With the first of three Transit System Study pilot projects set to launch next month, the board received an update on efforts to implement new and more efficient bus service.
Limited-stop bus service - called Bravo! - will begin operating June 10 along OCTA's busiest route. The new Route 543 will operate on Harbor Boulevard between the Fullerton Transportation Center and MacArthur Boulevard in Costa Mesa and travel the same path as Route 43.
OCTA distributed a survey to 4,000 riders in March to determine service satisfaction and customer preferences. A follow-up survey will be conducted early next year to track progress.
OCTA undertook the Transit System Study following a period of significant service reductions between 2008 and 2010. The goal was to identify to identify how OCTA could maintain a financially sustainable bus system, as well as better accommodate service demand throughout Orange County.
The other two pilot projects on the horizon include:
- A new intracounty express Route 273, which will run between Laguna Niguel and Costa Mesa via SR-73. This service will begin in October.
- A new intercounty express Route 722 between Santa Ana and Long Beach via SR-22. This service will begin in February 2014.
These projects will be monitored and changes may be made based on customer comments and operations analysis.
Learn more at www.octa.net/bravo.
