OC set to join other counties with light rail systems
The OC Streetcar system is touted as the first modern streetcar project to be built in Orange County, which would add the county to the growing list of counties throughout the state to add light rail.
According to the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), the $423-million project slated for completion in 2023, will stretch 4.15 miles from Garden Grove to the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center.
Once operational, the system is slated to have eight cars that can seat up to 210 passengers. The line is projected to have 10 stops in each direction, with eight cars running every 10-15 minutes.
Much of the funding came from the federal government, which provided $225 million, taxpayers in Orange County, who contributed $172.8 million from Measure M, a half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements and the state of California, which provided $25.5 million, OCTA said.
While detractors say the four-mile stretch of track isn’t very far, Darrell E.
Johnson, OCTA CEO, told the Los Angeles Times that the OC Streetcar will allow commuters to link with public transportation systems and avoid using the 5 freeway.
Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, who also sits on the OCTA Board of Directors, told The Times that he had doubts that enough people would use the service to mitigate freeway and street traffic.
