Octa's transportation blog

OCTA Board Approves $1.5 Billion Balanced Budget

To keep Orange County moving, the OCTA Board approved a $1.5 billion budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year budget focused on transit service and continued delivery of major capital projects.

Major initiatives include advancing capital improvements such as the I-405 Improvement Project, I-5 projects in South County and Central County, and the OC Streetcar, enhancing transit service through the OC Bus 360° program, and allocating funding for cities to improve streets and roads.

“This year’s budget demonstrates OCTA’s continued commitment to fulfilling the promises made to voters who approved Measure M,” said OCTA Chairman Tim Shaw, also a La Habra Councilman. “The budget will fund work that will make a positive impact on everyone who lives, works or commutes in Orange County by investing in the county’s streets, freeways, transit services,  and active transportation programs.”

The FY 2019-20 budget will go into effect July 1 and encompasses all services, projects and programs administered by OCTA.

Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, also known as OC Go, will continue to fund improvements to freeways and streets throughout the county, along with multiple transit programs. Included in the budget is $366.4 million to help fund freeway improvements, $159 million that will go to cities to improve Orange County’s roads, and $48.5 million for ongoing OC Streetcar construction.

Efforts to improve transit service will continue through OC Bus 360°, OCTA’s comprehensive effort aimed at reshaping transit service throughout the county. This will be the first full year that Bravo! 529, a limited-stop bus route on Beach Boulevard, will be in service, and the OC Flex microtransit pilot program will continue to operate in two areas of the county.