Three options feature variations of blue, orange and white designs characteristic of Orange County’s many transit options.
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority is seeking opinions from the public on the external design of the vehicles that will make up Orange County’s first modern electric streetcar.
The OCTA board of directors recently gave the go ahead to seek public opinion on three potential designs that reflect the unique character of Orange County, while remaining consistent with the characteristics of Orange County’s many transit options, including the OC Bus system.
“OCTA is excited to bring forward another important public transit option and we want our residents and workers to have a voice in the design of the new OC Streetcar,” said OCTA Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett, also the county’s Fifth District Supervisor.
The public has several chances to let their opinions be known on the look of the OC Streetcar during the next several weeks, including at community meetings and online.
The survey, which asks the public to rank the three options along with a few other questions, is available online at www.ocstreetcar/survey.
The survey can also be filled out online or by hand at an upcoming meeting:
- Saturday, Sept. 8 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Santa Ana Corporate Yard, 215 S. Center St, Santa Ana, CA 92703
Each of the three vehicle-design options prominently feature the words “OC Streetcar” to identify the system and the familiar blue, white and orange OCTA coloring. The lines depict movement and connectivity, which are key factors to the OC Streetcar system.
The OC Streetcar will operate on a 4.15-mile route from commuter rail service at the busy Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, traveling along Santa Ana Boulevard and Fourth Street and the Pacific Electric right-of-way to Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove.
The route will serve Santa Ana’s thriving downtown and dense employment areas that include county and local government offices and courthouses in the Civic Center. The OC Streetcar route will also connect with many of OCTA’s busiest bus routes and Metrolink commuter rail. It is expected to carry more than 7,300 passengers per day within its first year of operation.
In March, the OCTA board awarded a contract to Siemens Industries to build the eight streetcars that will operate on the system. Once public feedback is collected on the design on the OC Streetcar vehicles, the board will make a selection this fall.
Construction on the OC Streetcar is set to begin later this year with testing and operations beginning in 2021.
For information on the project, visit www.ocstreetcar.com.
