Light Rail

[Tim Kuhn]

Dear Commissioners:

 

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Why isn't there a route to RTP or the airport?

In my view, the traffic on I-40 is the issue, not the traffic to NCCU (from Chapel Hill).

I would love efficient and safe public transit to Raleigh (NCMA) and the airport.

I rarely go to Durham, and have no plans to go to Durham, so I'm not sure who your target audience is for this route.  It's certainly not me or any of my Chapel Hill taxpaying neighbors.

The costs are astronomical!  And there will be no money for maintaining the current buses and potential route expansion.

Please stop spending money and taking up so much time on the proposed light rail from UNC Hospitals to NCCU.

You appear to be trying to fix a problem that does not exist.

 

Thank you,

Timothy A Kuhn

37 Clover Drive

Chapel Hill, NC  27517

[Colin Shive]

Dear Commissioners:

I am a Chapel Hill resident and strong supporter of the light rail project. I hope that you vote to approve the financial plan for the project at your meeting in April.  

Best regards,

Colin Shive 

[Robert Porreca]

Hi,

  I see that, once again, you are planning to send our hard earned tax money chasing after the dream of light rail for UNC and Duke.

     I object to the use of my tax money for this project. I will never benefit from it and most of Orange County will only be getting nothing in return. It will not provide tax revenue, offset or, repay the cost of building it.

      If Duke and UNC want light rail let them reach into their endowments and athletic profits and pay for it themselves. I am sick and tired of the Orange County Board of Commissioners pharaonic tendencies.

Robert L. Porreca

[Sherry Jones]

Hello,

I want to go on record as supporting the Light Rail proposal currently under review. It makes good sense for a variety of reasons, among them: economic, environmental, safety and efficiency.

My husband ( originally from Greensboro) and I have lived in Orange County for 46 years - all of our adult lives. It is way past time to bring Light Rail to this area.

Thank you for serving as county commissioners and for consideration of the above.

Sincerely,
Sherry T. Jones
Chapel Hill, NC



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[rgdm...@gmail.com]

To Board of County Commissioners

 

I want to express my support for the proposed light rail system between Durham and Chapel Hill.   I not only support the system, I am anxiously awaiting for it to be started/completed.  I would definitely use the system and look forward to seeing the project started.  I believe a light rail system will attract businesses to the areas near the station and will also attract people who want to live near the system so they don’t need to have a car.

I work in Chapel Hill and while I would not be able to use the proposed route to get to my office, I support the project and wish I could take it to and from my office.

 

Robin Dunn

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

Virus-free. www.avast.com

[Joyce Johnson]

To whom it may concern:

 Please put the brakes on the Light Rail!!!!  It is too costly and does not serve all of Orange County. One could use our transit dollars
in more effective ways and for the good of all.

Larry & Joyce Johnson
5815 Jameson Rd.
Rougemont, NC    27572

[Christina Sykes]

• Orange County residents depend on transit. Between Orange and Durham counties, we have 72,000 transit trips a day. With demand continuing to grow, light rail is the option that makes sense for Orange County. New development around the planned stations will bring new jobs and millions of dollars in state and local tax revenue. I work in both Orange County and Durham County and I have many friends who don't have a car and depend on the transit system. It's only right to build this and to keep expanding it, which is not really happening with our bus system. Why are we waiting to have things that places like DC and Seattle already have? And I personally would like to eventually rely on my car less and less while supporting a system that allows me to do so. 
  

          

           -Christina 

[Daniella Uslan]

Hello,

I am writing in support of the light rail as part of the comprehensive transit plan. I live in Durham but commute to Orange County every day for work. I spend money in Orange County for lunch, gas, as well as get my hair cut here (Syd's) as well as buy dinner on most evenings at Chapel Hill restaurants. I would use light rail as a commuter and use my money in OC as a result. 

​Thank you,

Daniella ​

--

Daniella Uslan, MPH

Mobile | (304) 638-0405

[Clifford Leath]

Hello County Commissioners

As I continue to read the dialog and information regarding the proposed Light Rail project the more convinced that this idea and proposal will result in a bad outcome for Orange County rural residents.
The cost estimates, which are already high at almost $3 Billion, will certainly be higher. How many times do these types of projects which are projected to start in the future come in at budget? Not many. With telephone book #'s like the estimate even small % overruns result in huge $.
I still believe that this is a special interest project being pushed by folks at Duke University and UNC, who are trying to push around the rest of us. I have seen it before.
Please be responsible in your vote against this project.

Cliff Leath
6600 Maynard Farm Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Sent from my iPad

[Judith Ferster]

I'm a handicapped Chathamite who doesn't drive but can sometimes get to Chapel Hill in a power wheelchair, with which I can range along Elliott, Estes, and some of Fordham.  I can then use Chapel Hill buses to get downtown and up north.  On recent trips I have been to the Ackland, the Frank Gallery, and movies, restaurants, and stores in Timbrerlyne. I'd love to be able to get to Durham.  I have occasion to go to NCCU and places downtown.  Please see DOLRT through.  Mass transit is good for the environment and it will tie the region together, cut down greenhouse gas emissions, discourage sprawl, and be good for people like me.

Judith Ferster
919-929-6648                       

[Jesse White]

As a long time citizen of Orange County, I am requesting the Commission to vote AGAINST the light rail option. The finances are not there, and the money could be much better spent on other less expensive options.

