COUNTYWIDE : Rail Transit Runs on Cash, Officials Learn

Bright images of sleek monorail trains traveling between--and within--gleaming office towers excited a gathering of city, county and regional officials here Wednesday, but their enthusiasm was tempered by the reality that the success of rail transit in Orange County will depend on public support and money.

“This is much more of an art than a science,” transportation consultant Alan Wulkan cautioned the more than 70 people who attended the briefing on two ongoing, countywide rail transit studies.

The briefing, sponsored by the Orange County Transportation Commission, was held at the Garden Grove Community Center.

One study, aimed at planning commuter or regional passenger train service along the Los Angeles-to-San Diego route currently served by Amtrak, is being conducted by Irvine-based Fluor Daniel Corp. at a cost of $238,000. The second study, actually a plan for countywide rail transit in the year 2010 and beyond, is being conducted by the Los Angeles-based firm of PBQ&D; at a cost of $400,000.

The Transportation Commission held Wednesday’s briefing to invite city, county and regional officials to participate in the two studies, which will be completed within 18 months.

Five central Orange County cities are already are discussing the possibility of a monorail system. Santa Ana Mayor Daniel H. Young, a leader in that effort, cautioned that while the commission’s countywide planning perspective is necessary and desirable, it shouldn’t “delay or dampen, or in any way hold back the entrepreneurial effort on the part of one or more cities.”

A slide show of monorails, skyway people movers and other forms of rail transit in places such as Disney World, Detroit and Miami was screened, while PBQ&D;’s Wulkan carefully pointed out that many key issues, such as development densities, financing, and links to other forms of transportation must be considered.

During a question-and-answer period, members of the audience, which included mayors and council members from many Orange County cities, pointed out that rail transit is a popular concept these days because of near-paralysis on the freeways. But they said they also were worried that some people will be put off if they have to live near a rail station that does not blend in with their communities.

Asked how people will be persuaded to ride a rail transit system once it’s built, Wulkan said: “Marketing.”

After the meeting, La Palma Mayor Eva Miner said OCTC’s rail effort is praiseworthy, but added that financing will be up to taxpayers.