County discusses local transit options

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story implied that the Orange County Board of Commissioners had not passed the Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan. The plan was passed by the board in June, and commissioners discussed its implementation Tuesday night. The story has been changed to reflect this.

The Orange County Board of Commissioners will once again talk transit at their meeting tonight.

Commissioners will discuss the implementation of the Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan, which would expand transit services in the county.

Since the board passed the plan in June, Triangle Transit has added the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization as a party to the agreement.

The plan, which will be discussed at tonight’s meeting, would be funded in part by a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot — if the tax is approved by voters.

The plan proposes using a portion of the funds to improve existing bus services.

The plan will increase bus services by 34,650 hours within the first five years, fund the completion of a Hillsborough Amtrak station and eventually construct 17.3 miles of light rail connecting UNC Hospitals and Durham.

Bernadette Pelissier, chairwoman of the board, said she will support the plan.

She said she thinks the plan benefits all Orange County residents and will have environmental and economic impacts for the county.

“Whether you use transit or not, it still benefits you in some way,” she said.

David King, CEO and general manager of Triangle Transit, said the light rail will likely influence the area’s population and economic growth.

But rural residents have opposed the plan because they think it doesn’t benefit all areas of the county equally.

“In some cases, it may be a lack of understanding,” King said.

Chapel Hill Transit will receive 64 percent of the county funding raised for the plan.

Joy Cook, a research assistant at UNC, said she supports the transit plan.

“I don’t think the half-cent sales tax is too much, based on gas prices close to $4 per gallon,” said Cook.

But saving money on gas is not the only reason students and employees are supportive of the plan — many students do not have cars on campus.

“Any sort of public transportation that offers different routes I’d be totally down for,” said Jon Unger, a junior advertising major.

Pelissier said she does not know what the county will do about transit if the tax referendum doesn’t pass, since the referendum probably won’t be on the ballot next year.

“There really is no next step,” she said.

But King said he felt confident the transit tax would be approved by voters.

“Transit is the friend of open space and strong neighborhoods,” King said.

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.