OCTA Board OKs Plan to Overhaul Bus Lines

Despite public outcry and the lingering concerns of regular bus riders, Orange County transit board members on Monday unanimously approved a massive overhaul of the county’s bus routes that is set to go into effect in September.

The “straight-lining” of nearly all the county’s 72 routes stirred up controversy among many who rely on the buses for everyday transportation, including hundreds of protesters who packed a February public hearing. In response to those complaints, the Orange County Transportation Authority adjusted some plans, including restoring a bus stop at the Braille Institute and extending service to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Long Beach for residents of Leisure World in Seal Beach.

But at Monday’s 2 1/2-hour meeting, most of the 20 or so speakers still spoke out against the changes, saying they were worried the board’s action would make their commutes more difficult.

“I attribute some of that to the unknown,” said Fountain Valley Councilwoman Laurann Cook, who chairs the OCTA board. “I think people are wondering if they are going to be able to get to where they want to go in a timely manner.”

But Cook said the OCTA is “committed and determined to do tremendous outreach to the public.”

To that end, outreach workers will be hired to board the buses and visit transit centers to talk to riders about the impending changes. In addition, information about the changes will be available through a telephone help center and on the Internet.

Transit officials say the county, which has one of the fastest-growing bus systems in the nation, needs to go to a “one street, one route” approach to expand further. They say the changes should shorten most commutes.

But critics of the plan charge that the OCTA hasn’t made detailed routes or time schedules available, making it difficult to judge how individual riders would be affected. And, as in the past, the fact that none of the transit board members rely on public transportation was cited as a cause for concern.

“There is definitely a gap between people who use the system and people who are making decisions about the system,” said Jane Reifer of Auto Free Orange County, who has been working on a citizens task force to provide alternatives to the “straight-line” plan. Reifer cited the OCTA’s own statistic that 98% of the public response to the plans it received was negative.

“I’m surprised this passed unanimously,” she said.

Among groups most worried about the changes are advocates for the disabled, the elderly and the county’s large immigrant population, many of whom depend on the buses to get from their homes in North County to domestic jobs in affluent beach communities. Many of the concerns focus on the forecast that about 30% of bus riders would have to transfer more often, which may prove more costly for many since the OCTA eliminated free transfers last year.

Advocates for the disabled have expressed alarm about having to retrain thousands of developmentally disabled bus riders about how to use the bus.

But other groups have said they are pleased by OCTA’s response.

At Monday’s meeting, Cook said some riders of Route 57--a route that caters to such workers--thank the board for addressing some of their concerns. And OCTA spokesman Dave Simpson pointed to what he called a “high level” of cooperation between transit officials and riders.

“If you think about it, this is probably the most important decision the OCTA board has made in regards to public transportation in Orange County,” Simpson said. “We hope to be able to sit down with [critics] between now and implementation in September and find more solutions that meet their needs and the concept of straight-lining.”

More information about bus route changes is available on the OCTA’s Web site, https://www.octa.net, or through its customer information center at (714) 636-RIDE.