AGENDA #11

memorandum

to:                  Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager

from:            J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director

David Bonk, Long Range and Transportation Manager

subject:       Final Report from the Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC)

date:             June 9, 2008

PURPOSE

This memorandum provides a summary of the findings and recommendations of the Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) final report and proposes a process to provide comments to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO).

BACKGROUND

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (Capital Area MPO) concluded that providing well-planned and timely major regional transit investments is an important part of maintaining the Triangle region’s current levels of transportation mobility, high quality of life and economic prosperity. Therefore, the MPOs are pursuing the joint development of a plan for a regional transit system.

To help with the planning process, the two MPOs appointed the Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) to assist in the development of the transit component of their respective Long Range Transportation Plans, with a focus on major transit investments. Assisting the STAC were staff and resources provided by DCHC MPO, Capital Area MPO, Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA) and Triangle Transit (formerly Triangle Transit Authority or TTA).

The STAC process is indentified on page 14 of the final report and page 24 has the STAC Goals for Regional Transit.  Attachment 1 is the MPO Goals.  The STAC held their final meeting on April 25, 2008 to finalize the report.  On May 21, 2008, the final report (Attachment 2) was presented to the Transportation Advisory Committees (TAC) of both MPOs.  Three maps display the STAC Regional Transit Vision Plan, Enhanced Region-wide Bus Service, and Recommended Rail Investments.  The maps can be found on pages 8, 9, and 10 of the final report.

KEY ISSUES

Outlined below are key points as an excerpt from the final report:

Special Transit Advisory Commission Recommendations

The Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) has developed a Regional Transit Vision Plan for the Triangle to provide a framework for future investments. The recommendations reflect the complexity of our region, which requires multi-pronged, multi-modal strategies to building a complete transportation system. Map 1 on page 8 of the final report identifies three major categories of investments:

• Enhanced Region-wide Bus Network: Denoted by green lines identifies expanded bus service throughout the region to connect communities and bring communities presently unserved by transit into a regional transit network. Improvements to local bus networks are also recommended although local transit providers will play a key role in locating and designing these service enhancements.

• High frequency, express service between downtown Durham, downtown Raleigh including the Convention Center, and the Cary train station park and ride
• Rush Hour Only bus service to outlying communities
• Enhanced bus service in core areas to support the rail and circulator investments
• A system of park and ride lots to be served by the regional network and the express service
• Enhanced transit access for pedestrians and bicycles around park and ride lots and bus stops

• Circulators: Denoted by orange shaded areas. Circulators are to provide flexible travel options within our major activity centers. Circulator zones are depicted at the conceptual level only and should be sited by the respective communities and MPOs. Initially all circulators are anticipated to be buses with potential future operations by modern street cars or trolleys depending on local conditions, communities and costs.

• RDU/RTP circulator connecting RDU to the Triangle Metro Center and other major activities areas in RTPCirculators in the downtowns of Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill/Carrboro and Cary

• Rail Investments: Denoted by blue lines. The regional system is anchored by rail service that connects the region’s principal centers of activity, serves our most congested corridors, and offers the greatest opportunities to influence development patterns.

• The segments connecting Durham, RTP, Cary, downtown Raleigh and north Raleigh will use diesel multiple unit (DMU) rail cars operating within existing railroad rights-of-way.
• The segment connecting Chapel Hill to Durham will use Light Rail Transit (LRT), electrically driven rail cars on a new alignment.
• Coordination with the North Carolina Railroad Shared Corridor Track Expansion Study, which is investigating the feasibility, costs and operating standards for Rush Hour rail service on the Burlington to Goldsboro and Hillsborough to Chapel Hill/Carrboro corridors.

Implementation Program

The Regional Transit Vision Plan addressed three significant implementation challenges: funding, land use (development), and leadership and governance (decision-making).  The section below is an excerpt from the Report.

• Funding:  New local and state funding will be essential to implement the Plan.

Therefore the STAC recommends:

• ½ cent sales tax (5¢ per $10 in purchases)
• $10 increase in vehicle registration fee

If combined with existing local, state and federal funding, and debt financing of approximately $600 million, financial models demonstrate that these revenue sources are adequate to build the Regional Transit Vision Plan.

• Development: In order to realize the full benefits of the recommended transit investments, the region, its communities and its development sector will need to do much more to ensure a development pattern that matches major transit investments and maximizes the opportunities for people to routinely use transit. Therefore the STAC recommends:

• Pairing transit service and investment with local government investment in transit-supportive development policies
• Existing land use policies on transit-supportive development be applied consistently

• Decisions: Leaders and decision makers need to recognize that local interests are inextricably linked to regional interests as they cooperate in planning, funding and sequencing transit investment decisions. The STAC recommends:

• Greater accountability to voters by ensuring that elected officials serve in decision-making capacities for regional transit investments
• Encouraging continued cooperation between the MPOs
• Establishing a regional staff committee from the working group that supported the work of the STAC to consult, study and coordinate the completion of the Regional Transit Vision Plan

NEXT STEPS

Town staff proposes the following schedule [and attached resolution] for review and comment on the STAC final report:

Planning Board:                        June 3, 2008

Transportation Board:               June 12, 2008

Town Council:                          June 25, 2008

Based on the discussion at the June 25, 2008 Town Council meeting, the staff will forward comments to the DCHC Lead Planning Agency (LPA). LPA has decided that in order to allow local jurisdictions time to provide the MPO comments on the report before summer recesses, the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) has authorized that the report be released for public comment as soon as it was presented to the TAC at the May 21, 2008 joint meeting.  The LPA will include opportunities for public comment and input on the Special Transit Advisory Committee (STAC) recommendations during the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan process scheduled for adoption in November.  Mailings and public workshops are scheduled in June, July, and August to present the alternatives analysis to the public.  A transit intensive alternative that incorporates the STAC’s recommendations will be one of the alternatives presented.  In addition, in September and October there will be further mailings, public workshops, a newsletter, and a public hearing to present the preferred alternative to the public.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Goals (p. 6).
2. Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) Final Report (begin new page 1).