Thank you for your consideration.

Jesse White
38 Mt. Bolus Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

[AHavil]

Please vote against the light rail project.
This is a terrible waste of tax dollars.
In future elections, I will not vote for anyone who supports this project.

Thank you.

Ann Haviland, M.D.

[LARRY L CATES]

  How will this offer relief on I-40, 15-501 and the old Airport Road?  Why isn't RTP, Wake County, Airport buying into this idea?  It will NOT benefit the citizens of Orange County but we will be paying a large portion of this project.  Look at all the property that will be impacted and the costs to purchase right-of-ways for this project that riders cannot maintain with daily fares.  Please No on the 27th.

Thank you.

Betty Cates

[Ann and Bob Ward]

To: Orange County Board of Commissioners

 

I am opposed to the proposed light rail plan for Orange County. The proposed route provides no access to the great majority of the residents of Chapel Hill. The only access to UNC is to the very southern part of the campus. There is no access to downtown Chapel Hill & Carrboro. There is even less access to residents of Carrboro, Hillsborough or the rest of Orange County. The plan provides no direct service to RTP or RDU. The total cost of the project is very expensive and will be a burden to the taxpayers for many years. The very limited accessibility and disruption to the community does not justify the cost.  There is much agreement that there need to be solutions to our long history of traffic problems. Expansion of the current bus system would be a great step forward. Direct bus access to and from the northern areas of Chapel Hill (Weaver Dairy Rd. area) to the University Mall and the Meadowmont areas to the east and to Carrboro to the west would be an improvement. There should also be direct transit access to the Chapel Hill Public Library. I urge each of you to vote “No” on the current light rail plan for Orange County.

 

Thank you for your time and service to the community.

 

Bob Ward

132 Kingston Drive

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

[Earl McClanahan]

As a citizen of Chapel Hill / Orange County, I urge you to vote against any funding for the Light Rail project.  This initiative just does not make any sense for both practical and economic reasons:

• Limited Service - Only serves a very small percentage of the population.
• Other Transit Needs Not Addressed - Diverts capital from more affordable and flexible forms of public transportation such as buses.
• Huge Financial Risk - The estimated financial risk to Orange County has more than tripled since 2011.  I doubt this project would have made sense at one-third the cost; now, it's a no-brainer.  Potential for cost-overruns put additional risk on county taxpayers.
• Long-Term Financial Burden - Loan payments scheduled until 2062 plus operating costs and maintenance costs mean long-term costs for all county residents / taxpayers, the vast majority of whom will not be using the rail line.

Hopefully, we are collectively smarter than the advocates for this project, who seem to have an attitude that we must have this rail line no matter the cost.  Orange County does not need a "bridge to nowhere."  Let's refocus our efforts on more economical and flexible forms of mass transit that will be available to more of our citizens and taxpayers.  Our elected officials need to be good stewards of the capital that taxpayers send to our treasury, and this project just does even begin to pass the smell-test.

Sincerely,  

Earl McClanahan

919.240.4383 (o)

914.715.3604 (c)

[Lilly Langer]

The planned light rail is a project we cannot afford. In addition, it is unnecessary as the planned route is not one that is used by a large majority of the population. It will do nothing to alleviate the congestion on I40, the Research Triangle or get folks to and from RDU. Furthermore, our free public buses are often empty! That should send a strong message that we do not need a light rail that will deface our beautiful county and for you to vote NO to the proposed Light Rail.

Dr. Lilly Langer
Chapel Hill

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Sent from my iPhone

[Lee Williamson]

I understand you will be voting on the light rail on April 27^th. I urge you to vote NO!! There is no way Orange County needs or can afford such a project. Looking for a place to spend money?? How about working on a way to reduce traffic through Hillsborough (Churton Street) but I guess that doesn’t help Chapel Hill so we can’t do that.

 

 

Very Concerned

Robert Williamson

Virus-free. www.avast.com

[Tim Hucks]

Dear Orange County Commissioners:

I am sending this email because I am opposed to Orange County funding the light

rail project in its current iteration. I don’t believe the proposed route will be heavily

used and since the cost has already risen significantly from the first proposal, I think

it is a financial boondoggle. We can not afford to build the project much less maintain

it with county funds forever. I am certain it will not pay for itself. Don’t be swayed by

Go Triangle or any other group that will not be on the financial hook for this project.

 

	Timothy C. Hucks, CEP ™ President, Rising Tide, Inc 7312 Crescent Ridge Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 (919) 968-8675 t...@risingtideinc.com • www.risingtideinc.com
	Securities offered through Capital Investment Group, Inc. 100 East Six Forks Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27609 • 919.831.2370 Member FINRA/SIPC. All images and content © 1993-2016 Rising Tide, Inc.

 

 

[Roy S]

I’m writing to express my support for a light rail system.

 

I can’t attend the public meeting but I hope you’ll count me among those with a vision for the future that does not just involve more and more cars jamming the highways and building more and more highways, we need alternatives like light rail

 

Thank you.

 

Roy Schonberg

3201 Tipi Lane

Durham, NC 27705

(Orange County despite Durham mailing addr)

 

__________________________________________________________

 

Roy Schonberg

 

 

[Julie Marshall]

Commissioners, please vote NO to light rail. There are better transit choices!
Julie Marshall

[Linda Long]

For the Record....I am AGAINST the Light Rail due to the cost to taxpayers.

