OCTA and city officials and students joined together at Santa Ana College this month to launch Bravo! Route 560, the new, faster service that provides a quicker commute along the popular Route 60 between Santa Ana and Long Beach.
OCTA Chair Lori Donchak, Director Greg Winterbottom, and CEO Darrell Johnson welcomed the specially branded orange-and-blue bus that is part of OC Bus 360°, OCTA’s ongoing effort to improve bus service and increase the efficiency of bus travel throughout the county.
The OC Street Teams, two grassroots outreach teams targeting Spanish and Vietnamese communities, were there to share the excitement and educate people about how easy it is to travel on safe, clean, convenient OC Buses using three simple steps – plan, pay, and ride.
On June 13, several days after its official debut, the new Bravo! hit the streets as part of the June bus service change. It runs along Westminster Avenue and 17th Street, making fewer stops along Route 60 at key transfer points and destinations, including the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, Santa Ana College, Cal State Long Beach and the VA Medical Center. The service also connects to Metrolink and Bravo! 543, which travels from the Fullerton Transportation Center to Santa Ana along Harbor Boulevard.
Compared to Route 60, the Bravo! route gives commuters an average travel time savings of 15 percent over the existing service, which currently takes more than 90 minutes from Santa Ana to Long Beach. The new route operates on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and costs the same as regular service – $2 per boarding, or $5 for a one-day pass.
