More bus trips added to two area routes

-- Jennifer Kho

The Orange County Transportation Authority on Tuesday announced that

it has added trips to 10 of its bus routes, including two in

Newport-Mesa.

Buses on Route 45, which runs between Garden Grove and Newport Beach

and passes through Costa Mesa, and Route 180, which connects Costa Mesa

with Newport Beach, now run more frequently during peak hours.

The changes were made to deal with overcrowded conditions on those

buses, said George Urch, spokesman for the transportation authority.

The routes are part of the county’s new “Point to Point” bus system

that took effect in September.

The changes straightened many of the county’s crooked routes and was

designed to simplify and shorten commutes, transportation officials said.

The OCTA is constantly evaluating the routes to make the system more

user-friendly, Urch said.

Jane Reifer, a member of the Orange County Citizens’ Bus Restructuring

Task Force, said the changes are a step in the right direction, but are

not enough. She said the new system has caused longer commutes for many

riders.

Task force members, including several from Costa Mesa -- the

second-highest bus ridership in the county -- held a forum last week to

discuss the new system.