Thank you

Linda Long

1805 Oak Tree Dr

Chapel Hill NC 27517

[Tom Bond]

Please read my attached email. If you can not open it,  please contact me.  Thanks Tom Bond

[Lori Clark]

Dear Commissioners,

Please do not invest my hard earned money in a light rail system. It will not serve the needs of Orange County. 

I've spent time in Singapore and frequently visit Tokyo where rail systems work extremely well but a light rail will NOT meet the needs of the residents of Orange County nor would it lighten the load on 15-501 or MLK. We do not have the residential populations concentrated in areas that would be served. If you want to encourage fewer single-driver cars, look into expanding bus routes so all those near-empty buses I pass on my way to work each morning are reaching those who would ride but are just too far away from a bus stop to make it work for them. For example, my nearest route is 2 miles away and on the far side of 15-501 but my work destination features a stop.

Again, please do not invest my tax dollars into this light rail.

Sincerely,

Lori Clark

[Jennifer Johnson]

Dear Commissioners, 

Please vote YES on Orange County Transit Plan on April 27! 

We need transit into he area - it may be expensive but we'll worth it. 

JenniferJohnson 

203 Glenview Place 

Chapel Hill NC 27514 

[Judy Close]

Commissioners:

Please vote NO on light rail. 

We need the money to better support other transportation options in Orange County.

 

Judy Close

3908 Windy Hill Rd

Chapel Hill, NC  27514

Ph: 919-619-5815

Fax: 425-962-1499

Email: ju...@judithcloseconsulting.com

 

[Matthew Pearsall]

County Commissioners,

I am a Chapel Hill resident and am deeply concerned about the plan to fund light rail with Durham.  Although I do think that light rail could be a good idea in principle, the current plan is fraught with warning signs as to its long term fiscal risks and doesn't actually serve the needs of Orange County citizens.  The local tax revenue projections in the proposal seem absurdly optimistic as do the ridership projections. GoTriangle is clearly invested in this plan to the point that they are willing to mislead us to make it happen.

Please vote against this plan. Do not burden us with decades of debt for a system that wont solve any problems and will leave us without money to help the people who need it most through cheaper alternatives.

Sincerely,

Matthew Pearsall

[Ted Almay]

Please vote NO on the light rail project. This makes no sense at all, $100 million a mile? Let's stop the "Orange Folly" now. Thank you!

Ted Almay

2100 Brookhollow Rd

Efland

[Rodney]

The citizens of Orange Co cannot afford the proposed rail project. Projected cost add an extra burden to already high property taxes and increasing sales tax. Also , we know that in the end, the actual cost is unknown and will be much higher than projections.
A huge majority of the citizens of Orange Co that will have to pay for it will not even be served by it. Orange co has always relied too heavily on the property owners for its revenue and has failed over many years to bring in industry and retail sources of revenue.
Thank You, Rodney Peace

[mcla...@aol.com]

On the surface the light rail seems to be a neat thing.

However the cost defy's common  logic.

If will only benefit  a few.  The money would be better spent for our school system or some other needs that benefit the majority of the people. 

Light rail is luxury item and not a necessity. 

Please vote it down. 

[Wendelin Mcbride]

It is my understanding the Light Rail Project would use any monies set aside for the expansion, improvement and support of transit systems already in place. If this is the case, I DO NOT SUPPORT LIGHT RAIL.

If Light Rail is not affordable for the poorest among us, I DO NOT SUPPORT LIGHT RAIL.

Thank you,

Wendelin J. McBride

326 North Cameron STreet

Hillsborough, NC 27278

919-732-3332

[Ann J Loftin]

Dear Commissioners,

My husband and I are taxpayers in Chapel Hill. We urge you to vote against funding the light rail plan. The 99 percent do not live along its bizarrely inconvenient corridor, nor will they be able to afford to live there once the real estate developers take it over. We would like to see our tax money used on a more flexible and affordable bus system. Light rail has nothing to do with the way we live now, nor is it adaptable to future conditions. It may look like the future, but the only 21st-century thing about light rail is the cost. Your grandchildren will be using small, electric, driverless cars, not this $$$$$ silly train.

Please vote no on Tuesday. 

Sincerely,

Ann Loftin & Fred Naiden

 

------------------------
Ann Jamison Loftin

308 Barclay Road

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

H: (919) 903-8165

M: (860) 248-0505

[Charles Recesso]

Some time ago I attended a meeting at the UNC Farm Center off Barbee Chapel Rd and sponsored by light rail proponents and it was evident to me that the ridership numbers simply don't  warrant the building of light rail in this area. Sponsors were advocating increasing these numbers by insisting that more low rent housing apartments be built near the proposed station sites. The audience was obviously opposed to such plans and the presenters had no viable answers to our questions and actually cut the meeting short. All of this had added up to my opposition to this light rail plan

. With traffic increasing here, we need solutions but this is not the answer and it's soaring costs to us taxpayers makes it even more dicey. We should stop this plan now.

Ann Recessp

[Tommy]

I am writing to you to please ask you to vote against the light rail
project in Orange County. It is of no value to anyone North and West&
East of Chapel Hill. I live in Rural Orange County and I would rather
have a service that would benefit most or all of the citizens such as
more bus service. We surely can't afford this project with cost sky
rocketing each week. I live in the Bingham Township-Tommy Holmes

[Catherine]

I don't think Orange county needs a Light Rail. I think we need to spend the money on better transportation. Better bus schedules.

