OCTA earmarks $87.9 mil to upgrade rail line

[jeffe77]

By ERIC CARPENTER
The Orange County Register
Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Rail-line improvements

The OCTA board Monday also approved up to $87.9 million for Metrolink improvements between the Fullerton and Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo stations, a prominent route between north and south Orange County. The route averages nearly 6,500 riders each weekday.

The goal is to allow trains to travel the route every 30 minutes throughout the day by January 2010, said Dinah Minteer, OCTA manager of Metrolink expansion. Now, service isn't that frequent in off-peak hours.

The funds would pay for new tracks that would allow the trains to turn around at each end of the rail route.

The cost of the project has nearly doubled since it was conceptualized in 2005, mostly because of the addition of a train yard at Alton and Bake parkways in Irvine. The yard would allow Metrolink trains to park overnight for routine maintenance and cleaning. More extensive maintenance would still take place in Los Angeles and Oceanside.

The yard would require the relocation of side tracks for freight trains.

"Ideally, we'd like to see more service along the entire corridor (into Los Angeles), but first we want to expand service on our existing right of way in Orange County," Minteer said.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3769 or [e-mail]

www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1667593.php

[LAofAnaheim]

Buena Park station will be the northernmost station in OC, how come 30 minute service will not include Buena Park? Or did the OC register just totally forget about the new station?

[Transit Coalition]

It's about space to build pocket tracks to store and reverse
the trains. From what I am told, there isn't room in Buena Park to do this, so the current turn back plans are for Fullerton.

The next most important step is to get Los Angeles County to fund operations between the Orange County Line and Chatsworth, as that would create a 80 mile Chatsworth to Laguna Niguel transportation corridor with 30 minute service.

This would change the way we move about in all of Southern California.

[wad]

What's going to become of the Amtrak trains in this corridor? Are they going to be taken over in this, or become expresses, or stay the same?

[wad]

admin said:

The next most important step is to get Los Angeles County to fund operations between the Orange County Line and Chatsworth, as that would create a 80 mile Chatsworth to Laguna Niguel transportation corridor with 30 minute service.

Is this the right time to be asking for this, in light of the $2 fare increase and low prospect of Metrolink capturing the transit-dependent market?

[Transit Coalition]

Mr. Wad:

The OC 30 minute service is a wrap around service. The slots that are currently used by Amtrak and Metrolink from LAUS to either Oceanside or San Diego or the reverse will stay the same.

The 30 minute service will fill the gaps between these trips as augmented service.

Should LA County Metro come to the funding party, those trips would either extend to LA Union Station or perhaps Chatsworth.

As far as the transit dependent market, Metrolink already serves it and has been for a long time. There are not a lot of transit choices between the Antelope, Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys, so there are plenty of reverse commute and off peak hour trips that are heavily utilized by the working poor.

Sure, where there are options to use Metro in the San Fernando Valley, the bus is the first choice for many, but to points north, Metrolink is mostly the only option and it is heavily used.

Starting in October, Metrolink is going to add 2 more Saturday round trips and 3 first time ever Sunday trips. I can guarantee you that the ridership will be there from day one, especially on the Sunday service, as there is currently zero choice.

I think that you will find that despite higher fares, those in need that must make that trip will pay and they do. How do I know this? Well, field study. Metrolink riders of all socioeconomic classes will voice their opinions quite articulately, especially when they are asked about their basic needs for more transportation.

Sure, price is a concern and this is a mentioned topic, but lack of service is even a bigger issue. In many cases, as the working poor are usually fairly bonded to their family unit, there are a lot of return trips on Friday and Saturday and work trips on Monday. Many stay with someone during the week to avoid commute costs.

As an interesting side note, you'll find a lot of Las Vegas workers travelling on Southwest trips on Thursday and Monday, as they specialize working the needs of the weekend crowds.

So, in corridors where there are few or no choices, even the working poor can be observed making the trips to meet their needs. Obviously not everyone, but still significant.

As another side note, Metro is removing the Saturday / Sunday feeder service of line 239 to Sylmar Metrolink. And, as more bus service is slated to be removed you will see the elimination of weekend service on streets such as Tampa, Winnetka, DeSoto in lieu of reaching towards a better fare-box recovery. The option for those transit dependent is soon to be either No Trip, Walking or a Taxi. With these types of options forced upon us, even a $2 fare is a superior choice. But, zero service is now going to be the default position. That is NOT acceptable.

[whitmanlam]

So, what does LA Union station need to do to reap the benefits of 30 minute headways to OC?

I know they can already do this for San Bernardino Line. But I think OC and possibly Lancaster can use more frequent service too.