At Monday’s meeting, Chapel Hill Town Council members discussed the proposed 17-mile light rail line extending from UNC Hospitals to east Durham. The project’s price tag is $1.8 billion in year of expenditure costs.
Patrick McDonough, a planning manager from Triangle Transit, presented key questions for elected officials before Triangle Transit can solidify the light rail plan.
Here’s McDonough’s first question: “Build or no build. Do we build or not build the project, a very cut and dry decision.”
Council member Matt Czajkowski questioned the cost-effectiveness of building a light rail system in comparison to other transit solutions like bus service improvements.
“When mammoth public capital projects get started they have a way of building momentum which makes it difficult to, pardon the term, derail,” said Czajkowski.
The proposed line would be partially funded by a ½ cent sales tax approved by county voters in 2012. The Triangle Transit plan lists state and federal agencies as paying for more than half of the $1.8 billion. But Triangle Transit needs to bring a solid plan to the agencies and get their approval before it secures the funds, which could take years. This uncertainty worries Czajkowski.
Other council members and residents expressed support for light rail, and they gave feedback on possible routes for sections of the line.
Phil Purcell, a resident of the Cedars of Chapel Hill, a retirement community in Meadowmont, expressed support for a route called the C2 alignment, which does not divide the retirement community. Council member Lee Storrow also supports this route.
“I voted to support the C2 alignment at Little Creek, and I maintain that that’s the best, both for the logistics of the line and because of environmental impact,” said Storrow.
Others said more analysis is needed before making a routing decision.
Triangle Transit held a series of meetings in November to gather input from residents on the light rail plan. Council member Maria Palmer said some people at the meetings were spreading misinformation about light rail, and staff did not effectively correct that misinformation. McDonough said Triangle Transit will take that feedback into consideration when planning future public meetings.
A Triangle Transit website says the line “could start (operation) in 2025/2026.” You can find out more information and send comments through the website: http://ourtransitfuture.com/
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