A community meeting and public hearing are planned to discuss reallocating transit funds to meet overall transportation goals
ORANGE – Public input is being sought on a proposed amendment to the Measure M Transportation Investment Plan that would reallocate transit funds to enhance Metrolink service and mobility options for seniors and people with disabilities.
Under the proposed amendment, $219 million in Measure M funds would be transferred toward those transit options from their current allocation for converting Metrolink stations into local gateways for high-speed rail.
OCTA directors recently completed a comprehensive review of how funds collected during the first 10 years of the renewed Measure M are being allocated. That review showed that Measure M continues to be strongly supported by the public and that OCTA has made substantial progress toward delivering the transportation improvements promised to voters, with several projects already delivered.
The review did identify an issue with the transit program. Because of the impact of the recession in 2008, there is a need to move funding between programs within the transit category to successfully deliver all transportation projects and programs.
Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, was first approved in 1990 and renewed by 70 percent of voters in 2006. The fund transfer, allowed in Measure M, would fulfill OCTA’s commitment to voters to stabilize bus fares for seniors and people with disabilities and increase the frequency of Metrolink service.
A community meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 to discuss the proposed amendment and answer questions from the public.
The Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors will hold a public hearing at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 14 to consider voting on the amendment.
Both meetings will be held at OCTA headquarters, 600 S. Main St. in Orange.
Measure M calls for 1 percent of net sales tax revenues to be dedicated to bus fare discounts for seniors age 60 and older and people with disabilities. It also calls for fares to be stabilized at rates consistent with what those riders were paying when the measure was approved in 2006.
Because the sales tax has collected less revenue than originally anticipated, the 1 percent of revenues doesn’t provide enough money to pay for the fare discounts.
Additional funds are also required within the transit category for Metrolink operations, which is in line with OCTA board direction to build the rail service to help take more cars off of Orange County’s freeways.
At the same time, it has been determined that the Measure M high-speed rail gateway program is complete. Funds for high-speed rail helped build the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), which is open and slated to be the southern end for high-speed rail.
So the recommendation is to reallocate $219 million from the completed program, with $150 million of that going toward Metrolink service and $69 million toward stabilizing fares for seniors and people with disabilities.
For more information, visit octa.net/Measure-M.
