Debate continues on planned county light rail

Editors Note:
Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this story said light rail options in the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization’s 2040 plan rely on a half-cent sales tax increase that Orange County residents could vote to approve in November. The plan actually projects the region’s growth and options for future transit plans. The half-cent sales tax increase would fund expanded bus services and capital projects described in the Orange County Transit Plan, which the Board of Commissioners adopted earlier this year. The Orange County Transit Plan also details the creation of a 17-mile light rail connecting Durham and Orange Counties. The article also stated that the MPO’s 2040 plan calls for a 520-mile rail line stretching through the Triangle. The plan actually describes 520 miles of light rail service. The story reflects these changes.

Orange County residents have yet to vote on a half-cent sales tax increase to fund transit plans, but discussion on the future of the county’s transportation network continues.

Members of several advisory boards met Monday to hear a presentation by the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization. The 2040 MPO plan is a 28-year projection model for county growth and transit options, and is meant to act as a guide for the region’s future transit options.

If members of the organization want to apply for state and federal funding for highway and rail construction, a growth plan encompassing at least 20 years must be created, said Andrew Henry, transit planner for the Metro Planning Organization.

The All-in-Transit plan includes extending a light rail through the University’s campus and towards Eubanks Road, as part of 520 miles of light rail stretching through the Triangle.

Another, less transit-intensive plan calls for 150 miles of track and would add 261 miles of roadway.

Earlier this year, the Orange County Board of Commissioners adopted the Orange County Transit Plan, detailing plans to construct a 17-mile light rail that would connect Orange and Durham Counties — though the plan has concerned some residents who worry it won’t benefit them.

David Bonk, long-range and transportation planning manager for Chapel Hill, acknowledged that a light rail would cost several billion dollars and would only benefit a select number of commuters in areas adjacent to the line.

“If people who are within access of it will use it, that’s the criteria we should use,” he said. “There’s still going to be a considerable amount of travel by road.”

The county is also discussing plans to expand bus services, which would rely on funding from the proposed half-cent sales tax increase.

Orange County Vice-Chairwoman Pam Hemminger is optimistic voters will approve the tax.

“The urban areas seem to be supportive of it, but the rural ones not so much,” she said.

Durham County voters approved a similar tax increase last year but Wake County Commissioners voted to not include it on the ballot, which Henry says is a concern.

Henry said there may be additional sources of revenue — like vehicle registration fees — that could be used to fund the rail and highway projects.

Over the course of the next month, a series of public hearings about the 2040 MPO plan will take place.

Henry said a decision will be made on the preferred option for the 2040 MPO plan in October after receiving comments from the public and advisory boards. He emphasized the importance of educating the public.

“We’re trying to let people know what the alternatives are,” he said.

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.