One of the most vibrant, colorful, inventive, progressive and fun places to visit in North Carolina, Orange County attracts a wide variety of people. The Orange Transit Plan reflects an opportunity to move forward with transit services and projects that will shape the future of Orange County and the western part of the Triangle.

Read the complete plan

In order to make these goals possible, the plan will:

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  Improve bus service

  • Add new hours of bus service in both urban and rural Orange County
  • Financially support the existing transit system
  • Provide connections to destinations throughout the county, Alamance, Durham and Wake counties
  • Provide 34,000 hours of bus service
• 

  Implement light rail service

  The light-rail project is a 17.7-mile line that will provide over 26,000 trips per day to residents and commuters in Durham and Chapel Hill. The rail project will also:

  • Provide 50,000 hours annually of high-capacity, efficient and reliable rail service between Durham and Chapel Hill
  • Improve mobility in one of the region’s most traveled corridors
  • Accelerate economic growth
  • Encourage transit-oriented development
• 

  Implement bus rapid transit

  A bus rapid transit (BRT) project that provides more efficient and effective transit through the congested core of Chapel Hill, UNC and the UNC Medical Center.

• 

  Improve rider experience

  New and improved bus stops with amenities such as benches and shelters. Access improvements such as sidewalks and trails.

• 

  Build intercity train station

  A new intercity (Amtrak) train station in Hillsborough, linking northern Orange County to destinations throughout North Carolina and along the East Coast with fast passenger rail.

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How are these plans being funded?

There are four dedicated revenue streams used to fund the local share of projects and services, called Tax District Revenues. These four dedicated Tax District Revenue streams, collected in both Durham and Orange Counties, are as follows:

• Article 43: Half-Cent Sales and Use Tax
• Article 50: Five-Percent Vehicle Rental Tax
• Article 51: Three-Dollar increase to GoTriangle Regional Vehicle Registration Fee
• Article 52: Seven Dollar County Vehicle Registration Fee

Many of the projects and services will be funded through a combination of Tax District Revenue and other funds, including farebox revenues, state funds and federal funds, to equitably meet the transportation needs and goals of Durham and Orange Counties.

• View Appendix A: Cash Flow Details
• View Appendix B: Transit Plan Risk and Mitigation Strategies
• View Appendix C: Public Comments
• View Appendix D: Moody's Sales Tax Forecast