Demise of OCTA Service Predictable

It was not surprising to read the Nov. 10 article informing us that the Orange County Transportation Authority has lost money on its Access program and is planning to almost dismantle it. To anyone who has had to use their service, this outcome was entirely predictable.

First, this program, presumably to serve the elderly and disabled population, was primarily designed to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Optimal service to the disabled and elderly was not a priority from the start. Anyone who has had the misfortune to have to use it can attest to its inherent inefficiencies and waste.

Large buses were used when smaller, more fuel-efficient vans could have done the same job. The routes were poorly planned, causing untold delays and a frankly unreliable service. It was not unusual, for example, that someone coming from Tustin Avenue in Santa Ana near 17th Street and going to downtown Tustin would be taken on a detour through Anaheim and Placentia before returning to Tustin. One can imagine how tiring this experience might be to the disabled. Many elderly disabled simply could not rely on the service and gave up using it.

Private parties such as hospitals and rehabilitation institutions have to provide their own van service through private contracting. If OCTA is really committed to serving our elderly and disabled population, I am certain that they can come up with an efficient and useful service. Private transportation companies can be contracted to do the job in a cost-effective manner. Public transportation in our county is dismal, and the disabled are the most victimized by the status quo.

A. MOURRA

Irvine