Monorail Project and Transit District

As the “unnamed (OCTD) official” cited in the McDonnell Douglas Realty monorail column (Orange County section, Feb. 5), I’d like to comment on several of Bob Young’s remarks and clarify the OCTD staff position on a number of issues raised relative to his project.

First, and perhaps foremost, the Orange County Transit District is wholeheartedly in support of McDonnell Douglas’ efforts to develop the airport monorail project. Anything that will remove cars from the area’s congested streets is a welcome part of the office-building projects and airport expansion being planned and constructed.

What concerns us, however, is the expectation that a project such as the one McDonnell Douglas Realty is planning would have a significant impact on Orange County’s commuter traffic problem. The hundreds of workers in the Douglas Plaza area will still need their cars to get to and from the office each day. To help deal with this problem of improving peak-hour access for commuters, OCTD is working closely with the employers in the Irvine Business Center to establish a Transportation Management Assn. that will allow us to better develop customized transportation services for workers in that area, as we are now doing in the South Coast Metro area. This will include car-pooling and van-pooling, telecommuting, flexible work hours, special commuter buses and employer incentive programs. To truly improve traffic in the airport area, daily commuters need attractive alternatives to driving alone.

With respect to the issue of monorail technology, the airport monorail system, with its limited speed and capacity, is an ideal local circulation people mover. As a regional system, however, it would require substantially higher capacity and speeds. A much larger Mark IV monorail vehicle, currently being developed for Disney World, or one of the Japanese monorail systems are potential technologies for a regional system.

I would also like to note that it is my understanding that the enlarged airport facilities will include access provisions for airport-related bus service. These services will be provided, as they are now, by private buses, vans and taxis operating between the terminal and nearby hotels, rental car agencies and parking areas. These buses are better equipped to handle the particular needs of the airline passenger than are public transit buses. OCTD, with its bus system designed to meet the basic needs of the daily user and commuter, has never felt the need to duplicate services better provided by the private sector at no cost to taxpayers.

BRIAN PEARSON

Director of Development

OCTD