OCTC Seeks U.S. Money for Amtrak Project
For the first time, the Orange County Transportation Commission is requesting federal mass-transit funds for an Amtrak rail project, agency spokesman Tom Fortune said.
The request, approved Monday by commission members as part of a package of projects submitted to the Urban Mass Transit Administration, would be funded by about $550,000 in federal gas tax money for laying a second rail line on a county bridge across Peters Canyon Channel between Santa Ana and Irvine.
The county is replacing the wood-framework bridge to increase water capacity beneath the structure and reduce flooding in adjacent neighborhoods. The total cost of reconstruction is expected to be about $1.7 million, of which local government agencies will pay $1.2 million. Laying the double track is part of a major, long-range improvement project to accommodate planned increases in rail service along the Los Angeles-Orange County-San Diego corridor.
The panel has previously steered UMTA money to bus-related or ride-sharing projects.
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