Idea of integrated transportation hubs would take more cars off streets, bringing together multiple public transit options, improving accessibility and improving air quality
ORANGE – Imagine a place near where you live, work or play to conveniently access walking or biking trails, rent a scooter, take public transportation or access a shared ride without having to get behind the wheel of a car to reach your destination.
That’s the idea behind a mobility hub. And the Orange County Transportation Authority board this month took the first step toward creating these integrated transportation hubs in various parts of the county to help residents, workers and visitors access a range of seamless transportation options to keep moving safely and efficiently.
“OCTA’s mission is to provide a variety of travel options that add up to a balanced and sustainable transportation system,” said OCTA Chairman Andrew Do, also the county’s First District Supervisor. “Future mobility hubs will help make those options more accessible and convenient for the people who live and work in our county. In the process, I hope these hubs will help us to provide critical connections, reduce the cost of transportation and curb pollution.”
At its March 8 meeting, the board approved the selection of global consultant Steer Davies & Gleave, which has offices in Los Angeles and international experience developing transportation solutions, to develop a strategy for determining where mobility hubs should be located, what they should look like and what features they should include.
Users would be able to access more options for getting where they need to be while navigating a more seamless process of accessing various transportation options. Mobility hubs, flexible in their size and design, tend to be situated within activity centers with high concentrations of jobs, housing and/or recreation.
The objectives of creating mobility hubs include:
- Increasing transit ridership on OC Bus, OC Flex, OC Streetcar, Metrolink, rideshare and other public options
- Providing convenient alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle trips and reducing car dependency
- Increasing the amount of shared rides
- Reducing air pollution and encouraging active transportation
- And providing equitable transportation solutions that meet the needs of all communities.
The Orange County Mobility Hubs Strategy is in the first stage, and part of the study will be outlining next steps once the concept is further refined. Those concepts will require more detailed planning, engineering and coordination between partners to move forward.
Results of the study, which will go back to the board for further consideration and direction, are expected in mid-2022.
