Countywide : Irvine-Fullerton Rail Route Recommended It’s official.

Orange County rail planners have said for weeks that they would probably recommend a 28-mile urban rail route between Irvine and Fullerton. On Wednesday they did so, in a report to be discussed Monday by the Orange County Transportation Authority.

The OCTA board is scheduled to vote on the route April 11 as part of the first step in applying for federal transit funds. A public hearing is planned for March 14, with results of a related public opinion survey to be presented March 28.

“This centrally located corridor best serves existing commuter patterns and shows the greatest potential for future transit ridership,” states the OCTA staff report released Wednesday. “The recommended corridor connects key employment and activity centers as well as residential areas of the cities of Fullerton, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Irvine.”

An urban rail line would not be operational until at least 2002, transit experts say. Urban rail lines have more stops than do inter-county Metrolink commuter trains.

Irvine officials have lobbied strongly for their city to be added to the initial 13-mile segment between South Coast Plaza and Disneyland that is likely to be funded first. A modified route along Harbor Boulevard instead of Bristol or Main streets in Santa Ana also looks promising, according to OCTA officials.

Buena Park officials are unhappy with the OCTA staff’s findings because a proposed route serving that area has not been recommended.