[Jean Earnhardt]

Dear Board Members:

Light rail is a seductive concept -- given the right circumstances, which clearly do not exist here.

Providing light rail to a tiny corner of Orange County will not significantly improve our transportation problems, and our financial problems will be significantly worsened.

Have you really examined light rail systems around the country? Can you name any one city where light rail has lived up to its promises about cost and ridership?

I urge you to bite the bullet, admit that it's a bad idea, and don't pour any more money down the drain. Take another look at a really universal, useful bus transit system. Spend some of those millions on our aging schools.

We count on you to make rational decisions for the rest of us. Take off your rose-colored glasses. This is not Seattle, Boston or San Francisco. It's the few thousand of us who are fortunate enough to live and work in Orange County.

Be bold!

Jean Earnhardt

[Rodalyn A. Coleman]

3.3 Billion dollar price tag for transportation for Durham County Light Rail and we haven't even begun the Light Rail project! Look for more affordable transportation solutions. Ditch the Light Rail project, please.
Rodalyn A. Coleman
242 Culp Hill Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

[susanfp...@aol.com]

To the County Commissioners, I am opposed to the Light Rail.  We can't afford Light Rail and we have better transit choices.

I hope the vote will be "NO".........

susanfp...@aol.com

[Donald Norman]

Dear Orange County Commissioners,

To be concise, I am absolutely against this light rail project.

Below are the reasons:

First, we tie up so much in terms of precious financial resources on this project. This light rail project is definitely a nice to have and definitely not a need to have. If we were swimming in plenty of excess funds, I still wouldn’t agree with it for the reasons below. However, I could see how it would be rational to seek large projects to solve transportation issues. We don’t have the luxury.

Second, I have been involved with many large scale capital projects - building power plants, pipelines, gas processing plants, etc. We all know they never come in at budget. With what we have in this long-term project is a high likelihood of material overruns making it even riskier and chewing up even more capital.

Third, with transportation technology improving in leaps and bounds, I can’t believe we’d be paying for this project over 40 years. That is insane given the technological changes that will happen long before then. It would make more sense to save this money, and be ready to pounce on cutting edge technology.

Finally, I live in northern Orange county but lived in Chapel Hill for a number of years as well. In either location, I see absolutely no benefit to me, my neighbors, area businesses, or governmental entities. If it provides no value, why in the heck are we involved? Charity to our friends in Durham(not even Durham County, but only city of Durham)?

I won’t fault you for the money spent already. But, I will hold you accountable for poor decisions if you decide to move forward. I will never agree that we are “hooked" because of the money already spent.

I applaud you for bringing in an outside consultant to help analyze this project.

Please be strong and get us out of this very bad situation - we hold our trust in you to make good decisions with our future here in Orange County.

Regards,

Donald Norman
Hillsborough NC

[David Bacon]

I am opposed to having Orange County

make the massive financial commitment

to the Light Rail System.

Please focus our County resources on

Rapid Bus Transit alternatives.

David Bacon

104 Collums RD, Chapel Hill

[Edelfelt Margo]

It is past time to turn to a realistic and affordable solution to the transportation needs of Orange County. Light Rail is NOT the answer!

Margo Edelfelt

223 Culp Hill Drive

Chapel Hill, NC 27517

[Salemi, Michael Kerry]

Hello

 

I am a resident and property owner in Orange County, NC.  I oppose current light rail proposals for two reasons.  First, enhancing bus service is a more flexible and far less expensive option. Second, a light rail plan that does not include RDU is of limited value to myself and most Orange County residents.

 

Thank you.

 

Michael Salemi

9411 Laurel Springs Drive

Chapel Hill, NC 287516

[Mary J Endres]

I am not able to attend the public hearing tomorrow but want my opinion to be heard regarding the current light rail proposal.

Simply stated, we can not afford it. That may seem a short sighted view, but given the current fiscal realities and the projected fiscal realities into the next 10-20 years, that is the reality.

Transportation dollars that are likely to be available in the near and medium future will be much better spent on bus services to rural areas of the county that currently have no or very limited mass transit options. The cost/benefit analysis was somewhat marginal in the near and intermediate term even before the possibility of significant state dollars disappeared. The prospect of state dollars as disappeared, and the cost/benefit analysis now very clearly dictates that the light rail project is way beyond the means of county residents. Will be a gross miscarriage of justice and priorities if the county moves forward with light rail instead of devoting what funds are available to developing and then maintaining good public transit options that serve the rural areas of the county.

I may be sounding too rational here. I love the idea of light rail. But ideas and reality don’t always mix. Very bad and fiscally irresponsible way to move forward in terms of mass transit in Orange Co.for the foreseeable future. I’d love to be able to drive and keep up a Mercedes. Can’t afford it. And the residents of the county cannot afford even this limited first step toward light rail at the present time

Another system will need to be developed/legislated before light rail will be economically viable along the I40/I-85 corridor. A narrow belt of denser population along a long corridor with many residents in all the counties involved who still live in rural areas to the north and south and who are neglected at best and ignored at worst.

Let realistic thinking prevail.

I say emphatically NO! to the current light rail endeavor.

