Seniors Talk OCTA Into Keeping Stop at Home

Fearful that the elimination of bus service to a retirement home would immobilize them, a crowd of senior citizens spoke out Monday on service changes that the Orange County Transportation Authority is proposing.

The residents of Casa de Seniors in San Clemente said the service change would force them to trek up and down a steep incline and several smaller hills to reach the next-closest bus stop, nearly half a mile away.

“Most of our residents use a cane or . . . a walker,” said administrator Carmen Gil de Rubio. “It is impossible to walk downhill.”

As part of routine changes in bus service, the transit agency’s staff considered eliminating the stop because of low ridership--only three to four people boarded a bus at Casa de Senior each day, said John Standiford, an agency spokesman.

But the agency’s board changed its mind after five seniors, cheered on by more than two dozen compatriots, spoke out during a public hearing.

Lillian la Couture tried to walk over the hills once but had to stop for water and a rest along the way, she said.

“That fifth hill is steep, like San Francisco. A lot of you people would be huffing and puffing when you got up the hill,” La Couture told the board. “My children are very worried that if I walk up these hills, I won’t be here any longer. I don’t want to go.”

She quoted a letter written by her daughter: “Any savings by Orange County on the bus schedule would be greatly offset by the cost of 911 and the paramedics budget.”

Another resident, Mary Jane Hynes Hannegan, 75, said she needs the bus to get to her classes at Saddleback College, where she is a student.

“I have no problem going down the hill,” she said. “It’s coming back, especially carrying groceries.”

The agency’s staff will consider keeping six daily stops at Casa de Seniors between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. That’s more than the seniors hoped for; they had proposed four hours of service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The only other route proposed to be discontinued goes to the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, which is closing this summer.

Besides the Casa de Seniors residents, nine other bus riders said they generally liked the service changes, which adds buses to 26 routes and 47,000 more hours of service.

The board will vote July 26 on the changes, which would go into effect Sept. 12.

The added stops are part of a series of improvements prompted by a 1997 board order to increase service 49% over the next 20 years.

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Service Changes

The Orange County Transportation Authority’s directors are scheduled to vote July 26 on proposed improvements, which would go into effect Sept. 12.

Weekday Evening Service

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Route Change 25 Add four trips 26 Add four trips 29 Add two trips 30 Add three trips 38 Add eight trips 42 Add one trip 45 Add six trips 46 Add six trips 47 Add three trips 49 Add four trips 50 Add two trips 53 Add one trip 55 Add four trips 56 Add three trips 60 Extend one eastbound trip to Tustin 65 Add two trips 74 Add seven trips 75 Add two trips 76 Add six trips 85 Add five trips 89 Add three trips 91 Add six trips 99 Add seven trips 175 Add eight trips 205 Add one trip

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Weekend Service

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Route Change 25 Add one Saturday evening trip 29 Extend last Saturday northbound trip to Brea Mall 30 Add one Saturday trip and extend last westbound trip to Cerritos Center 37 Decrease Saturday time between trips from 35 to 30 minutes 42 Add one Sunday evening trip 75 Add one Saturday evening trip 93 Begin new hourly Sunday service

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Other Service

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Route Change 43 Add two early morning weekday trips 91 Delete San Clemente Pier routing; replace with Route 191 all days of week 162 Increase time between weekend trips from 30 to 45 minutes because of low ridership 191 Start new line by combining north part of Route 397 with the south part of Route 91 to operate daily. 397 Discontinue; replace with Route 191 673 Discontinue route because of base closure

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Winter Holidays

Enhance service on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day by offering regular Sunday service

Re-route

Re-route to Access Laguna Hills Transportation Center: Routes 75, 89, 91, 93, 99, 177, 203, 205, 306, 316, 377 and 388

Source: Orange County Transportation Authority