In 2019, Chapel Hill and environs is facing increased congestion and badly needs good public transit on our interstate highways, Routes 86 and 15 – 501. Compounding the challenge are the fiscal realities facing our Chapel Hill Transit bus system, barely able to maintain an aging fleet of buses, or the current level of service. Just to maintain the status quo requires a larger and larger bite of Chapel Hill’s budget (and our taxes).
For the 21st century, transit is a regional challenge, and the Orange County Commissioners need to work with the Chapel Hill Town Council and Carrboro Board on regional solutions. But rather than work with our towns, the Orange County Commissioners have committed the bulk of our transit monies to Durham Orange Light Rail, which offers no service to Downtown Chapel Hill, Route 86, 15-501, or Raleigh Durham Airport.
Back in 2017, the commissioners agreed to a $3.3 billion project, including over $800 million in interest, basing their decision on projected tax revenues acknowledged by outside counsel as inflated and overly optimistic. Orange County’s portion is just over $300 million of that, and if/as the debt grows, Orange County will be responsible for almost 20%.
Duke, DPAC and businesses and downtown investors are questioning the route that bifurcates downtown Durham. In response, GoTriangle proposes a last minute plan to run two tunnels and two elevations along Pettigrew street – all with no cost projections. That’s in addition to plans to elevate the train in front of Duke University and to diminish each train to two cars, and the 15-501 elevation will have just a single track. All of this adds up to a 55 minute trip from UNC to Durham.
Important milestones are coming with the FTA setting the risk and project contingency in January, and GoTriangle preparing yet another financial plan in February. When will our elected officials come to their senses and start working on Plan B? The best plan is to free up our own transit funds for rapid bus transit on dedicated lanes that connect our downtown and commercial centers to each other and to regional transit.
Read about how Bus Rapid Transit could work for Chapel Hill.
“The Orange Durham Light Rail has become a Runway Train” Op Ed in News and Observer, Brad Brinegar, December 30, 2018