[Donna Bell]

Dear Colleagues

I will not be able to attend tonight’s meeting. I understand there will be a packed house full of lots of voices. Even though I can not be there, I would like to add my voice to the conversation.

I was one of the many citizens who voted for to have my taxes increase by half a cent to support transit. The transit plan I voted to support in 2011 included light rail. The Light rail project is part of a larger, multi-pronged plan to make our transit system more robust, effect, and as a tool for economic development. I still support that plan.

I do not support the plan out of inertia. I think that having these conversations is important since we as a county are looking at increased cost for a large project. That being said, while the financial investment has changed, the underlying need remains the same. What has changed is the willingness of our state Legislature to provide sufficient support for the project. We should not conflate the two issues. There is the need for light rail. There is a need to pay for the light rail. We need to invest more in the light rail project because of our state legislature.

I, as a county citizen, am excited about the potential economic development that could be created by a light rail system. The Gateway station can add millions of dollars to increase the county tax income. The light rail system tracks will be in Chapel Hill but all of Orange County benefits. It is nearly impossible to lower property taxes but increased non-residential taxes could change the rate at which we would need to increase taxes on property owners.

This is an investment with risk. I don’t know any large infrastructure project that is without risk. Chapel Hill’s Ephesus/Fordham project is a large infrastructure project that required a large up front investment with the anticipated goal of the district growing to create a higher nonresidential tax base. As more and more new business get ready to open their doors in the district, I feel more confident that the decision we made is having impact. I hope you will be willing to take a bold step to support the infrastructure we need for a more robust transit system.

Please don’t let the our current state legislative body make us lose sight of what we have identified as a need in our county. We have defined our vision not we have to support that vision.

Good luck tonight.

Donna Bell

[C Caldwell]

Dear board of commissioners:

I am writing to ask that you consider not approving the light rail for Orange County. As I understand it the route will bypass us so it would be an unfair burden for us to have to pay for something that we will not be able to fully utilize. While Chapel Hill remains a very rich and prosperous city Orange County is not as financially set to be able to handle the cost we could incur up until the year 2062. Please consider and re-consider voting for this. I am positive that there are other options available that would be just as lucrative and amenable for the residents of Orange County.

Kind regards,

Cozzetta Caldwell

[Jack Graham (Avison Young)]

“Dear Commissioners, I am a local business leader and I support the light rail plan and encourage you support it as well” is an important email or comment to make.  

 

 

John P. Graham, CCIM

Principal

jack....@avisonyoung.com

 

Avison Young – North Carolina, LLC

100 Europa Drive

Suite 190

Chapel Hill, NC 27517, USA

D	919.913.1100
T	919.968.4017

avisonyoung.com

 

---

---

Avison Young – North Carolina, LLC

 

Legal Disclaimer

 

[Mark Moshier]

Board of Commissioners,

I am a resident of Chapel Hill / Orange County.  I am raising my family here and intend to stay long term.  My wife and I both own our own businesses which are both based here.

As a commercial real estate developer and investor, most people assume I would be in favor of moving forward with this light rail project.    In this case I am not.

 

There is no doubt that light rail can provide efficient transportation for many urban communities/regions and allow for smart growth and density to be focused around light rail.  It is clearly a “best practice” when it comes to urban planning.

That being said, I visited the University of Texas @ Austin a few weeks ago and met with several graduate students that have a focus on transportation.  The discussion around light rail and BRT was very interesting and indeed they all agreed that light rail can be a great solution in certain circumstances….but they also noted that light rail should be evaluated carefully to make sure it is the correct solution for a community or region.   What will it accomplish?  Will there be enough ridership to make it effective and successful?  Can the region and the individual communities afford it?   Can you accomplish equal results with BRT or other means?  I think these are all the same questions we have been asking ourselves about light rail in Orange County.

 

My opinion on this matter changed dramatically when the funding sources for this project changed…and the revised proposals for financing this project were presented.   I do not see how the cost of this light rail can be absorbed by Orange County!  I think the assumptions made on the financing projections should be examined carefully.   It seems very optimistic to me and does not leave enough margin for error, cost overruns, inflation etc.  As the appropriate contingency is added to the financing model, the affordability decreases.   We will be saddled with debt we can’t afford.  It seems like this is very risky without more detailed evaluation.  

 

As much as we think having light rail could be used as an economic incentive for new companies to move here, the light rail debt burden could also scare them away.  I don’t think we should plow ahead with this just because it seems like this is “best practice” in urban planning.   It isn’t the best decision if we can’t afford it.

 

At this time I am not saying we should never consider light rail…I just think at this time (since the financing model has changed so much) – we should slow down and examine this very carefully…and not be afraid to walk away.

I hope that you all will continue to explore this and consider the long term ramifications for our community…

Thank you for your time and service.

 

Regards,

 

Mark E. Moshier, Principal

100 Timberhill Place, Suite 129

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

919-932-2600 :: Fax 919-967-6711

ma...@legacyrealpropertygroup.com

www.legacyrealpropertygroup.com

 

[James A. Weaks]

There was a time when we built things for our progeny with two goals in mind. First, that it would be of tangible benefit, and second, that it would not cost them more than it cost the present generation. The tangible benefit of this particular light rail project is highly suspect. Even if some measure of benefit makes sense we still cannot ignore costs and future debt.

