ORANGE – Orange County Transportation Authority and city officials joined today to celebrate the launch of the new faster service, Bravo! Route 560.
Bravo! 560 will start service Monday, June 13 to provide a quicker commute along the popular Route 60, which runs between Santa Ana and Long Beach.
The specially branded orange and blue Bravo! bus will run along Westminster Avenue and 17th Street, making fewer stops along Route 60 at key transfer points and destinations, including the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, Santa Ana College, Cal State Long Beach and the VA Medical Center. The service also connects to Metrolink and Bravo! 543, which travels from the Fullerton Transportation Center to Santa Ana along Harbor Boulevard.
Compared to Route 60, the Bravo! route gives commuters an average travel time savings of 15 percent over the existing service, which currently takes more than 90 minutes from Santa Ana to Long Beach. The new route operates on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and costs the same as regular service – $2 per boarding, or $5 for a one-day pass.
“We are excited to launch this service that will allow commuters to reach major destinations throughout the county faster and more conveniently,” said OCTA Chair Lori Donchak. “The new Bravo! 560 is a great example of our efforts to better meet the community’s needs by directing service to areas with higher demand.”
The launch of Bravo! 560 is made possible by a $2.3 million grant to OCTA from the Transit and Intercity Rail Program, part of the state’s cap and trade funding program. The program was created to fund capital improvements that cut greenhouse gases by reducing the number of miles that people drive. Buses on the route run on cleaner-burning compressed natural gas.
The launch of Bravo! 560 is part of OC Bus 360°, OCTA’s ongoing effort to improve bus service and increase the efficiency of bus travel throughout the county. The June 2016 bus service change program is one step in a series of adjustments intended to add 1.3 million riders over the next three years. Other changes include the development of mobile ticketing technology and the rebranding of buses.
Routine adjustments are being made to 26 routes, and 13 routes will be affected by OC Bus 360° beginning June 12. Four routes will have significantly improved schedule frequencies, while four routes will be discontinued wholly or in part. Along with Bravo! 560, Route 150 will be implemented. Route 150 covers major portions of the eliminated Routes 51 and 145 from Costa Mesa to Santa Ana. Additional bus service changes will be implemented in October.
For more information on the new Bravo! route, visit octa.net/bravo560. For more information on the bus service plan, visit octa.net/2016busplan.
