Residents to discuss new OCTA bus routes

Jennifer Kho

SANTA ANA -- A group of residents who opposed countywide bus system

alterations has organized a public forum today to discuss the changes.

The new bus routes, which were implemented last month, straightened

many of the county’s crooked routes and were designed to simplify and

shorten most riders’ commutes, Orange County Transportation Authority

officials said.

But members of the Orange County Citizens’ Bus Restructuring Task

Force, which held a forum in August to oppose the changes, say the

changes have caused generally longer commutes for riders.

The task force hopes public comments at the forum will either support

or assuage its concerns.

“At the last forum, all we had was speculation. But now we will know

how people are affected,” said Jane Reifer, a spokeswoman for the group.

“Some people’s travel times have decreased, but we think most people have

a more burdensome trip. We’ll find out.”

A high turnout of Costa Mesa bus riders is expected, Reifer said,

since the city has the second-highest bus ridership in the county.

Eileen Hoglind, a Costa Mesa resident and host to international

students at the English as a Second Language program at UCI, said one

student is moving into her home because the commute from his previous

residence is now too long.

“I have no complaint because the bus stop where my students leave from

and come in from is exactly the same,” she said. “But I think it’s

horrible how some other people have been affected.”

FYI

WHAT: Countywide bus riders’ forum

WHERE: Fullerton Community Bank building, 825 N. Broadway, Santa Ana

WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. today

INFORMATION: (714) 525-3678