In looking at the numbers, costs, benefits, efficiencies, etc., it appears to be the case that this project is the opposite of what we want. That is, a perceived benefit now to be paid for by our children and our children’s children.

I urge the Board to oppose this ill-conceived rail plan that will benefit only a few at the expense of everyone, especially future generations.

James A. Weaks

Hillsborough, NC

--

James A. Weaks - sent from Android

[Kim Woods]

Dear County Commissioners,

I am writing to you, which I have never done before, to request that you please vote NO on the light rail project for Orange County.  This is a complete waste of money for the citizens of this great county.  It will cost way too much money and will be grossly underutilized.  Please conserve the tax dollars and vote against this project.

Kim Woods

Schley Community

919-624-8035

[Terry Bazzarre]

Please vote NO to proposed development of the orange county light rail system.  It will benefit only a small portion of the county residents - mostly students, faculty and medical center workers ... and is going to be a tax burden for generations when we don't have enough funds to support or schools and seniors.

Thank you

Dr Terry Bazzarre

6200 High Rock Road

Efland, NC  27243

[Eric Garrison]

I wish I could attend the meeting Thursday night on the Light Rail. I am AGAINST it.

 

1)       The technology is based on 100 year old technology.  Rail is 1800’s technology.

2)       Uber has cut down on much need for public transpiration

3)       Self Driving cars will crush the need for this system

4)       The cost will never be re-couped from the project and the benefit is minimal to the overall economy of Orange County.

5)       If you were to invest $1 Billion in Fiber to rural parts of Orange county, then more people could work remote. When they work remote, less travel on the roads.

 

RTP had a much clearer vision and ROI from their investment.  You are talking about a project that will touch far fewer people than RTP does.  Fiber and 5G Cell coverage in Orange County helps many citizens in 2017 & 2018.

 

 

Eric Garrison

CEO

WTE SOLUTIONS

www.wte.net

 

Technology company based in Hillsborough, NC, Raleigh and Florida

 

 

[Cotten, Jerry]

I want to express my opposition to the proposed light rail between Chapel Hill and Durham. It is enormously expensive to tax payers throughout the county and will benefit only a very small number of people. I believe that ridership will be quite low. This is a financial boondoggle in the making. Please do not saddle Orange County with this crushing burden. It is not a practical solution to our transportation problems.

Jerry Cotten
1300 Arboretum Drive
Chapel Hill

Sent from an iPad mini

[Karen Beneville]

We can't afford this and we don't need it. We are more rural than city

Sent from my iPhone

[Mary J Endres]

Hello Orange County Commissioners:

I am writing to voice my opposition to proceeding with the Light Rail plans.

I love the idea of Light Rail. I understand the benefits of getting started with Light Rail. The population of the Triangle in general and southern Orange in particular is only going to continue to grow. The reality is, however, that the costs for the foreseeable future outweigh the benefits and the costs have escalated to the point, especially with the huge reduction in anticipated state funds to the point that the citizens of Orange Co. simply can not afford it. County dollars designated for mass transit would be much better spent on buses, which would have the added benefit of being able to improve public transportation for the entire county and for those most in need of it. Light rail at the present time has changed from a feasible idea to a wonderful, but unaffordable dream.

My position is not based on me living in northern Orange. I worked in Chapel Hill for several years until I recently retired. Before that I worked in Hillsborough. In both instances I served low income folks, including low wage workers in the county at public mental health clinics. I have witnessed for many years the difficulties not having public transportation creates for people outside of Chapel Hill who either don’t have a vehicle or do have the income to reliably keep a vehicle on the road and legal so they can get to their low wage jobs or get to healthcare appointments.

As high as the cost of living is in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, any people who most need public transportation still make the difficult choice to pay those high rents because of the availability of public bus service, especially the Chapel Hill bus service. For folks living in Hillsborough, extending bus service has been helpful, though the extent of the service is still sufficiently limited as to make it very difficult and time consuming to get to Chapel Hill for work or medical appointments. But it is now doable. After working in the Chapel Hill clinic for several years, the positive impact of the excellent bus service there for low income people who live there, compared to those who live out in the county are startling apparent.

I realize the population of the county is concentrated in and around Chapel Hill, but the county must also be responsive to the needs of folks in the rural parts of the county and especially in northern Orange. They are citizens of the county also. The reality is they do not get the ‘same bang for their tax bucks’ as do folks in the southern part of the county.

I don’t want to sound overly altruistic. I have concerns about increases in my taxes, both real and sales taxes. I made a very practical but difficult decision to move from Hillsborough 8-9 years ago because the place became so nice and had so many amenities that came with higher taxes and property values and people with higher incomes moving in, that it just did not make sound financial sense for me to stay and let my old house fall down around my ears because I had to choose between paying taxes and making home repairs. As lovely as the nice brown signs, Gold Park, the River Walk, etc., are, I would have rather been able to stay in Hillsborough, sans those amenities. And yes, I understand a good part of the increase in taxes was because of increase in real value as Hillsborough became such a hot real estate market for increasingly well-off people.

It seems clear to me that the costs of Light Rail are simply out of reach for too many people in Orange Co. weighed against the benefits to residents of the county short and medium term. My philosophy and politics are progressive, but practical. Big ideas require big money. Unless the Board is only interested in very well-off people living in Orange Co., you need to focus on developing the bus system for the foreseeable future instead of light rail.

