A 25-year plan to beef up bus service and launch rail transit service for Durham County won approval by two regional boards today, clearing the way for a key vote expected next Monday.

The Durham County commissioners are expected to decide Monday whether to schedule a referendum in October on a proposed half-cent increase in the local sales tax. It would generate an estimated $17.3 million a year to pay most of the local share of capital costs for proposed new buses, a light rail line from Chapel Hill to Durham, and a commuter train service from Durham through Research Triangle Park to Cary, Raleigh and Garner. (See June 13 story with details, map and reader comments.) ... [MORE]

Commuter trains and light-rail trains eventually -- and lots more buses right away. That's the heart of newly detailed 25-year plans for building up public transportation across the Triangle. (See today's story with reader comments.)

You can learn more and express your opinion at public information sessions planned in Orange and Durham counties this week, and a public hearing in Durham tonight.

Wake County's plan is running a few months behind, but it will share the emphasis laid out in the new Orange and Durham transit finance plans: If voters approve a half-cent transit sales tax, they will see a quick increase in service with more frequent buses, new bus routes to outlying towns, more service to major job centers, longer bus hours on evenings and weekends, and nicer bus stop amenities. ... [MORE]

Five public information sessions are planned over the next two weeks to outline new financial plans for proposed bus, light rail and commuter rail transit improvements in Orange and Durham counties.

The Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization will sponsor the meetings to discuss project plans and outline proposals to pay for them with a combination of state and federal funds and revenues from  a proposed half-cent local sales tax.

The meetings will be held:

- June 7, 4-6:30 p.m., Southwest Library, 3605 Shannon Road, Durham.
- June 8, 4-7 p.m., Holton Career and Resource Center Senior Room, 401 N. Driver St., Durham.
- June 14, 4-7 p.m., Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill.
- June 15, 3-6 p.m., North Regional Library, 221 Milton Road, Durham.
- June 16, 4-7 p.m., Orange County Library, 137 W. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough.

If county commissioners agree, voters in both counties will be asked to approve the transit sales tax in a referendum this fall or next year.

The draft plans and more details will be posted online.
 

UNC will host the NCAA Chapel Hill Baseball Regional Games this weekend, June 3-5, and on Monday, June 6, if a game 7 is necessary. Ridge Road will be closed to thru traffic approximately four hours prior to game time each date and until the end of the egress each night. However, Chapel Hill Transit buses will be allowed entrance along this corridor to maintain their normal routes.

CHT routes traveling along Ridge Road and Stadium Drive may experience schedule delays because of the expected increased pedestrian traffic along this area. These possible schedule delays may affect the following routes during the event: A, CCX, NU, RU, PX and U. CHT will attempt to operate the normal printed schedule on these routes. While every attempt will be made to maintain schedules, CHT is advising customers to expect delays due to traffic congestion and to allow extra travel time.

For questions concerning any of the information, please contact a CHT at 969-4900.