Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I get bus information?

Bus route information can be obtained via the Bus Book, OCTA website, or by calling the Customer Information Center. For regional information, go to the OCTA website and click on the Trip Planner logo, or by clicking here. Your Trip will ask for your starting point and destination, and provide you with a trip itinerary. For regional trip planning, please visit commutesmart.info.

If you would like more specific information about an individual bus route, maove your mouse over the "Bus" tab and click on "Schedules and Maps",  then click on the appropriate number, or you can click here. You can download or print a timetable, or choose to look at a schedule for a connecting route.

Bus Books are available on all OCTA buses, and in most public libraries and some transit centers.

Bilingual Representatives are available to assist you with all of your planning needs, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You can reach a Representative by calling 714.636.RIDE, press 1 and then 1 again. The Customer Information Center is open M-F 5AM - 10PM, Saturday and Sunday 7AM - 7PM and Holidays 8AM - 5PM.

2. What do I need to know when riding the bus?

• Arrive at the bus stop at least 10 minutes early. Be standing at the stop, ready to board, when the bus arrives.
• Have exact fare ready. Fareboxes accept coins (no pennies) and dollar bills but do not make change. You may also show your monthly pass or day pass which are easier to use and save you money. Show proper identification if using a Senior & Disabled Pass each time you board a bus.
• Board the bus through the front doors.
• Please keep front seats available for disabled persons and senior citizens. Please move from a front seat to allow a disabled person or senior citizen to sit there if requested by the coach operator.
• As your stop approaches, ring the chime or pull the signal cord located along the inside windows. This signals the driver to stop at the next bus stop.
• Exit through the rear door. Hold onto the yellow tapes to ensure that the doors stay open. Please allow small children to exit first.
• Please be aware of the following while on the bus:
  --No smoking on the bus.
  --No eating or drinking on the bus.
  --Service animals are allowed to accompany persons with disabilities.
  --All radios, cassettes and compact disc players must be used with earphones

3. How do I know when there are changes to a route, bus stop, schedule, etc.

Changes to bus routes are posted directly at affected stops along the routes. Information regarding stops which are being changed or discontinued, as well as detour information, is also posted at bus stops. Schedule changes and other information important for the public are printed on Riders' Alerts. These Alerts, in English and Spanish, are printed on brightly colored paper, usually yellow, and inserted in holders inside buses. This information can also be obtained by calling our Riders' Alert hotline at 714.636.RIDE, press 1 and then 2. This information is updated weekly. Riders' Alert information can also be found on OCTA's website.

4. To plan a trip, access Your Trip from our website using the following steps:

1. Go to our home page, www.octa.net.

2. Click on the "Just Click" trip planner logo, or visit www.octa.net/justclick.

"Just Click" will ask for your starting point and destination, and then will provide you with a trip itinerary.

For Trips in and out of Orange County, please visit commutesmart.info.

If you would like more specific information about an individual route, this information can be accessed by clicking here, or by taking the following steps:

1. Go to our home page, www.octa.net.
2. Move your mouse over “Bus” link.
3. Select "Schedules and Maps".
4. Select the appropriate route number.
5. Click on the icon in the “Schedule and Map” column.
6. If a change has been made to a route, an exclamation mark will be found under the Riders' Alert Page.

You can download or print a timetable, or choose to look at a schedule for a connecting route.

If you need further information about routes and schedules, please call our Customer Information Center at 714.636.RIDE, extension 1. The Customer Information Center is open weekdays 5 AM-10 PM, weekends 7 AM-7 PM and major holidays, 8 AM-5 PM

5. What is the procedure for boarding my bike on the bus and being sure I get my bike off the bus when I disembark?

Have your bike ready to go when the bus approaches. Be certain you have already removed water bottles, air pumps, and other loose items that might fall off.

Let the bus driver know you are going to put your bike on the rack. Then load your bike onto the rack. When you board the bus, let the driver know where you will be exiting.

For your safety and convenience, when you exit the bus through the front door, please tell the coach operator that you will be removing your bike from the bike rack. If your bike is the only one on the rack when you remove it, please put the bike rack in the upright position. You only need one hand to fold or unfold the bike rack.

