HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 06-18-19 Item 6-d - Amendment to the Orange County Transit Plan to Increase Funding for the Chapel Hill Transit North South Bus Rapid Transit (NSBRT) Project
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: June 18, 2019
Action Agenda
Item No. 6-d
SUBJECT: Amendment to the Orange County Transit Plan to Increase Funding for the
Chapel Hill Transit North South Bus Rapid Transit (NSBRT) Project
DEPARTMENT: County Manager’s Office
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment 1: Proposed Amendment to
the Orange County Transit
Plan
Attachment 2: NSBRT Funding Request
Letter from the Town of
Chapel Hill
Attachment 3: Chapel Hill NSBRT
Presentation - Joint Board
Meeting
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Travis Myren, 919-245-2300
Brian Litchfield, 919-969-4908
PURPOSE: To consider an amendment to the Orange County Transit Plan to increase funding
for the Chapel Hill Transit North South Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project from $6.1M to $14.1M.
The funding would be provided using Dedicated Transit Revenues.
BACKGROUND: The Town of Chapel Hill/Chapel Hill Transit initiated the North South BRT
project in 2014. The project was accepted into the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA)
Project Development in November 2016. The project expands on previous planning work to
identify a locally-preferred transit investment in the corridor that facilitates safe, efficient and
expanded levels of mobility and improves connectivity between the corridor and the region. This
includes connections to regional routes serving Hillsborough, Durham, Raleigh and Greensboro.
The project is guided by a Technical and Policy Committee that includes representatives from
Orange County.
The project is currently embarking on 30% design and environmental work. The Town is also
planning to request a project ranking from Federal Transit Administration (FTA) by September 1,
2019 as it moves forward with pursuing a full-funding grant agreement. It is critical for the
project rating process for the Town to be able to demonstrate at least 50-percent of the non-
federal match ($14M) is allocated to the project in an adopted financial plan. The current cost
estimate for the North South BRT project is $140M, which requires $28M in non-federal match.
Only $6.1M is currently allocated in the Orange County Transit Plan.
To assist in this effort, the Town submitted a request to Durham-Orange Joint Staff Working
Group (SWG) to increase the Orange County Transit Plan funding level from $6.1M to $14.1M
(Attachment 2 – Request from Town of Chapel Hill). During the June 10, 2019 SWG meeting,
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the SWG approved recommending to the governing bodies of the Interlocal Agreement for the
Orange County Transit Plan (Orange County, GoTriangle Board and DCHC MPO Board)
approval of the request to dedicate $1 million in FY20, $1.5 million in FY21, $1.5 million in FY22,
and $4 million in FY23.
The Town of Chapel Hill will also be seeking offsetting project funds through the North Carolina
Department of Transportation’s Strategic Prioritization Process (SPOT 6.0). The proposed
Transit Plan amendment stipulates that any outside funds received for the project will be applied
to reduce the financial obligations contained in the Amended Orange County Transit Plan, up to
$8 million. SPOT 6.0 awards are expected to be announced in November 2019.
The funding request is considered a material change to the Transit Plan which requires approval
by the governing bodies. The SWG recommendation and funding request will be considered by
the governing boards on the following schedule:
• Orange County Board of County Commissioners – June 18, 2019
• GoTriangle Board – June 26, 2019
• DCHC MPO Board – August 14, 2019
If approved by the governing bodies, this amendment would allow the Town to submit a rating
request to FTA by September 1, 2019. A delay in the schedule would mean that 2020 would be
the earliest a rating request for the project would be considered by FTA.
The project website is www.nsbrt.org.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The adopted Orange County Transit Plan currently allocates $6.1M to
the North South BRT project. The proposed amendment (Attachment 1) would dedicate an
additional $8M to the project in fiscal years FY2020 through FY2023.
Sufficient dedicated transit revenues are available to fund this addition. The lowest Transit Plan
fund balance during this scheduled draw down of dedicated transit revenues would occur in
FY2022 when the balance is estimated to be $929,500 under current assumptions.
