OCTA Weekly Update: major bus cuts, new Metrolink cars, and state jobs bill to benefit — what exactly?

March 15, 2010
	OCTA Reduces Bus Service Hours CEO Will Kempton Discusses Budget Cuts New Bill Will Create Thousands of Jobs in California

CEO Will Kempton Shares Update on OCTA Budget

Reductions in Bus Services Begin
As OCTA Cuts 150,000 Service Hours 

OCTA Chairman Jerry Amante and CEO Will Kempton participated in a news conference last week to provide information about the bus service reductions that began Sunday, March 14.

Television, radio and newspaper media covered the news event, including members of Spanish and Asian news media outlets.

“We have taken every measure to preserve as much service as possible, and we have tried to implement these changes in a way that will affect the fewest number of riders,” Amante said. “Our mission is to provide the best public transit system possible and there’s not one single person at OCTA who wants these cuts to occur.”

OCTA reduced approximately 8 percent of bus service on Sunday in response to state budget cuts, sales tax drop and declining ridership.

The board of directors voted in November to eliminate 150,000 annual hours of bus service through a combination of eliminating routes, reducing bus frequency, restructuring routes and reducing trips.

The service reductions will save OCTA approximately $13 million as it faces a more than $30 million budget shortfall this year. The reductions are necessary to make up for major cuts in state funding and significant drops in sales tax revenue and fare revenue.

Since September 2008, OCTA has reduced 20 percent of bus service – 383,000 revenue vehicle hours – to bring service in line with available revenue.

For detailed route information, please go to www.octa.net/marchchange.

Governor Signs New Bill 
Bringing Jobs to Orange County

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB X8 11 legislation early last week.

The bill – sponsored by Assemblyman Jose Solorio, Senator Bob Huff and Senator Lou Correa – allows the California Transportation Commission to enter into agreements with local transportation agencies allowing them to advance local funds on Proposition 116 projects and be eligible for reimbursement later once state bonds are sold.

Currently, the state’s inability to sell bonds is affecting projects across the state and could begin to cause delays in Orange County. Mechanisms such as AB X8 11 will allow these projects to move forward and begin to put people back to work in Orange County quickly. OCTA estimates that the Proposition 116 projects will produce approximately 6,000 jobs.

As special session bills take effect 90 days after adjournment, the bill will take effect in early June, also assisting OCTA with meeting the Proposition 116 project deadline of June 30, 2010.

The OCTA board of directors will honor Solorio, Huff and Correa for their leadership and contribution to this issue at the March 22 board meeting.

Darrell Johnson Appointed to Deputy CEO

CEO Will Kempton announced Monday that Darrell Johnson has been appointed and has agreed to serve as the deputy CEO of OCTA effective March 29.

Johnson has nearly 19 years of experience in the planning, development, implementation and operations of major transportation projects in California. He serves OCTA as executive director of the Rail Division.

Johnson began his career as part of a highly competitive management development program with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation or Amtrak. During the management development program, he was assigned to the planning, development, finance, operations, safety, engineering, government relations and executive departments.

During his 12 years with Amtrak, Johnson held increasingly responsible positions in operations and planning and contributed to the development of passenger rail corridors in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

Johnson will fill the position after current Deputy CEO Jim Kenan retires on March 25.

Kenan has served OCTA for more than 30 years and has agreed to continue in a part-time capacity, providing support to the CEO and deputy CEO.

Assemblyman Tran Honors 
Kris Murray as Woman of the Year

Assemblyman Van Tran honored OCTA’s Kris Murray as Woman of the Year for the 68th Assembly District.

Tran recognized Murray last Monday, March 8, during a formal ceremony on the Assembly floor in Sacramento in appreciation of her outstanding community services to Orange County.

“Kris brings nearly 20 years experience on behalf of Orange County securing regulatory relief, vital infrastructure funding and programs to expand economic development in Anaheim,” Tran said. “I am pleased to name her as my Woman of the Year for all that she has given to Anaheim and Orange County.”

Murray serves as the executive director of Government Relations for OCTA and the executive director of the Orange County Council of Governments.

She also is the vice chair of Anaheim Public Utility, board member of Metropolitan Water District representing Anaheim and former vice president of the Orange County Business Council.

The Woman of the Year ceremony celebrates California’s exceptional women and commemorates women’s contributions to make the state a better place to live.

The California Legislative Women’s Caucus sponsors the “Woman of the Year” awards every March in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

This is the 30th annual event to recognize and honor remarkable women in California.

