• October Employees of the Month Recognized
• Measure M Expected to Bring in $13.4 Billion
• Agreement Reached for 241/91 Tolled Connector

The Orange County Transportation Authority’s board of directors recognized three employees of the month for October.

The honors went to:

• Phillip Nguyen, coach operator
• Eduardo Ramos, maintenance
• Neepa Shah, administration

The OCTA board received an updated forecast for Measure M that shows a 2.2 percent increase in taxable sales compared to last year’s forecast.

The long-term forecast for Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements has increased from $13.1 billion last year, to $13.4 billion this year, an increase of $300 million through 2041.

OCTA contracts with MuniServices to forecast taxable sales growth rates for the first five years of the forecast period, and uses a blended forecast from Chapman University, UCLA and Cal State Fullerton for the remaining years. The MuniServices forecast shows an average annual taxable sales growth of 3.2 percent for 2020-24. The growth rate for the three universities showed an average annual growth rate of 3.7 percent for 2025-41.

The OCTA board approved an agreement with the Riverside County Transportation Commission, Transportation Corridor Agencies and Caltrans that lays the groundwork for the construction of a tolled connector between the 241 Toll Road and the 91 Express Lanes.

The agreement is a result of several months of discussions and sets the stage for much-needed traffic relief, while ensuring the project smoothly integrates with others planned in Orange and Riverside counties, including the 91 Express Lanes/I-15 Connector and the SR-91 Corridor Operations Project.

The proposed project would connect the 241 Toll Road directly with the 91 Express Lanes, about 2 miles west of the Orange County border with Riverside County. Construction of the connector is expected to begin in 2023.