Santa Ana to Consider $1-Billion Rail Line Plan

The controversial CenterLine project--put aside months ago as political and business support melted--will be back on track if the Santa Ana City Council approves a $1-billion rail line linking the county seat with neighboring Costa Mesa and Irvine.

Officials with the Orange County Transportation Authority hope the council will approve the 13-mile project next week. The tri-city line, already endorsed by Irvine and Costa Mesa, would be a shortened version of the original 30-mile CenterLine proposal, which collapsed early this year when it failed to gain needed support. The original line would have run from Fullerton to Irvine.

Meanwhile, a group of 10 west Orange County cities is moving forward with a transit plan of its own.

The West Orange County Cities Assn. is looking at options including light rail and a bus-rail hybrid, possibly using the right of way for the former Pacific Electric rail route. The former train line’s tracks roughly parallel the San Diego Freeway through Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Buena Park and La Palma.

The line, proponents say, would connect with CenterLine to the south, and with the Green Line and perhaps the Blue Line to the north in Los Angeles County.

“It’s real encouraging what’s going on with CenterLine and with us,” said Tim Keenan, a Cypress City Council member who sits on the OCTA board of directors. “In the past, OCTA was the driver of every proposal. Now the cities are recognizing this is something that can benefit them.”

The 10 west county cities are Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster. The cities have completed an initial study of a rail or other rapid transit system and OCTA is spending $1 million studying population density, ridership trends and the technology that could be used along the proposed route.

Keenan said west county cities don’t want to be left behind if the CenterLine project is built.

“We know that once the first segment of CenterLine is built and successful, the second phase won’t be able to be built fast enough,” Keenan said. “That’s why we want to be ready.”

The $2.3-billion CenterLine proposal appeared doomed seven months ago when Art Leahy, OCTA’s chief executive officer, shelved the project because of dwindling support from cities, businesses and residents along the route.

A truncated plan surfaced when the mayors of Santa Ana, Irvine and Costa Mesa proposed reviving the project. There has been resistance already, however. Residents in Irvine’s Woodbridge community complained that the rail system would be disruptive, noisy and a waste of money.

The Santa Ana City Council voted 7-0 against the original project, saying it could destroy neighborhoods. But Mayor Miguel A. Pulido said he favors the redrawn plan, and that with a proposed route change in his city--Bristol Street rather than Main--it merits renewed consideration. If Santa Ana endorses the plan, it would go to OCTA for further action.