By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer
To keep moving forward with plans for a light rail system and expanded bus service between Orange County and Durham County, the Orange County Board of Commissioners first have to figure out how they want costs to be shared between the two counties.
“The question right now is what is a fair and equitable distribution between Orange and Durham,†Commissioner Steve Yuhasz said.
There are five cost-sharing options on the table, all of which were discussed with two Triangle Transit representatives at the commissioners’ work session last Thursday.
Options ranged from Orange County paying for just the number of stations located in the county, which is four out of 17, to the county paying for the amount of the 17.4 miles of track laid within county lines.
“From informal talks with Durham, we decided we want to have a cost-sharing principal that both parties could see as fair and was simple to explain,†board Chair Bernadette Pelissier said.
The cost-sharing proposal is part of the proposed Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan (OCBRIP), and would be the largest expense in the plan.
Additional expenditures within the OCBRIP are expanded capital projects, such as new park-and-ride lots and a possible Amtrak train station in Hillsborough, new and expanded bus service and dedicated bus lanes along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
However, while the projects included in the OCBRIP would offer expanded transit options for the county, the question of how to pay for everything is still partially unknown.
Orange County Planning Director Craig Benedict told commissioners that revenue used for the OCBRIP could come from a $7 vehicle tag tax, a $3 Triangle Transit fee and some rental car-tax and sales-tax revenue.
An additional source of revenue, mentioned by Benedict and the board, could come from a half-cent sales tax, which could be put on the November ballot if approved by the commissioners.
After discussing at length the five options, the commissioners favored option three, which proposes Orange County would pay approximately $316.2 million, with 50 percent of the cost coming from federal funding, 25 percent from the state and 25 percent – $79.05 million –from local funding. In this option, Durham County would pay approximately $1.06 billion, with $265.45 million coming from local funding.
“Certainly, I would like to pay less and have them pay more,†Yuhasz said. “If this is to go forward, I think we need to finally say this is an OK place and it might not be as good as I would’ve liked … but it is better than where I started.â€
The board will vote today (Thursday) at their 7 p.m. meeting to approve the proposal for continued discussions with Durham.
“the question of how to pay for everything is still partially unknown.”
BBbbut….that’s the biggest part!
Look at the FTA data for….ANY system, ANYWHERE…not the part(ially) in red. That is the State and Fed AND locally subsidized portion.
Halfway down this page http://www.ntdprogram.gov/ntdprogram/data.htm
there is a SEARCH box. Enter 4008 for Charlotte. Look at the numbers, they are horrific in a higher density urban setting than here(Charlotte rail looses $20/rider!).
Enter in 4051 for Chapel Hill Buses…look at the costs….they are bad…but not as bad. Rail costs more, it always will and if it dies there is nothing to do but look at it. As a monorail…I suppose it’s just expensive art that everyone in the county can pay for in perpetuity. There is only one rail in the nation that pays for itself…it is in a private community in Orlando.
I can advocate for buses all day compared to light rail because I can see the merit in it. Buses have more flexibility, they utilize existing infrastructure that are also utilized by those who require the freedom to depart from rigid schedules. Buses can be added or reduced from service as required.
Light rail and the supposed economic boon to Orange is a nice idea, but when you look at the data it fails. The expense never goes away and is huge not only locally but state wide and nationally as this “Unknown” Part(ially) is often supplied by State and Federal monies….which is a burden on taxpayers that will never even hear of this proposed rail much less set foot on it like the greater portion of Orange County Citizens.
The Eco Boomlet also fails when you look at the resistance to private business in Orange, and a Unified Development Ordinance that will not fit on a Kindle. Toss in the highest municipal taxes out of 25 cities, the 5th highest County taxes in the state…and you have perfect conditions to grow business… elsewhere…where the mono rail leads to…to take $$$ out of Orange. Don’t believe me? Stand on the Chatham line and count the cars headed to Walmart when it is done or on 501 at the Durham County line. That’s revenue leaving.
Heavy Rail for Hillsborough I can understand a little better. The rail is there but no commuter line uses it to my knowledge. I’m still not clear why people will stop short of RTP or DPAC…But the initial bulk cost…the rail, exists(and is owned and maintained by someone else!) The Commuter line is also belongs to someone else so those costs are not shared by non users. (Non riders of an Orange rail will pay for in their sleep(as will their posterity))
We are growing…slooooooowly. The next 4-8 years could be big, but will not warrant chaining everyone in the surrounding counties, state and nation to a historically burdensome transport that has never broken even except perhaps in Disneyland and in the days of the wild west. Fantasy is fun in Orlando, but here in the land of high taxes we must stay grounded in reality and utilize merit not just in terms of desire, but of cost. That is the largest part(ially) that IS known.
What is it?
Always more than advertised. Always.
Chris Weaver