In light of recent financial impacts on the transit system, OCTA is developing a long-range transit strategy that identifies broad objectives for meeting future transit demand. These objectives will guide the transit vision for OCTA’s 2010 LRTP, and will provide input into both the 2011 Orange County Sustainable Communities Strategy (OC SCS) and the Southern California Association of Governments’ 2012 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The OC SCS integrates land use and transportation plans in an effort to reduce greenhouse gases and will ultimately be folded into the 2012 RTP.
In March 2010, the OCTA Board directed staff to share the draft transit strategy with local jurisdictions to gather local input and begin land use and transportation coordination efforts. The draft transit strategy includes the following seven objectives:
- Target high-demand corridors for improvements to fixed-route frequencies and hours of operations;
The Draft Transit Strategy for the 2010 Long-Range Transportation Plan identifies key corridors linking Orange County’s major employment centers and higher-density residential areas. These high-demand corridors have been identified as capable of supporting 15-minute or better bus service, based on historic transit demand. These corridors also include proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes along Harbor Boulevard, State College Boulevard/Bristol, and Westminster/17th Street.
- Initiate bus rapid transit (BRT) services;
Local transit connectivity provides the link between regional transit services (e.g. Metrolink and express bus) and local destinations. Community circulators identified and implemented through Measure M2 will help to improve this connectivity and make transit a more viable mode. This would also be supported by ridesharing and multimodal travel opportunities, such as those identified in the 2009 OCTA Commuter Bikeways Strategic Plan.
- Invest in California high-speed rail, Metrolink, and Go Local feeders;
Another element in providing region-wide connectivity is having a strong transit “backbone.” Expansion and improvements to the rail network would increase the effectiveness of the transit network. Some of these improvements include increased Metrolink service, station improvements (such as the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center), and the Go Local (transit connections to rail) Program. These improvements would also be complemented by the State of California’s high-speed rail project that will ultimately provide service to Sacramento and San Francisco from Anaheim.
- Explore express bus opportunities;
The advantage of flexibility offered by express bus service is an important element in providing access to major destination areas and improving region-wide connectivity. Potential express bus corridors have been identified in the Draft Transit Strategy; however, they require further study and consultation with local agencies before moving forward with implementation.
- Coordinate service planning with land-uses;
Coordinated transit service and land use patterns would greatly improve the effectiveness of transit. Senate Bill 375 offers incentives for land use developments with access to high-quality transit corridors (corridors with 15-minute or better headways) and major transit stops. In an effort to begin coordination, the LRTP transit strategy will be shared with local land use agencies.
- Seek funding and savings for transit operations.
Funding is a major challenge for restoring bus service levels, as well as planning new services for the 2010 LRTP. To address this, OCTA will continue to seek funding opportunities that support transit service, and work to ensure that Orange County’s transit is sustainable and cost-effective.
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