Commuter Rail Plans Pick Up Steam in O.C.

Plans for a $1-billion rail line that would link the Orange County seat to neighboring Irvine and Costa Mesa could be revived next week if the Santa Ana City Council gives its approval.

The Orange County Transportation Authority hopes the council backs the 13-mile project. The line, already endorsed by Irvine and Costa Mesa, would be a shortened version of the original 30-mile CenterLine plan, which collapsed last spring when it failed to attract business and political 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 transportation system of its own.

The West Orange County Cities Assn. is looking at everything from light rail to buses that run along a bus-only route, and is considering use of the old Pacific Electric right of way. That property, along which the historic Red Cars ran, is parallel to, and several miles south of, the Santa Ana Freeway, stretching through Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Buena Park and La Palma.

CenterLine Would Link with L.A. County Lines

The line, proponents hope, would connect with CenterLine to the south and the Metro Rail Green Line and perhaps the Blue Line, both in Los Angeles County.

“It’s real encouraging what’s going on with CenterLine and with us,” said Tim Keenan, a Cypress councilman who sits on the county transportation authority 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 west county cities have completed an initial study of a rail or other rapid transit system, and the county agency is spending $1 million studying population density, ridership trends and the technology that could be used.

Keenan said west county cities don’t want to be left behind if CenterLine pans out.

“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 10 cities are Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster.

Project Appeared Doomed Months Ago

The $2.3-billion CenterLine project appeared doomed seven months ago when Art Leahy, county transit chief, shelved it.

Then Santa Ana, Irvine and Costa Mesa proposed a truncated version of the line. There has been resistance already, however. Residents in Irvine’s Woodbridge community complained that the rail line would be disruptive, noisy and a waste of money.

The Santa Ana City Council voted 7 to 0 against the original project, saying it could destroy neighborhoods. But Mayor Miguel Pulido said that he supports the redrawn line and that with a proposed route change in his city, the idea merits renewed consideration.

If Santa Ana endorses the project, it will go to the county transit agency for consideration.