If outside funding is secured by the Town of Chapel Hill for this project, the financial obligations
of the Transit Plan will be relieved, up to $8 million.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable
to this item:
• GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND
INEQUITY
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or color;
religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender or sexual orientation; national origin or
ethnic background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential or economic
status.
• GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY
The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary
for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their
dependents.
Public Transportation provides opportunity for access to jobs and services to many individuals.
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RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board consider approving an
amendment to the Orange County Transit Plan (Attachment 1) which increases Transit Plan
funding for the North South BRT project by $8 million in fiscal years FY2020 through FY2022 to
a total of $14.1 million.
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Attachment 1
Amendment to the Orange County Transit Plan Regarding Funding for the
Chapel Hill North-South Bus Rapid Transit Project
The Parties to the Orange County Transit Plan agree to amend the Plan as follows:
The Orange County Transit Plan shall be amended to provide up to $8 million in additional
dedicated transit revenue to the Chapel Hill North-South Bus Rapid Transit (NSBRT) Project.
The additional $8 million shall be allocated over four years to meet project funding
requirements. The Plan shall be amended to dedicate $1 million in FY20, $1.5 million in FY21,
$1.5 million in FY22, and $4 million in FY23. This funding is in addition to $6.1 million allocated
in the 2017 Orange County Transit Plan and increases the total amount dedicated to the North
South Bus Rapid Transit Project to $14.1 million.
This amendment is intended to provide the Town of Chapel Hill with evidence that fifty percent
(50%) of the non-federal match is dedicated to the project through the Transit Plan. The total
project cost is $140 million.
The Town of Chapel Hill shall seek offsetting project funding through the North Carolina
Department of Transportation’s Strategic Prioritization Process (SPOT 6.0). To the extent that
State funds or other public, non-profit, or private funds are awarded to the North South Bus
Rapid Transit Project, these outside funds shall be applied to reduce the financial obligations
contained in the Amended Orange County Transit Plan, up to $8 million. Outside funding may
not be used to finance changes in the project scope, unanticipated cost overruns, or other
changes until the Transit Plan’s obligation of $8 million is completely relieved, unless otherwise
approved by the parties to the Transit Plan.
To the extent that any portion of this amendment conflicts with elements of the 2017 Orange
County Transit Plan, the terms of this amendment shall supersede those elements.
______________________
Penny Rich, Chair
Board of Orange County Commissioners
______________________
Damon Seils, Chair
Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization
______________________
Jeff Mann, President and Chief Executive Officer
Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority
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TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL
Office of the Manager
405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-5705
phone (919) 968-2743 fax (919) 969-2063
www.townofchapelhill.org
May 23, 2019
Mr. Jeff Mann
President and CEO
GoTriangle
PO Box 13787
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Re: Request for Funding for North South Bus Rapid Transit Project through Orange County
Transit Plan
Dear Mr. Mann:
I am writing on behalf of the Town of Chapel Hill and our Chapel Hill Transit Funding
Partners (Town of Carrboro and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) to request additional
funding for the North South Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project in support of the project moving
forward in the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Small Starts Process. This critical transit
project was approved to enter FTA’s Project Development phase in November of 2016 and we
anticipate requesting a project ranking from FTA in September 2019 as we move forward with
pursuing a full-funding grant agreement.
As you are aware local funding commitments play a key role in the project rating process
and being able to demonstrate that around 50-percent of the non-federal match is allocated to
the project could help the North South BRT project significantly in the rating process. The current
cost estimate for the North South BRT project is $140M, which requires $28M in non-federal
match. The current Orange County Transit Plan allocates $6.1M of the non-federal match for the
project and we are pursuing the difference through the State’s SPOT 6.0 process. However, SPOT
funding will not be awarded in time for us to submit a rating request to FTA in September 2019.