Metrolink Riders’ Alerts Available at OCTA.net

Orange County Metrolink passengers can now access information for planned track construction, track closures and related delays directly through OCTA’s Web site.

Find up-to-date riders’ alerts at www.octa.net/mlalerts.

OCTA Chairman to Speak At Cal State Fullerton

Wednesday, March 17 – Chairman Jerry Amante will speak to the Phi Beta Lambda business fraternity at Cal State Fullerton. The event will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Titan Student Union on Cal State Fullerton’s campus.

For more information, contact Laura Scheper at (714) 560-5697 or lscheper@octa.net.

Kempton To Address Planning Directors

Thursday, March 18 – CEO Will Kempton will attend the Planning Directors Association of Orange County and speak on transportation plans affecting land-use development, including SB 375, the Sustainable Community Strategy, the Regional Transportation Plan and the collaboration between of OCTA and the Orange County Council of Governments. The meeting will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Tustin Ranch Golf Club.

For more information, contact Laura Scheper at (714) 560-5697 or lscheper@octa.net.

Director Cavecche to Speak At Brea Lions Club

Thursday, March 18 – Director Carolyn Cavecche will speak to the Brea Lions Club regarding local transportation projects. The presentation will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Boy Scout Center in Brea.

For more information, contact Laura Scheper at (714) 560-5697 or lscheper@octa.net.

March 6 – The Orange County Register wrote a story about the city of Laguna Niguel’s Measure M revenue loss.

March 5 – The Orange County Register published a story regarding OCTA reducing bus service in the city of Buena Park.

March 8 and March 10 – The Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times both ran stories about the proposed high-speed rail corridor route through Buena Park.

March 8 – The Riverside Press-Enterprise ran a story about Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol reviewing data for 2009 and finding that the Riverside Freeway (SR-91) has eight of the Inland Empire’s 10 worst bottlenecks.

March 6 – The Orange County Register ran an article about funding concerns for the a tri-city “trolley” linking San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano.

March 5 – The Orange County Register wrote a story about repaving work beginning in late April on a stretch of Pacific Park Drive between La Paz Road and Alicia Parkway.

March 5 – The Orange County Register included an article about OCTA reducing bus service in Cypress.

March 5 – The Orange County Register printed an article about the Central Coast Railway Club and the Pacific Locomotive Association presenting a train excursion featuring the old Santa Fe Locomotive 3751.

March 9 – The Orange County Register ran a story online regarding the OCTA board of directors’ decision to accelerate the schedule for the Orangethorpe corridor railroad grade separation projects.

March 10 – The Orange County Register, 89.3 KPCC, KOCE, Nguoi Viet, ABC Channel 7 News, Telemundo 52, Channel 3 Garden Grove, Santa Ana College and KNX 1070 all covered stories regarding the bus service reduction plan that started Sunday, March 14.

March 10 – The Orange County Register wrote a story about OCTA eliminating bus route 693 that runs between Wal-Mart and the Talega community.

March 11 – The Orange County Register posted a story about Caltrans delaying progress on the Oso Parkway bridge project.

March 11 – The Orange County Register included an article about the Irvine City Council approving a pair of agreements with the Irvine Community Development Company and Caltrans to add a third lane in each direction on Laguna Canyon Road between the San Diego Freeway (I-405) and the future Lake Forest Drive intersection.

March 11 – The Orange County Register published a story regarding OCTA reducing bus service in Laguna Woods.

March 11 – The Orange County Register printed a brief about OCTA eliminating bus route 82, which runs from Foothill Ranch to Laguna Niguel.

March 11 – The Orange County Register ran an article about Buena Park Mayor and OCTA Board Director Art Brown joining the race to replace Chris Norby on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

Mar. 8, 2010
	OCTA Prepares for Bus Service Reductions Coach Operators Celebrate 31 Years of Safe Driving OCSD Sgt. Awarded for Heroic Act at Metrolink Station

OCTA Prepares for Bus Service Reductions

The OCTA Board of Directors voted last November to eliminate 150,000 annual hours of bus service in March 2010 through a combination of eliminating routes, reducing bus frequency, restructuring routes and reducing trips.

The service reductions will begin March 14 and are necessary to make up for major cuts in state funding and significant drops in sales tax revenue and fare revenue.

“OCTA has taken every measure to preserve as much service as possible, and we have to tried to implement these changes in a way that that will affect the fewest number of riders,” said OCTA Chairman Jerry Amante, also mayor of Tustin. “Unfortunately, the tragedy of our state’s financial crisis will hit home when we are forced to reduce a vital service for thousands of people in Orange County.”

