Following a public hearing during the Board meeting on Dec. 14, OCTA approved an amendment to Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements. The amendment will take effect on Jan. 28, 2016, closing out Project T (gateways to high speed rail) and reallocating the balance to Project U to cover a shortfall in the Senior and Disabled Fare Stabilization Program and to Project R, which funds the ongoing operation of Metrolink service in Orange County.
Project T has a capital investment emphasis, Project U has an operational emphasis, and Project R has a mix of capital and operations. While the amendment adjusts the relative amount of expenditures among three transit programs, it does so in the spirit of fulfilling the voter commitment by addressing the needs of two programs using cost savings from a completed program.
The amendment was proposed following the recently completed Ten-Year Comprehensive Program Review (2006-2016) of the Measure M Investment Plan that evaluated the performance of the overall program and provided recommendations to improve performance (report summary).
If you have questions, please contact Tamara Warren, Measure M Program Manager, at twarren@octa.net or (714) 560-5590.