Additional 176 spaces improves customer experience as part of rail service enhancements
ORANGE – Train passengers using the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink Station will have many more options for parking their cars with the opening of a new 176-space lot.
The new lot opens to the public Oct. 30 and brings the total number of parking spaces at the station to 460. The new lot is just south of the existing lot, built on Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA)-owned property.
The $4.3 million project was funded by Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements and state funds through Prop. 1B.
“I’m pleased to see another example of OCTA delivering on its commitment to enhance Metrolink service,” said OCTA Director Pat Bates, also the county’s Fifth District Supervisor. “There’s no question that providing additional parking will improve the Metrolink system and make taking the train more convenient for passengers.”
The improvement project is one of several funded by OCTA, which is enhancing facilities and parking to meet the demand for rail transit. Expanded parking options have opened at Metrolink stations in Irvine, Tustin and Fullerton, with plans in the works for more parking in Orange.
“As our population continues to grow, it increases the importance for Metrolink to provide a true alternative to sitting on the freeway,” said OCTA Director Frank Ury, also a Mission Viejo City Council member. “This kind of improvement helps commuters more easily access a train and makes Metrolink a more attractive choice.”
More improvements are planned for the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink station – at 28200 Forbes Road – including new pedestrian underpass ramps, restrooms and a vending machine area. Construction on the next phase of the project is expected to begin in early 2015.
For more information about Metrolink services, visit: http://www.octa.net/Metrolink