The plan will reduce service on the following routes:

• Weekday elimination of routes 62, 74, 75, 131, 147, 164 and 693
• Saturday elimination of routes 24, 76, 86, 172, 193 and 693
• Sunday elimination of routes 24, 51, 76, 82, 85, 172, 193 and 693
• Weekday reduced frequency on routes 24, 25, 30, 35, 37, 50, 55, 64, 66, 71, 72, 76, 82 and 145
• Saturday and Sunday reduced frequency on routes 29, 50, 55, 66 and 89
• Eliminates Night Owl service on routes 43, 50, 57 and 60 but maintains service until approximately 1 a.m. and resuming at approximately 4 a.m.
• Weekday elimination of midday service on route 21
• Weekday and weekend restructuring of routes 29, 43, 47, 53, 59 and 70. New routes 90, 129, 143 and 153.

To help inform bus riders during this difficult time, OCTA implemented a public outreach program.

OCTA staff members visited Orange County junior colleges, universities, employers, senior centers, youth groups and schools to help prepare the bus riders for the service change.

The OCTA team also will serve as transit ambassadors at major bus stops during the first days of the service change to help bus riders complete their trips.

CEO Will Kempton will join Amante for a news conference 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, at OCTA headquarters to share information about the service reductions with members of the media.

For additional information, please visitwww.octa.net/marchchange.

CEO and Board Members Travel to Sacramento 
To Discuss Transportation Issues

CEO Will Kempton joined Directors Art Brown, Peter Buffa, Carolyn Cavecche and Curt Pringle in Sacramento on Wednesday and Thursday at the annual delegation trip to advocate for OCTA’s state legislative priorities.

The meetings came at the height of budget negotiations proposing to dramatically alter transportation funding in California and included members of the delegation, legislative leadership and the respective chairs and vice chairs of such committees as budget, appropriations and transportation.

Kempton and the OCTA directors discussed AB 32 and SB 375 implementation, state bond sales and transit/transportation funding with members of the Legislature, the governor’s administration, the California Transportation Commission and the Air Resources Board.

OCTA also cohosted a reception with Mobility 21 on Wednesday evening to thank members of the Legislature for their ongoing support for transportation in Orange County.

OCTA Staff Members Share Grade Crossing Information with Community Members

The OCTA outreach team has been meeting with community members around the Orangethorpe rail corridor to share information about the scheduling of the grade separation project.

Community members have sent letters of concern to OCTA about the simultaneous closures of adjacent intersections that may create traffic and safety issues.

In response to community concerns, OCTA staff members developed an accelerated schedule that achieves the benefits associated with moving the construction of the projects forward, and avoids the simultaneous closures that raised concerns.

Staff members presented project information to residents of the Del Cerro Mobile Estates on Sunday, Feb. 28 and reviewed the proposed accelerated schedule. More than 40 residents attended the discussion and shared their opinions about the Tustin Avenue/Rose Drive overcrossing project in particular.

Team members also shared project information to the Backs Community Center on Thursday, March 4, for the property owners who are impacted by the undercrossing planned for the intersection of Kraemer Avenue and Crowther Avenue.

OCTA Celebrates More than 31 Years 
Of Safe Driving with Coach Operators

OCTA honored 20 coach operators at the 31+ Years of Safe Driving awards at the Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Anaheim bus bases over the past month.

The coach operators were recognized for their accomplishments and continual commitment in providing safe, courteous and reliable service to OCTA's customers.

The awards events were held at the three bases to recognize the coach operators for achieving accident-free records for more than 31 years.

OCTA Board Member Greg Winterbottom joined the celebration at the Anaheim base and thanked the awardees for their service.

CEO Will Kempton honored the following coach operators for their 31+ years of safe driving:

Garden Grove Harry Marshall Jack Huggett Juan Chavez Stephen Morales Bernard Lopez Santa Ana James Moore Larry Amarinder Grewal Elisha Rainwaters Pete Robertson Dennis Kimmel Kimilla Reece Dennis Disinger

Anaheim Jeff Mellinger David Hepp Julie Peabody Walter Kowalchuk Sherrie Matteson Jane Snyder Jack Jacobus Gloria Novotny

New Metrolink Cars Arrive at the Port of Long Beach

Metrolink officials held a press event last Tuesday to announce the arrival of the system’s first two Crash Energy Management-enabled cars.

Delivered from their manufacturing site in South Korea, the cars are the first of 117 that Metrolink will put into service later this year after a rigorous testing program.

