SANTA ANA, Calif. (KNX) — A number of bus routes in Orange County could be disrupted starting Tuesday morning if hundreds of bus drivers go through with a threatened strike.
The O.C. Transportation Authority drivers, who are members of Teamsters Local 952, voted last month to permit a walkout. The union gave the county notice last week that drivers would strike if negotiations on a new contract this weekend reach a stalemate.
The strike would begin at midnight Tuesday, if enacted. Both the county and the union have said they hope to reach an agreement on a new contract before then. Negotiations were scheduled to take place Saturday and Monday.
Routes impacted by a possible strike would include 20 that carry roughly 75% of OCTA’s ridership: Route 1 between Long beach and San Clemente, 29 between La Habra and Huntington Beach, 37 between La Habra and Fountain Valley, 43 between Fullerton and Costa Mesa, 47 between Fullerton and Newport Beach, 50 between Long beach and Orange, 53 between Orange and Irvine, 54 between Garden Grove and Orange, 55 between Santa Ana and Newport Beach, 56, between Garden Grove and Orange, 57 between Brea and Newport Beach, 60 between Long Beach and Tustin, 64 between Huntington Beach and Tustin, 66 between Huntington Beach and Irvine, 72 between Sunset Beach and Tustin, 76 between Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, 83 between Anaheim and Laguna Hills, 543 between Fullerton and Costa Mesa, 560 between Santa Ana and Long beach, and the 862 Downtown Santa Ana shuttle.
OCTA spokesperson Joel Zlotnik told The Orange County Register that riders who need to use public transit could still utilize impacted lines as long as they are able to get to their stops.
For riders who have purchased a bus pass, but are not able to use it due to the strike, fares would be refunded for the days when services were unavailable, Zlotnik added.
O.C. Access service for those with disabilities, O.C. Flex, Metrolink, and Amtrak would continue operating as normal in the event of a strike.
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