Study to address the long-term needs of South Orange County will continue through 2021
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority is seeking more public input during the next phase of a study to address south Orange County’s transportation needs as the area continues to grow with new residents and jobs and as travel patterns evolve.
The study, called the South Orange County Multimodal Transportation Study, is looking at a wide range of transportation needs and solutions over the next 25 years, including improvements to streets, bus and other transit options, highways and bikeways.
The area covered by the study encompasses about 40 percent of Orange County, generally south of State Route 55 to the San Diego County line, and from the coast to the foothills.
For the next phase of the study, people who live, work or travel through the area are asked to participate in a brief online survey to gauge opinions on transportation priorities and how available funds should best be used.
The survey can be taken online at SouthOCStudySurvey.com or by phone at (833) 711-8070. The survey will be available through July 22.
Additionally, a telephone townhall is scheduled to discuss the study and gather additional public input from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on June 17. The telephone townhall will be in English and simulcast in Spanish. Participants are asked to register in advance at octa.net/TTHsignup.
During the first phase of the study conducted in fall 2020, the OCTA team engaged with residents and stakeholders and completed an initial survey. Among the initial survey findings, respondents said that they would like to see:
- Reduction in traffic congestion
- Increased frequency and accessibility of multimodal transportation, and
- Increased safety and efficiency for all modes of travel.
OCTA, Orange County’s transportation planning agency, is responsible for providing a balanced and sustainable transportation system for the entire county. The study’s focus on south Orange County is necessary because over the next 25 years, projections show population growing by 170,000 residents and an additional 130,000 jobs are expected.
The South County study is scheduled to continue through the end of 2021. Residents, business owners and other key stakeholders will be asked to participate throughout in order to develop community consensus on transportation solutions that should move forward for further development.
For more information on the study, please visit octa.net/southOCstudy.
