OCTA’s on-demand pilot program utilizes mobile app to carry passengers curb-to-curb in two zones
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority today unveiled the vehicles that will carry passengers on the new OC Flex microtransit pilot program set to launch in two zones beginning next week.
The shuttles, each capable of holding up to eight passengers, are an on-demand service that will take passengers curb-to-curb within the two designated zones – one in Huntington Beach and Westminster, and the other in Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel.
Riders can hop aboard for $4.50 when using the OC Flex Mobile app or pay $5 cash on board. A pass gives customers unlimited daily rides in either of the zones and on any OC Bus fixed route for the day.
“This is a great example of OCTA trying new ways to meet the changing needs of our community by providing alternative modes of transportation that improve mobility for our residents,” said OCTA Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett, also the county’s Fifth District Supervisor. “We hope that this innovative option will help introduce more people to the convenience and affordability of public transit.”
OC Flex is set to launch in the Huntington Beach and Westminster zone on Monday, Oct. 15.
The service is scheduled to launch in the Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel zone on Saturday, Oct. 20.
The vehicles are accessible to wheelchair passengers and will operate seven days a week. With a valid Metrolink or Amtrak pass, customers can also ride to and from a train station for free.
Vehicles are operated by professional drivers who undergo background checks and extensive safety training. And the price to ride is always no more than $5, with no surge pricing.
The service during the pilot program is primarily funded with a grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, which supports projects that take cars off the road and reduce air pollution.
For more information on downloading the OC Flex app and on the zones where the pilot program will operate, visit www.ocflex.com.
Photo attached of the OC Flex vehicle.