Sincerely and respectfully yours,

Mary Jane Endres
505 E. Graham St.
Mebane, NC 27302

[Terrie Kocienda]

Hello,

I send this email already convinced that your mind is made up about this issue.  But ask you to please consider other options for Transit.  My brother lives in Charlotte and they said the light rail there was a complete waste of money and doesn't help the people it was suppose to help.

Please stop and consider other forms of transportation and move this to the way back until you have considered all options.

Thank you,

Terrie Kocienda

Chapel Hill, NC

[Maureen Blouin]

Please vote no for light rail in orange County.
The financial risk is too high and this provides no RDU route, and by passes downtown.
Maureen Blouin
102 Lake Manor Rd
Chapel Hill NC 27516

[Thomas Cole]

Dear Commissioners,

I received a flyer in my mailbox urging me to complain about light rail. However, I am strongly in favor of light rail, and have been since I moved to NC in 1985. Light rail would take cars off the roads and would enable our greatest job creators—UNC and Duke—to collaborate and grow stronger. On a personal level, I would love to be able to ride the rail over to Durham to catch a ball game or a show. Sure, it would be great if the train would go to the airport and serve all communities in Orange and Durham counties, but at least it is a start. We need alternatives to cars and buses. I understand that the current state legislature is not interested and we may have to pay more for our own system, but so be it. Maybe UNC and Duke will chip in, since it will benefit them a lot. Regardless of who pays, I am in favor of light rail for our area. I am not sure who would be against it, unless they are planning to move out of the area in the next 5-10 years before light rail is completed. If that is their reason for opposing light rail, it is mean-spirited and self-centered.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Thomas Cole

Carrboro

[Ruth Gibson]

Dear Friends,

I understand you will be considering whether or not to go forward with plans for the Light Rail at your upcoming meeting.  Please, do not give up on it!!  Citizens of Orange County want it, have voted for it, have vote to fund it with our tax dollars, have already been paying taxes for it.

We want a light rail system to help us travel to neighboring communities and across our own.  The light rail is an important asset for sustainable growth .Our county needs it, and looking to the future, in hope that a decent quality of life can be sustained for all beings, I would even venture to say, our whole planet needs the light rail, because we need to be doing everything we can to reduce our use of fossil fuels and sustainalbe mass transit is an important part of the solution.

Please don't let us down,  Please let the light rail go forward.

Sincerely,

Ruth Gibson

Chapel Hill

[Linda Rubin]

I am a long time Orange County resident and registered voter.
I do not believe Light rail will serve Orange County. We can't afford it, it doesn't meet my needs, doesn't have stops useful to Orange County residents and takes money away from services that are useful. Please vote this Light Rail down on April 27.

Linda L Rubin
112 Autumn Lane,
Chapel Hill, NC

Sent from my iPad

[Mattingly, Dianne M]

Dear Commissioners,

Thank you for all you do to serve our wonderful county.

I am writing to encourage you to please vote NO to the Light Rail. It may have been a good idea years ago in concept; but now the population has out-grown the project before it’s even funded.

 

As a citizen and UNC employee I am very appreciative for the Chapel Hill public transit and have commuted to work by bus for over 10 years. Most of those years were free, but now I  pay $300./yr to park in the park and ride. It too is having growing pains. There are needed routes to connect the thriving communities throughout Orange county.

 

This transit plan will take away money from more affordable bus investments.  It will serve a select few, but not most Orange County residents, including working families who need affordable/reliable commuting options. Seniors and low-income communities are left out.

 

Having public transit service to the airport and RTP are critical for any real improvements and ease of commuter traffic congestion.  Please consider working for a better system for all.

 

Thank you,

Dianne Mattingly

 

Dianne Mattingly, RN, CCRP

HCV-Target Data Monitor

Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Dept. of Medicine-UNC

CB 7555, 130 Mason Farm Rd

Chapel Hill, NC  27599-7555

919-843-6343

 

[Michael LaBarr]

Good afternoon,

Wanted to send a quick note to voice my concern over the proposed light rail. As someone who lives in Hillsborough, I don't see as how the light rail will provide a benefit to a major portion of the county. I would have to drive 20-30 minutes to get to the light rail, so I can take another 20-30 minutes to get where I could have been more quickly if I had stayed in my car (if that makes sense).

With the growth that is going to happen in Hillsborough and the northern part of the county, I believe that spending on schools and infrastructure would be a more sensible spend. As you know, we've already taken out extensive loans to fix the existing schools, but that still falls a few hundred million short of what we need to fix existing issues. Let's focus on improving our schools (Orange High, for example, looks like a demilitarized zone; Cameron Park looks like it's a strong wind from falling down, etc., etc.)

And the congestion on 40 and 85 going through the county is only going to get worse (there is no way light rail will alleviate those issues because that is not only OC residents, but Alamance and beyond who work in RTP or people traveling between Greensboro, Charlotte, and RTP. Let's focus on widening those roads instead!

As a relocated Yankee, one of the main reasons we moved here was because of the lower cost of living. We paid in excess of $12,000 in property taxes annually up north. My Hillsborough taxes are truly starting to creep that way. I will probably pay a little over $6,000 this year, and we don't get nearly the services we received for $12,000 ... our children went to some of the best public schools in the nation; OC schools, though ok, are not even close. Let's focus on improving the education our kids receive and the pay our teachers receive ... they deserve it.

