Countywide : Fullerton-Irvine Rail Route the Top Pick

A 28-mile urban rail route linking the Fullerton Amtrak station with Irvine’s rail depot emerged Monday as the favorite among six under consideration by the Orange County Transportation Authority.

Last week, OCTA staff disclosed that it recommended the longer route and rejected three others that offered future opportunities for expansion beyond an initial starter line.

If ultimately approved, an initial urban rail project could be operational between 2002 and 2004, officials say.

At Monday’s OCTA board meeting, board members voted to pursue the Fullerton-to- Irvine route further in preparation for a final selection April 11.

Before the vote, however, a March 14 public hearing will be held. Also, results of a public opinion survey will be discussed at OCTA’s March 28 board meeting, OCTA officials said.

The Federal Transit Administration prefers that counties submit possibilities for long routes seeking federal funds. The purpose, said OCTA officials, is to demonstrate that a shorter route--perhaps 13 miles--can eventually be expanded at both ends to serve far more people.

Irvine officials, who control $125 million in state rail bond money, are hoping that an initial 10- to 15-mile segment will include a portion of Irvine.

However, some experts contend the initial segment should connect South Coast Plaza with Disneyland.

The longer Fullerton-to-Irvine route would be included in applications for federal funding to supplement the $340 million set aside for urban rail in Measure M, the half-cent sales tax for county traffic improvements approved by voters in 1990.

Urban rail service within one county would have more stops than today’s inter-county commuter trains.

Critics, however, say such projects are too costly.