Urban Rail Route Earns Tentative OK

County transportation leaders on Monday embraced a proposed route for an urban rail system that would include stops in seven cities, including stations near Disneyland, Edison International Field, the Civic Center in Santa Ana, South Coast Plaza and John Wayne Airport.

The final decision to build the light rail system--with an estimated cost between $1.3 billion and $1.8 billion--will not be made until next year, but leaders took a major step Monday by approving a new 28-mile route that would link Fullerton to South County along a dense corridor that is home to 34% of the county’s residents and 57% of its jobs.

The path begins at the Fullerton Transportation Center near downtown, then goes south into Anaheim with stops at Disneyland and near the city’s professional sports venues, on to The City Center in Orange, MainPlace mall and Civic Center in Santa Ana. The route then follows Bristol Street to the South Coast Plaza before veering southeast to John Wayne Airport and the Irvine Spectrum before ending at the Irvine Transportation Center.

But while the activity and job centers along the route have been easily identified, one member of the Orange County Transportation Authority Board said he is concerned that the newest vision of the rail line may not have its stations placed close enough to those destination hubs.

“The challenge is--and our goal should be--to create station locations that are as convenient as possible and come as close as possible,” said Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly, a board member. “The ideal is to put people just a short walk from these sites.”

At John Wayne Airport, for example, the newest proposal would put a rail station at the long-term parking lot on Main Street and require riders to board shuttle buses for the short drive to the airport terminal. That extra layer of effort may be enough to deter some prospective rail riders, Daly said.

“I don’t know how many people we would lose, but I think we should try our best to get the [trains] as close to the doorstep as possible,” Daly said.

That issue, along with parking concerns, is among the questions that will be addressed in the months to come, Daly said.

Another OCTA board member, Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, used the Monday morning meeting to ask fundamental questions about the cost of and need for the largest transportation project since the paving of freeways four decades ago.

“I’m very concerned about the whole concept of urban rail,” Spitzer said after the meeting. He added that he would not support the proposed rail system if it required an increase in taxes or if it failed to win strong support from the local business communities.

“The only way for light rail to get off on the right track is if the business community says we need light rail for economic reasons,” Spitzer said, underscoring his belief that, while the system could be a boon to development and tourism, it will not be a panacea for traffic congestion.

Spitzer is among many who have loudly questioned the price and practicality of the project.

Critics say studies show urban rail in other cities has succeeded only in reducing bus ridership, not traffic. They argue that the huge costs of trains and tracks would be better spent on road improvements, more buses and freeway expansion. They also say the projected ridership of 60,000 on the Orange County rail is too meager for the expense.

Backers say urban rail is a vital centerpiece in the transportation plan for a county that will be grappling with job growth, a surging population and increased traffic. They also point to rail as a way to stimulate cosmopolitan growth and stoke tourism.

The unanimous vote Monday leaves county leaders with two different proposals for the light rail system that are similar in their path but markedly different in their cost, appearance and traffic impact.

The first concept, adopted by the board a year ago, would run trolley-style trains on tracks built 15 to 20 feet above street level. That ambitious plan would require major construction efforts and cost $67 million per mile of rail.

The project concept approved Monday would put the same trolley trains on rails almost exclusively at ground level, where they would share busy city streets with local traffic. The price would fall to $47 million per mile, but the trade-off would be more traffic congestion, safety issues and slower trains.

The route approved Monday may change more in the months to come. Leaders of the cities along the rail line and the public will be invited to critique and contribute the proposed path in community forums that have yet to be scheduled. The board will revisit the route issue in January in the next phase of the project process.