We Must Study Rail as a Freeway Alternative

Re David Mootchnik’s column, “Light Rail, Heavy Costs,” Nov. 25:

As home to more than 2.8 million people, Orange County today is the fourth most populated county in the United States. We are also the second most dense in California--trailing only San Francisco in residents per square mile. This growth is not expected to slow. Unless we make an aggressive commitment to plan for and invest in transportation infrastructure, this increase in population, employment and density will have a severe impact on our county, its economy and our way of life.

At the request of Irvine, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana, the Orange County Transportation Authority is studying a possible light-rail system for Orange County. We would be irresponsible not to. Orange County is the last major metropolitan area in the state to do so. Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose and the Bay Area all have successful light-rail systems in operation. The project would be funded primarily from federal grant funds that could be used only for rail.

Opinion polls tell us that the residents of Orange County want more travel mode alternatives, especially the development of a light-rail system. The most recent poll conducted by Lawrence Research for OCTA found that 70% of county voters supported construction of a light-rail system in the county. In claiming that OCTA is anti-freeway, Mootchnik stretches the facts to make his point.

In the past 10 years, OCTA has spent more than $1.55 billion in Measure M funds and facilitated almost $5 billion in federal funds, state funds, city gas taxes, developer fees, toll fees and city general funds improving Orange County freeways and streets and roads. We are also getting ready to expand the Garden Grove Freeway, fix major freeway bottlenecks and explore the possible purchase of the 91 Express Lanes so we can eliminate their noncompete agreement and make necessary improvements in the Riverside Freeway corridor.

Mootchnik would like you to believe that OCTA spends money only on transit. Keeping our freeway system and streets moving is important, but we also need to offer some other transportation alternatives if we are truly going to improve future mobility in the county. We can expand our freeways only so many lanes.

Art Leahy

Chief Executive

Orange County Transportation Authority