Ken Larsen's website - Board of Orange County Commissioners DOLRT discussion November 1, 2018

 

On November 1, 2018 GoTriangle presented a quarterly status report on DOLRT to the BOCC.  Here are a few excerpts from the meeting: 

 

Speaker* Summary Ken's comments
Earl McKee Commissioner McKee debates GoTriangle's John Talmidge (interim project director of DOLRT) over GoTriangle's refusal to fully document the true cost of DOLRT.  GoTriangle omits the debt burden in assessing the true cost.  They refuse to include any debt burden beyond the year 2032 ... purporting that that is part of the ground rules. The obfuscation tactics of GoTriangle are truly appalling.  Cheers to Earl for questioning GoTriangle.  He has been raising these issues for years, but unfortunately the majority of the BOCC commissioners have not done the same.  They support DOLRT.
Bonnie Hauser Debt burden has been ignored in GoTriangle's pronouncements about the true cost of DOLRT.  Ignoring the debt burden deceives the public into believing that DOLRT's cost is being contained.  In realty, it is spiraling upward.
Cherie Hartman There is a high probability that the Federal government won't fund DOLRT. 

Regarding the ROMF:  GoTriangle is ignoring wetlands + they're cutting into the buffer for I-40.

Duke University and downtown Durham businesses have raised objections to DOLRT.
GoTriangle and the public officials who support DOLRT have totally ignored reality.  They continue to blindly support DOLRT.
Penny Rich Asserts that debt service is not being ignored. I disagree with Penny.  She and her fellow BOCC commissioners may actively talk about debt service in their budget discussions, but the general public is unaware of it.  A light needs to be thrown on it by including it when citing the overhaul cost of DOLRT. 
Mia Burroughs Mia has been an Orange County Commissioner who has strongly supported DOLRT and believes it will reduce vehicular traffic.  She cites the fact that she has been traveling the corridor for the past five years and now is late for her Jazzercize class because of the increased traffic.

[Note:  In early 2018 Mia decided not to run for reelection.  Her term ends in December 2018.]

Here are Mia's April 27, 2017 comments on why she supports DOLRT.
Regarding Mia's being late for Jazzercise class:  If DOLRT were available, would Mia ride it to get to her Jazzercise class?  I expect not ... otherwise she would be even later.   "Report:  98 Percent of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation for Others"

DOLRT will not reduce vehicular traffic.  The at-grade crossings and low ridership will make it worse.

 

* -Click on a name to see the video

 

DOLRT = Durham-Orange County Light Rail project

BOCC = Board of Orange County Commissioners

 

 

 

Background information:Ken Larsen's assessment of DOLRT

 

 

Ken Larsen's home page