Thank you for your time.

Best of luck with the vote; I hope you do the right thing for all of Orange County, not just a small slice of it.

 

Michael LaBarr

Waterstone Estates

Hillsborough, NC
Cell: 201.913.4056

[Josie C]

Dear Orange County Commissioners,

This is the second time I've written to you regarding the light rail so I apologize for the repeat message.  However, there was something that bothered me after attending most of the public hearing the other day, and it struck me again today at the March for Science in Raleigh.  I did not speak at the public hearing, but I tried to do a lot of listening.  I'm afraid that our community is displaying some of the same distrust for expertise that has caused our nation to become totally derailed over the past few years, and that has me really worried.

I'm a data scientist and I've become convinced that the blessing and the curse of so much publically available data now is that anyone can do their own "research" and come to conclusions they consider as defensible as the experts'.  My understanding of the current situation is that an independent, reputable company was recruited to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis and they found the light rail to be the most cost-effective means of handling our transportation problem.  It is important to understand that all models are imperfect; they are simplifications of the overarching data trends.  Model results are approximations based on assumptions, and they always come with a margin of error.  Their outputs should not be interpreted as facts. 

However, a well-constructed model is almost always more accurate than opinions, especially uninformed opinions.  It is absolutely reasonable to examine the model's assumptions, as one gentleman who indicated a level of expertise did at the meeting.  His motivations should also be examined, since he is not an independent reputable team of analysts and should not be given the weight of one.

I was reassured that those at the meeting who seemed to have trust in math and science represented a diverse sector of our community, with many more cumulative years before them to reap the benefits of the new light rail system.  I urge you to ask meaningful questions and place some level of faith in expertise, as they have, and to support the light rail project.

Many thanks,

Josie Caves

[Joe Patterson]

Dear Commissioners,

I wish to urge you to vote against funding for the proposed light rail project. The costs are massive and unpredictable, while the purported benefits are limited, uncertain, and accrue to only a small number of county residents.

Thank you,

Joe Patterson
7 Cobb Terrace
Chapel Hill

[Mary Ellen McGuire]

To the Commissioners,

I write out of concern for the proposed Light Rail. While I am in favor of green commuting options, it seems that this will not meet the needs that currently exist in Orange County. My job involves much work with both the rich and the poor: the rich have cars and likely will not use the Rail. The poor need local transportation for jobs, doctor's appointments, shopping, errands, etc. A few may commute along the proposed corridor, but most probably not.

For the exorbitant amount of money we would need to spend, it seems there are better ways to address transportation needs at this time, e.g. increased bus service.

Also, why is it that a decision this huge is not put on a ballot? This is far, far more money than the ballot proposals of tax monies for school improvements last November, and yet it is being handled by public hearings instead of ballot. A decision of this magnitude surely needs more weigh-in from residents.

I appreciate all the work you do. Even if we don't always say it, we appreciate your service to the community.

Sincerely,
Mary Ellen McGuire
2610 White Cross Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

[Phill]

Commissioners:
The more I read about and think about light rail, the more convinced I become it is the wrong idea at the wrong time. I agree that pathways need to be preserved for future growth.

Light rail is simply too rigid. Patterns of travel behavior change. How would light rail serve RTP? The RTP campuses are huge. It still would require bus services to get to buildings more than a mile from entrances.

I can see acquiring land along the propsed light rail routes for buses or vans that can use secondary roads to serve the wide variety of destinations Certainly a rote to RDU makes sense..

I urge you to back awy from light rail.

regards
Phill Trainor
412 Bayberry dr.
Chapel Hill NC 27517

[HB Phillips]

Please vote “No” on Light Rail.

I have lived in a metropolitan area and used commuter rail, so that I could avoid the road traffic.
The commuter rail was established and aging when I moved there and was expensive to modernize and in the meantime the trains were breaking down often. When I had a child, I had to start driving to work since daycare was near work, and I wanted to have a car at the ready in an emergency. At least the city I worked in had train and bus service in the city, so that I could park at work and walk or get around the city without my car.

Living in Orange County, I have to drive to everything. At work, in RTP, I cannot do anything on a lunch or work break unless I drive there.
My commute time continues to increase. That said, the Light Rail proposed will not do anything to alleviate the congestion along my commute route 15-501 and I-40. And it does not provide service to RTP or the airport, which would be useful to me and visitors. And, it will likely cost me money for a service that me, my community and visitors will not benefit from.

Please consider other transit plans, such as more bus routes with buses that use clean energy.

Please vote “No” on Light Rail.

Thank you, Heather Phillips, Orange County Resident

[scf...@bellsouth.net]

 

Please vote NO on the Light Rail Transit.  We can’t afford Light Rail and we have better transit choices. Please keep Chapel Hill and Carrboro with the small town feel and with the diversity of our UNC college campus uniqueness.

 

Thanks

 

Sabriner Cotton

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

[Stephen Smith]

I urge you to vote NO on moving forward with the light rail project. When I voted Yes on the increased taxes to fund mass transit the estimated cost to Orange County tax payers was nowhere near the cost estimates now. I'm very much in favor of mass transit but not mass transit that only connects the southeast tip of Orange County to Durham and is of no value to the majority of Orange County residents.  

Sincerely,

Stephen Smith

Hillsborough, NC