6. Will all sizes of wheelchairs fit on all OCTA buses?

All OCTA buses are accessible to persons with disabilities. However, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has set guidelines for the size and weight of mobility devices which can be transported on public transit vehicles. OCTA cannot transport devices which exceed these guidelines because the bus lifts are not designed to hold additional weight. Also, physical problems could be sustained by coach operators accommodating devices in excess of the guidelines. ADA guidelines define a "common wheelchair," which OCTA buses are able to carry, as a device no larger than 30 inches wide and 48 inches long when measured two inches above the ground. Additionally, the combined weight of the wheelchair and occupant cannot exceed 600 pounds.

7. Why do I need to show proof of age/disability to a coach operator every time I board the bus when it is obvious that I am elderly or disabled?

When OCTA initiated the sale of day passes on buses in 1999, a policy was established to ensure that only those individuals entitled to receive a reduced fare actually paid the reduced fare amount. All individuals, regardless of physical appearance, must present proof of their disability/age when requesting reduced fare. This policy ensures all customers are treated equally and it is not left up to the coach operator to determine if a customer is elderly or disabled.

8. Why won't a coach operator force someone to move from the reserved seating in the front of the bus when someone who is disabled needs that seat?

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), coach operators must "request" that a passenger move from the front seats designated for the disabled, but may not "force" the passenger to do so. If you are elderly or disabled and need to sit in the front seats, and those seats are occupied, please talk to the coach operator who will then request the occupants of those seats move to other seats. Keep in mind that the individual(s) already occupying those seats may be elderly or disabled as well.

9. How do I get an item back that I left on the bus?

Please check with Lost and Found the following business day to see if your item has been turned in. The phone number for Lost and Found is (714) 560-5934. You will need to provide a detailed description of the item that was lost, when it was lost, the bus route number, direction you were traveling and time you boarded the bus. Lost and Found is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10AM to 6PM and Thursday from 11AM to 7PM.

10. Some OCTA buses are very crowded. What is being done to keep up with the increasing numbers of people using the bus system?

Growth in bus ridership has made OCTA the second fastest growing transportation system in the country. OCTA continues to try and keep pace with this increasing ridership. New buses will be acquired over the next few years. These additional buses will help to alleviate overcrowded conditions on existing buses. OCTA is continually recruiting new coach operators to accommodate the additional service. Bus service will continue to be added to keep pace with the increasing ridership.

11. I was across the street and the bus pulled away before I was able to get to the stop. Shouldn't the driver have waited for me?

OCTA stresses the importance of customers being at bus stops, ready to board the bus before it arrives. This way, the coach operator can remain on schedule, and customers will be delivered to their destinations on time. There are several reasons why a driver may not wait for a customer before leaving a bus stop. Oftentimes, the operator is not aware that a person on the other side of the street wishes to board his/her bus. Additionally, there is a safety issue involved in customers running across streets to catch a bus.

12. What happens to my suggestion for expanding bus service/adding additional service/new service?

These suggestions are forwarded to OCTA's Planning Department for review. Service changes occur three times per year -- in March, June and September. Changes are made based on requests by customers and available resources.

13. If I call to compliment a coach operator, will the coach operator be informed of my compliment?

If you call, write or email us concerning a positive experience you have had with a coach operator, that operator will be acknowledged by the Supervisor at his/her bus division for providing excellent customer service.

14. What happens when I make a complaint against a coach operator?

A Customer Relations staff person inputs the information from your complaint into a computer system for record-keeping purposes. The complaint is then sent to the appropriate bus base for a response. The base manager speaks to the coach operator regarding the complaint and appropriate action is taken. A response to the complaint is then sent to Customer Relations. Customer Relations will get back in touch with you if you requested a phone call, letter or email when making the complaint.

15. Why do I have to give my name, address and phone number when I make a complaint or suggestion to Customer Relations?

In order for Customer Relations to get back in touch with you should you request a response, your name and address or telephone number is needed. Providing this information also lends credibility to your communication.

16. Who can I call to place an advertisement on the exterior and/or interior of an OCTA bus?

You can call OCTA's vendor, Titan Worldwide, regarding placement of advertisements on our buses. Just ask for an Orange County representative at (714) 522-2262. If you are interested in placing an advertisement on a bus shelter, you will need to call the city government where the bus shelter is located. Each city manages its own bus shelter advertisement program.