Transit Governance Interlocal Agreement

Summary of Actions

April 2016

View the complete Transit Governance Interlocal Agreement

Transit in our community is planned and provided by a variety of agencies including the City of Raleigh, Town of Cary, GoTriangle, Wake County, N.C. State University and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO). The Wake County Transit Plan, which is a collaboration of all these agencies, will significantly increase our community’s investment in transit. The Transit Governance Interlocal Agreement (ILA) will guide the plan’s planning, funding, expansion and construction and the roles and responsibilities of each agency.

  1. How will the ILA ensure that Wake tax dollars are spent appropriately?
    The ILA establishes financial reporting requirements that will allow decision-makers and the public to be able to clearly see how money is being spent on projects and services. The financial reports will be tied directly to plans adopted by the GoTriangle Board of Trustees and the CAMPO Executive Board. The ILA provides specific protections that Wake County transit funds can be used only as directed by the adopted Wake County Transit Work Plan.
  2. How will municipalities and other stakeholders be included?
    The ILA charges all parties with providing staff to review and vet strategies for implementating the transit plan through the Transit Planning Advisory Committee (TPAC). All municipalities, transit providers and interested agencies also may join these conversations. The TPAC is required to discuss issues and develop solutions at a more detailed level than any other existing group.
  3. Who makes decisions about how the transit plan is implemented?
    The ILA establishes that the GoTriangle Board of Trustees and the CAMPO Executive Board will jointly set the direction of transit investment. All municipalities and Wake County have representation on the CAMPO Executive Board. Additionally, Wake County, Cary and Raleigh have representation on the GoTriangle Board of Trustees.
  4. How often will the implementation plan be updated?
    The ILA requires that parties review and approve transit planning documents yearly. The annual cycle will allow all parties to stay updated on how planning, construction and operations are progressing and to adjust as needed.
  5. Who will implement the major transit projects?
    The ILA does not specify this. The ILA requires the TPAC to recommend a lead agency for each effort and requires that implementation agreements for each project be developed. These implementation agreements will cover funding for the project, who will manage construction and what agency will operate the service.
  6. Does the ILA preclude a municipality or agency from doing transit or transportation investments on its own?
    No. Projects that do not and will not use these funds are not affected by this ILA.
  7. How will the public be involved?
    The ILA charges all parties with developing coherent, transparent public outreach strategies that include using a variety of communications tools to effectively share accurate information to residents throughout the county. These strategies will align with other local outreach requirements and efforts.
  8. How does this ILA relate to activities in Durham, Orange or other counties?
    The ILA requires that all sales tax and other money from countywide funding sources be spent in compliance with the Wake County Transit Work Plan as adopted by the GoTriangle Board of Trustees and the CAMPO Executive Board. If projects that cross county lines are included in the Wake County Transit Work Plan, they may be eligible for funding, but that funding would be part of a separate capital or operating funding agreement. Projects not listed in the Wake County Transit Work Plan will not be eligible for funding, and the ILA includes protections to ensure that funds are allocated and spent only as programmed.
  9. What will happen if the GoTriangle Board of Trustees and the CAMPO Executive Board cannot agree on a transit work plan?
    The ILA states that the Wake County Board of Commissioners has the authority to establish a committee process to work through and resolve issues. This process is focused on creating viable alternatives for the committee to consider and compare. The committee is required to make a timely decision on the alternatives presented. The ILA requires that parties agree that the decisions of this committee are binding.
  10. What happens if sales tax or other revenues are lower than expected?
    The ILA establishes reserves and balances that will be maintained in anticipation of normal fluctuations and to demonstrate fiscal strength. The ILA also requires the TPAC to develop funding scenarios and options for delaying or accelerating projects based on revenue. The TPAC will recommend a solution to the reduced revenues for the GoTriangle Board of Trustees and the CAMPO Executive Board to consider.
  11. What happens if a new project, not anticipated by the Wake County Transit Plan, is needed?
    The Wake County Transit Plan, well vetted by the public, will be the plan of record for implementing our transit services. If a new project is identified, it would need to be compared with all other projects in the plan. The TPAC will evaluate how the new project would align with other projects and make recommendations for the GoTriangle Board of Trustees and the CAMPO Executive Board to consider. Major changes to the Wake County Transit Plan would require extensive public engagement.
  12. With this ILA who is ultimately responsible for projects?
    Many agencies share duties in transit planning today so the ILA requires implementation agreements to move projects and studies along efficiently. The agreements clearly identify a lead agency to facilitate the process, other agencies and entities needed for the project, how decisions will be made and what metrics will be used.
  13. What will happen if an agency or entity does not perform as expected?
    The ILA requires regular reporting to verify agency performance. These reports will be tied to the expectations and responsibilities listed within the project implementation agreements, which will also include remedies for nonperformance up to and including cancellation of the agreement.