMMENTS/QUESTIONS (THEO LETMAN): Opportunity for 124 TAS members to offer transit related comments and ask questions regarding issues not on the 125 agenda. 126 127 There were no additional comments or questions. 128 129 AGENDA ITEM 6: REGULAR OUTBOARD AGENDA (ACTION ITEMS) 130 131 6A. BICYCLE SAFETY IMPLEMENTATION SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT (ART MENIUS, ABIGAILE PITTMAN) 132 133 Abigaile Pittman noted the report began on Page 35 in the agenda packet. She reported that the bicycle safety 134 videos were almost complete and that she would be sharing the pre-cuts. The presentation to the Orange County 135 Board of Commissioners will be June 5. She reviewed who was involved in the filming and that the roughly 15-136 second public service announcement videos would be called: Riding Two Abreast, 4 Feet!, Emergency Vehicles and 137 Reluctant Driver. There is an animated logo as well. 138 139 Alex Castro asked who would do the marketing to get the PSAs out. Abigaile Pittman answered that the County will. 140 141 After sharing the pre-cuts, Abigaile Pittman shared the campaign road signage. She noted that in the first year there 142 is money budgeted to place seven signs on 10-foot poles but the subcommittee has identified a total 50 locations so 143 there will likely be future installations. 144 145 Abigaile Pittman shared a list of some of the launch activities including: using Orangecountybicyclesafety.com; 146 placing social media ads and posts and print and radio ads; distributing brochures and posters; tabling at events with 147 promotional marketing materials; sharing materials at the July 1 Picnic in the Park in downtown Hillsborough; holding 148 a bike rodeo/helmet initiative; and installing road signs. 149 150 151 6B. DISCUSSION ABOUT OUTBOARD ORIENTATION MATERIALS (ABIGAILE PITTMAN) 152 Abigaile Pittman noted that Pages 37 and 38 in the agenda packet contained the portion that she was asking the 153 OUTBoard to approve now. The grayed-out section will be the next section she works on. She asked whether board 154 members thought the re-written material would be helpful in this new format, which includes several links. The 155 OUTBoard answered positively. 156 157 158 MOTION by Gary Saunders to approve the first four potions of section two. Seconded by Donna Musson. 159 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 160 161 Approved 8/15/18 4 162 AGENDA ITEM 7: INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 163 164 7A. EFLAND-BUCKHORN-MEBANE ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN – PROCESS AND SCHEDULE (NISH TRIVEDI) 165 Nish Trivedi reviewed that the original plan that was adopted in 2011. It is being updated using the transportation 166 study done by Volkert last year. He noted that the attachment includes the process and schedule for this update and 167 that this board will review the plan September 19 and October 17. The current access management plan is on the 168 County website. The OUTBoard will see it with review comments from the Planning Board and then make a 169 recommendation to the BOCC. 170 171 AGENDA ITEM 8: STAFF UPDATES 172 173 8A. SPOT 5.0 LOCAL INPUT POINT RESULTS (NISH TRIVEDI) 174 Nish Trivedi explained that Efland-Cedar Grove Road was removed from ranking because Orange County 175 Commissioners had questions about what Hillsborough would do with that area. The other projects put forward will 176 be given full points. 177 178 Matt Day said he posted TARPO’s draft earlier that day. He reviewed that there is a Regional category and a Division 179 category. There is nothing from TARPO in the region category. He said in the division, both the Orange County 180 buses and the Old Greensboro Road project would receive 100 points from TARPO. 181 182 Nish Trivedi added that this does not mean those projects will get funded. He said the only local project in the 183 regional scoring right now is widening N.C. 86 north of Hillsborough to N.C. 57. 184 185 Alex Castro said he does not understand scoring…if there’s a project that is really only a Divisional level project, 186 does it not come to be because it does not have State or Regional impact? 187 188 Matt Day explained there are three pots of money and three scoring competitions. A project might only be eligible for 189 Division funding and other projects cascading down. The fact that a project is Regional does not impact how it scores 190 in the division. He said Division is only looking at Division when choosing the highest scoring project. 191 192 Nish Trivedi said only the N.C. 86 project can go from being a Regional project to a Division project. 193 194 Alex Castro asked if a bypass around Hillsborough would be Regional. Matt Day answered it possibly would be and 195 maybe even a Statewide project. 196 197 Nish Trivedi and Abigaile Pittman reminded Alex Castro that a bypass around Hillsborough was not well received by 198 many in Hillsborough. 199 200 201 8B. MPO/RPO AND NCDOT UPDATES (NISH TRIVEDI) – MATERIALS TO BE PROVIDED AT THE MEETING. 202 Nish Trivedi asked whether there were any questions regarding the NCDOT updates. 203 204 Alyson West asked what work was happening on the shoulders on Buckhorn Road. 205 206 Abigiaile Pittman answered that she had been advised by Mike Mills, NCDOT that the work is the installation of new 207 cable line. 208 209 210 AGENDA ITEM 9: ADJOURNMENT 211 OUTBoard meeting was adjourned at 7:52 p.m. 212 213 214 Approved 8/15/18 5 ____________________________________ Heidi Perry, Chair