“As the latest technological addition to our comprehensive public safety program, these new cars will help save lives,” said Metrolink Board Chairman Keith Millhouse. “Their arrival on our shore is the result of dynamic collaboration with world-class vehicle safety experts across two continents who share our commitment to passenger safety. On behalf of Metrolink’s thousands of loyal commuters, I want to thank them for their innovative work to enhance the safety of our transportation network.”

Metrolink will be the first commuter rail system in the nation to adopt these state-of-the-art cab and passenger cars, which feature a unique collision-absorption technology.

OC Sheriff's Department Sgt. Stu Greenberg Recognized 
For Heroic Act at Metrolink Station

The Newport Beach American Legion Post 291 will honor Orange County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Stu Greenberg Sunday, March 14, with the American Legion Award for Heroism for his actions taken to keep two children safe during a potentially life-threatening incident at the San Clemente Metrolink station.

Greenberg was conducting a patrol check of the San Clemente Metrolink Station on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, when he saw an Amtrak train start to leave the station traveling southbound with two children, ages 8 and 4, running along the platform next to the train.

He heard both children screaming “Daddy” and sounding very upset while they ran alongside the moving train. Inside the train, Greenberg saw the boys’ father pounding on the door window yelling at the children as the train pulled away from the station.

As they were running along the side of the moving train, the older boy jumped and grabbed onto the door handle attached to the train. He hung on for about two seconds then let go and jumped back onto the train platform. The children were within inches of the moving train and they continued to run along the side of it.

Greenberg immediately exited his patrol unit, ran to the children and carried them away from the train. The children continued to scream and explained that their father was on the train and they were supposed to be with him. Greenberg was speaking with the children as the train came to a stop south of the train platform.

He then contacted the Amtrak conductor and was told that the father of the children had pulled the emergency brake cable to stop the train. The father feared his children would be pulled under the train and killed.

“Words cannot express the gratitude that I feel for Sgt. Greenberg for being there for us on that day,” said Douglas Arthur, father of the two boys. “He handled the situation with professionalism, valor and empathy. My boys will never forget about the California policeman who saved them, or that the police truly are our friends.”

CEO Meets with California League of Cities

Will Kempton attended the Orange County Division - League of California Cities Advocacy Committee Friday.

Kempton discussed some of the challenges facing OCTA and how the organization is addressing them, as well how cities can work with OCTA to overcome these challenges.

The discussion also inlcuded the status of ABX8 6, which would dedicate sales tax on diesel for transit and AB 11 X8, a bill currently awaiting the governor’s signature that allows local agencies to move forward on projects funded through Prop. 116 and be reimbursed later by the state.

APTA to Host Annual Conference 
In Washington, D.C.

March 13 to March 16 – The American Public Transportation Association will host its annual legislative conference in Washington, D.C. to focus on legislative issues facing the transportation industry and advocate for transportation on Capitol Hill.

The conference will address new transportation opportunities in 2010, high-speed rail, transit advocacy and an outlook on the future of transportation.

Contact Allison Cheshire at (714) 560-5490 or acheshire@octa.net.

Feb. 25 – The Orange County Register included a story about OCTA changing a proposal to start construction on all the grade separation projects at once in Placentia.

Feb. 25 – The Orange County Register wrote a story about transportation officials meeting to gather public input on the proposed ARTIC transportation hub – a center serving rail, bus, taxi and trolley service to be built on 16 acres across from the Honda Center.

Feb. 25 – The Orange County Register published a story about OCTA honoring Joel Rule of Buena Park as maintenance employee of the year for 2009.

Feb. 26 – The Orange County Register ran an article about the Irvine City Council approving plans to widen the Dyer/Barranca/Red Hill intersection by adding through lanes in each direction along Dyer Road/Barranca Parkway and Red Hill Avenue.

Feb 28 – The Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register both included articles about California’s proposed high-speed rail from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

March 2 – The Orange County Register included an article about OCTA changing bus routes through the city of Laguna Hills.

March 2 and March 3 – The Los Angeles Daily News and KPCC News Radio both covered stories about Metrolink in Southern California receiving a new generation of crash-resistant rail cars designed to minimize damage and injuries in the event of a collision.

March 4 – The Orange County Register, OCLNN.com and KABC Channel 7 News all included stories regarding the $7.25 million settlement in the lawsuit filed by Ronald Cunningham.

March 4 – The Orange County Registerran an article about funding concerns for a tri-city "trolley" linking San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano.

For the latest media news, follow Joel Zlotnik, media relations manager, on Twitter.