To assist us with this effort, we are asking that the Orange County Transit Plan allocate an
additional $8M to the North South BRT project by August of 2019 and we would agree to revisit
the project’s fiscal needs after SPOT 6.0 awards are announced in November 2019. The additional
funds for the North South BRT project could be reallocated from capital revenues in the plan
previously dedicated to the D-O LRT project.
We believe this request is reasonable considering that the D-O LRT project has been
discontinued and the North South BRT project remains as one of the key transit investments
identified in the Orange County Transit Plan. Additionally, the North South BRT project, despite
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its anticipated high SPOT 5.0 score, was removed from the SPOT 5.0 process following a vote by
the DCHHC MPO due to its potential risk to D-O LRT funding, eliminating our ability to attract
State funding at that time to assist with the non-federal match requirement. We also believe this
request is consistent with requirements of the Interlocal Implementation Agreement that
governs that Orange County Transit Plan and its associated funding and should be considered a
non-material change consistent with paragraphs 16 and 17 of the interlocal agreement.
The Town of Chapel Hill and our Transit Funding Partners are committed to the success
of the North South BRT project and believe that this funding request will help us best position
the project as we seek federal funding. We appreciate consideration for additional funding for
the North South BRT project and look forward to our continued work together to create a
dependable, affordable, time-competitive and accessible transportation network that will meet
the needs of those who live, work, play, learn and heal throughout Orange County and the
Triangle region. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Maurice Jones
Town Manager
Town of Chapel Hill
CC: Pam Hemminger, Mayor, Town of Chapel Hill
Lydia Lavelle, Mayor, Town of Carrboro
Bonnie Hamersley, Orange County Manager
Travis Myren, Orange County Deputy Manager
David Andrews, Town Manager, Town of Carrboro
Damon Seils, Chair, Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO Board
A. Bradley Ives, Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Enterprises & Chief Sustainability
Officer, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Felix Nwoko, Ph.D., MPO Executive Director, Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO
Aaron Cain, Chair, Orange County Staff Working Group
Brian Litchfield, Director, Chapel Hill Transit
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Chapel Hill North-South BRT
DCHC MPO Update
May 29, 2019
Joint Executive Boards 5/29/2019 Item 4ii
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Context and Vision
Prepares the Town to meet mobility demand as
the region continues to grow:
•Current system operates close to maximum
capacity
•Proposed system provides a long-term,
scalable solution available to residents and
visitors of the community
•Connects to regional transit options
•Supports current and planned development
in the corridor with a multi-modal system
that serves cyclists, pedestrians and other
users
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Technical and Policy Committees
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•NSBRT is currently in FTA Project
Development
•Includes 30% Design & Environmental
•30% Design
•Further defining alignment and specific
station locations from the initial Locally
Preferred Alternative (LPA)
•Traffic analysis
•Integration of bicycle and pedestrian
facilities
•Station area analysis
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Project Schedule
•Spring 2019: evaluate BRT Transit Oriented Development Opportunities
•Late Summer 2019: draft 30% Design Plans are handed over to the NEPA team
•Late Summer/Fall 2019: finalize non-Small Starts funding
•Late Summer/Fall 2019: 30% Design Plans are finalized, based on FTA feedback
•September 2019: Apply for rating with FTA
•Fall/Winter 2019: NEPA document is published for review
•Spring 2020: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) issued, completing the
NEPA review process.
•Planned 2023: The North-South Corridor BRT would open for revenue service.
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Next Steps
•Finalize Traffic Analysis
•Complete Market and TOD Study
•Determine construct vs convert for the
northern portion of the corridor
•Complete 30% design
•Complete Environmental Analysis
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NSBRT Funding
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•Current financial plan assumes 80% ($112M) of project funding to come
through Federal Sources, 20% ($28M) from non-federal sources
•Project needs to demonstrate commitment of at least half the non-federal share
($14M) by September 2019 to stay in Project Development and be considered
for moving into Project Design
•Currently we have $6.1M of non-federal funds committed through the
Orange County Transit Plan, we have requested an additional $8M
•We have also submitted a request for $25M as part of the SPOT 6.0 process.
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Questions?
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