Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the different tabs on the trip planner?
A:  You can plan your trip by selecting your origin and destination a couple of different ways. You can use any of the tabs (Address, Intersection, Landmark or Stop) to provide us with your beginning and ending locations.

Q: How do I know which tab to use on the trip planner?
A:  You can use the tab that best corresponds with the information you have. For example, the Landmarks tab is good if you are starting or ending at a well-known location, like an airport, amusement park, train station, library, school, or shopping center. If you know the major cross-streets of where you will be starting or ending, then the Intersections tab may work best for you. The Address tab is best if you know the exact street address of where you are travelling to, or from. Lastly, the Stop tab is good if you know the name of your stop. Click here to download a list of all the stops on your route. If you are having a hard time entering your information on one tab, try entering it in on another tab.

Q: The trip planner is telling me that there are no trips available. Why?
A:  There are a couple different reasons why the trip planner may not be able to find a trip for you. The trip planner provides information within a two-hour timeframe. There may be no bus or rail service within two hours of your requested time. In that case, try planning your trip for a different time, or check the bus and Metrolink schedules to find a time that will work for you. You may also receive this message if your trip is outside Orange County. In that case, try using Google Transit or the regional 511 service.

Q: Why can’t the trip planner find my location?
A:  The trip planner only has Orange County locations in the system. If your starting or ending location is outside of the county, you can try using Google Transit or the regional 511 (http://www.go511.com/) service.

If your location is in Orange County, try entering your information on one of the other tabs (Address, Intersection, Landmark or Stop.) Some people have a hard time entering information on the Address tab, see the next question for help on entering street information. In that case, the Intersection tab may be easier if you know the cross-streets.

Q: Why I am having a hard time finding my street on the trip planner?
A:  Does your street start with a direction, like South Main Street? In our system, directions show up at the end of the street name, so type the street name without the direction in front of it. For example, if you type in “Main,” the list will populate and show you “MAIN ST S” and “MAIN ST N,” and you would choose accordingly.

Q: I am trying to plan a trip using a specific route, but the trip planner is giving me something different. Why?
A:  It is possible that the route you want to use only travels at peak times. This is true for our intracounty buses (routes 700-799), intracounty buses (routes 200-299) and our Stationlink buses (routes 400-499). Or, the trip planner is suggesting something different because the time of your trip does not coincide with the scheduled time of that specific route. The trip planner chooses the itinerary with the fastest travel time, so it is possible that the route you preferred was not the fastest option.

Q: Why am I being told to walk three miles when there should be a bus?
A:  When planning trips, JustClick provides the best available itinerary based on the criteria used. If the location is within three miles, and walking would be the quickest way of getting to the destination, then walking directions are offered. OCTA chose three miles as the most someone would be willing to walk to get to a bus stop. Customers can walk, ride a bike or receive a ride to the bus stop. Customers can walk, ride a bike or receive a ride to the bus stop. If the customer is unable to do this, they can select the “Shortest Walk” from the travel options in Step 4. This will force the trip planner to provide the customer with the trip that has the least amount of walking.

If your question was not addressed, please call our Customer Information Center at 714-636 RIDE (press 2) or email us at customers@octa.net .