COSTA MESA : Seniors to Ask City to Back OCTA Service

The Senior Citizens Committee will ask the City Council to send a resolution to the county to support the popular Dial-A-Ride van service, which is used mostly by older people.

Committee member Stanley Bieza explained that many seniors will not qualify for the federally mandated ACCESS service that is to replace Dial-A-Ride. Though not disabled, the elderly people still may find it hard to use the regular bus service, especially if they are carrying shopping bags or other loads, he said.

The Orange County Transportation Authority will consider a plan in May to phase out Dial-A-Ride. The county is required by the federal Americans With Disabilities Act to provide public transportation to the disabled, and the high cost of the ACCESS program makes it necessary to cut back on other services, OCTA has said.

Bieza said some people may not see themselves as qualified to use a van for the disabled. “There’s lots of people who are just getting old,” he said. “They’re willing to use Dial-A-Ride, but they don’t want to use charity.”

OCTA has held public meetings throughout the county to gather opinions about the changes and will make a presentation May 9 to the county Planning Commission. The 9 a.m. meeting will be at 10 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana.