Latest news with #OrangeCountyTransportationAuthority
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
OCTA ridership sees early 13% ridership decline amid immigration raids
Fears of masked federal immigration agents stopping people at bus stops or boarding buses in Orange County appears to be having an impact on ridership. The Orange County Transportation Authority typically sees emptier weekday buses over the summer, but recent statistics show a 13% drop after June 20 compared to the same period in 2024. 'Similar ridership declines carried over into July,' said Eric Carpenter, an OCTA spokesperson, 'so we continue to closely monitor this apparent trend of lower ridership.' The recent wave of immigration sweeps began on June 6 in Southern California. Since then, a memo to OCTA bus drivers last month instructed them to comply with any state or federal law enforcement attempting to pull over a bus. The guidance additionally noted that law enforcement present at a bus stop or transit center can't be stopped from boarding. On July 10, a masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and a Drug Enforcement Administration agent boarded a bus in Santa Ana. They briefly questioned one passenger and left without making an arrest. Videos of the encounter spread on social media and amplified fears. OCTA released clearer footage from a bus camera, including a passing remark by an agent about the person questioned being the 'wrong guy' they were looking for. 'We are not aware of any other instance of federal agents boarding a bus in Orange County,' Carpenter said. OCTA officials stressed that the encounter was an isolated incident, but that the federal agencies involved did not notify them of the nature of the investigation before or after it happened. 'The moment an ICE agent boards a bus, trust is lost,' said Dorian Romero, project manager for Santa Ana Active Streets, a group that advocates for progressive transportation policies. 'OCTA needs to work harder to build that trust because this is not safe mobility.' The same day as the incident, an OCTA official presented declining ridership stats to the agency's transit committee. Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who also serves on OCTA's board of directors, noted that less ridership during the summer is normal, as students are out of school, but the stats signaled a climate of fear amid immigration raids beyond that. He urged the agency to look at responses — from adjusting the number of bus routes to informing riders of their constitutional rights — should the raids and depressed ridership trends continue. 'I want us to continue to do business as usual because we've always delivered a solid system but these are unforeseeable conditions that we may not have thought about,' Sarmiento said. 'I'm just hoping going forward, as we see now impacts to ridership, that's going to trigger a response that we make sure our riders are more informed about what's happening.' L.A. Metro, where Latinos comprise more than 60% of bus riders, saw a similar 13.5% drop in ridership from May to June, with last month being the lowest June on record since 2022. Metro has partnered with the L.A. County Office of Immigrant Affairs to distribute 'Know Your Rights' materials on buses, trains and stations. OCTA chief executive Darrell Johnson pledged to look into a possible partnership with the County of Orange on a similar initiative that could use 'public service announcement' spaces on buses for multilingual primers on riders' rights. The topic arose again during OCTA's board of directors meeting on Monday as pro-immigrant activists accused the agency of lying about the lack of ICE activity on buses and at bus stops. Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua, who serves on the board of directors, said at Monday's meeting that 'Know Your Rights' signs in English, Spanish and Vietnamese are being looked at for the county's bus fleet. 'I just want to share with the community that we, as OCTA, have been having that discussion,' she added. 'It's very important that our riders do know their rights.' Romero welcomes OCTA's efforts to look into a 'Know Your Rights' partnership, but believes more can be done to protect riders. 'Bus drivers can be trained, as first responders, on how to encounter these ICE agents, especially if they're masked and not providing identification,' she said.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Passenger rail service set to resume through site of San Clemente landslides
Passenger rail service through San Clemente will resume Saturday morning, nearly six weeks after it was halted due to threats from landslides and coastal erosion. The Orange County Transportation Authority announced that Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains will once again operate through southern Orange County beginning Saturday. Emergency construction began April 28 to stabilize the track near Mariposa Point. Since then, crews have placed approximately 5,900 tons of boulders, known as riprap, along the bluffs in high-risk areas to shield the track from additional damage. The effort also included the resurfacing of more than 3,600 feet of track and the installation of 400 feet of concrete barriers on the inland side of the rail corridor. While that work is now wrapping up, OCTA says more is still planned. The agency received approval last month to construct a 1,400-foot-long wall behind those barriers, which will be built over the coming months to help prevent future landslide debris from reaching the tracks. Construction of the wall is not expected to disrupt passenger service. The full emergency effort included the addition of sand to beaches between North Beach and Mariposa Point. In total, about 240,000 cubic yards of sand are expected to be placed in the area as part of the reinforcement project. The San Clemente rail corridor serves as the only coastal rail connection between Orange and San Diego counties. Since 2021, repeated bluff failures have forced several closures. OCTA and its partners say this phase of the project marks significant progress toward stabilizing the corridor while allowing future service to continue uninterrupted. Pedestrians are urged to stay off the tracks and cross only at marked crossings. Trains will resume running at full schedules beginning Saturday morning. Riders are advised to check updated schedules at and Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coastal rail closed due to landslide risk to resume service between San Diego and Orange counties
The coastal rail linking Orange and San Diego counties is expected to resume service next month after crews spent nearly six weeks reinforcing tracks that were subject to landslides and coastal erosion. Service on the oceanside rail — which extends from Dana Point in south Orange County to the southernmost stops in San Diego County, including San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Oceanside — is set to resume June 7, according to an Orange County Transportation Authority update. The rail line, which serves Metrolink's commuter trains and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, was closed in April to begin construction. The California Coastal Commission approved emergency construction last month after several sections of the rail, which lie below bluffs, were deemed unstable and at immediate risk of landslide and coastal erosion. Crews placed 5,900 tons of large boulders, known as riprap, along the rail, which are intended to absorb flowing water and stabilize potential runoff that may obstruct the rail. Up to 240,000 cubic yards of sand will also be placed between two crucial points along the rail between Mariposa and North beaches. The OCTA said crews are preparing to construct a 1,400-foot-long catchment beside the rail, but noted that the construction schedule is still being determined. Read more: Angels Flight announces price hike as iconic L.A. railway becomes latest victim of inflation The OCTA estimated the total cost of the projects to be about $300 million. In the update, the OCTA acknowledged the recurring interruptions to its passenger rail service: 'Over the past four years, San Clemente's eroding bluffs — on both city and private property — have repeatedly forced the closure of the rail line that has operated largely uninterrupted for more than 125 years.' Work will continue daily between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. before the rail's opening. Service on the Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink are still scheduled to resume normally starting June 7. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
30-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Coastal rail closed due to landslide risk to resume service between San Diego and Orange counties
The coastal rail linking Orange and San Diego counties is expected to resume service next month after crews spent nearly six weeks reinforcing tracks that were subject to landslides and coastal erosion. Service on the oceanside rail — which extends from Dana Point in south Orange County to the southernmost stops in San Diego County, including San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and Oceanside — is set to resume June 7, according to an Orange County Transportation Authority update. The rail line, which serves Metrolink's commuter trains and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, was closed in April to begin construction. The California Coastal Commission approved emergency construction last month after several sections of the rail, which lie below bluffs, were deemed unstable and at immediate risk of landslide and coastal erosion. Crews placed 5,900 tons of large boulders, known as riprap, along the rail, which are intended to absorb flowing water and stabilize potential runoff that may obstruct the rail. Up to 240,000 cubic yards of sand will also be placed between two crucial points along the rail between Mariposa and North beaches. The OCTA said crews are preparing to construct a 1,400-foot-long catchment beside the rail, but noted that the construction schedule is still being determined. The OCTA estimated the total cost of the projects to be about $300 million. In the update, the OCTA acknowledged the recurring interruptions to its passenger rail service: 'Over the past four years, San Clemente's eroding bluffs — on both city and private property — have repeatedly forced the closure of the rail line that has operated largely uninterrupted for more than 125 years.' Work will continue daily between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. before the rail's opening. Service on the Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink are still scheduled to resume normally starting June 7.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Orange County unveils streetcar for area's ‘first modern' system
Orange County officials have unveiled the first of eight vehicles that will soon operate on the OC Streetcar system. The debut of the blue and orange colored vehicle, which will be the county's 'first modern, electric streetcar,' was held at its base in Santa Ana on Wednesday, the Orange County Transportation Authority stated. 'The arrival of the first OC Streetcar vehicle is an exciting moment for Orange County and a clear sign of the strong progress we're making toward getting the system running,' said OCTA Chair Doug Chaffee. The Siemens S700 streetcar is 90 feet long and designed to carry up to 211 passengers, including 62 seated and 149 standing. 'The OC Streetcar will run on electricity from an overhead catenary system, producing zero emissions as it runs along the track,' according to the OCTA. The cars will run a 4-mile route between the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center and Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove, serving some of the most densely populated neighborhoods and connecting with Metrolink rail service. Testing on the new system is expected to begin this summer, with service slated to begin in spring 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
