Plans for the OC Streetcar project are in motion, and people in the community are sharing their thoughts about the modern-day streetcar running through the heart of Orange County.
Dubbed O.C.’s downtown, Santa Ana is rapidly attracting visitors from across the region to enjoy the diverse culinary options and experience the rich culture of the nearly 150-year-old city steeped in tradition and history.
 Top photo shows a Pacific Electric streetcar through 4th Street sometime during the first half of the 20th century. Up until 1950, riders could take this streetcar from downtown Santa Ana to downtown Los Angeles. The bottom graphic shows what Orange County’s first modern streetcar may look like. The OC Streetcar is planned to begin service in 2019, ushering in a new era of transportation for Santa Ana and beyond. |
Around lunchtime inside 4th Street Market many patrons are savoring either a Latin / Asian fusion poke bowl, perfectly fried chicken, hand-crafted ice cream or a myriad of other savory or sweets offerings from the 16 food and beverage joints.
A few blocks down the street, residents are getting haircuts at Barberia el Catrin retro barbershop and picking up fresh mangoes and pan dulce at Northgate Market.
It’s a community that’s becoming even more vibrant, and OCTA representatives have started conversations with visitors and residents alike as plans accelerate to bring a modern streetcar to life in Santa Ana and the eastern edge of Garden Grove.
 People are savoring pan dulce sweet pastries from Northgate Market and a mashup of Mexican tacos with Vietnamese spices at the wildly popular Dos Chinos inside 4th Street Market. Paninoteca Maggio owners Sharron Barshishat and Linda Tran serve artisan Italian food in a historic space on Main Street. Online visitors can explore what visitors and residents are saying about the OC Streetcar. |
People are sounding off on how the OC Streetcar project would help change the way they travel when it’s scheduled to be completed in late 2019.
Members of this diverse community enjoy going into the bustling town for food, exploring nightlife or just experiencing some of its many cultural offerings such as the Frida Cinema that showcases independent films, the Yost Theater known for hosting up-and-coming music acts, the Grand Central Art Center for its diverse collection of modern art and Libreria Martinez de Chapman University with its vast collection of Spanish literature.
Accessing these popular destinations is becoming more challenging because of traffic. Upon seeing an image of a streetcar, they were excited for this solution to become part of Santa Ana’s progress.
“I think it sounds like a great idea to really bring more individuals into downtown now that it’s become a lot more vibrant and alive at night,” said Rosa Diaz, chief officer of operations and programs at Nicholas Academic Centers. “If it’s well planned, then you’re going to have an opportunity to bring downtown Santa Ana into a status like Denver or San Francisco where you see a variety of different modes of transportation, and having individuals be more involved in the downtown community.”
Others like Jackie Zhou, a student at Chapman University, say they like the convenience for residents from surrounding communities to be able to come in and out of the Santa Ana without worrying about driving on crowded roads.
Holly Brown said she excited about the possible boost in foot traffic to businesses and how the modern streetcar will provide a fun way to travel and help enrich the community’s sense of place.
Many community members say they are excited to see the streetcar serving important destinations with its four-mile route through employment centers, retail stores, restaurants and civic buildings between the Santa Ana train station and Harbor Boulevard and Westminster Avenue in Garden Grove.
 This map available on OCTA’s website shows the route for the OC Streetcar, which will run 4.15 miles through 4th Street from the Santa Ana train station to Garden Grove. |
Although most of the community’s thoughts were positive, many questions rolled in as well: How much will it cost to ride? How long is the wait? When will it be finished?
To share information about the OC Streetcar, OCTA’s website features a visual infographic in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, and social media feeds for people to leave questions and comments using #OCStreetcar.
“The infographic will definitely be helpful, especially in bringing people to our area,” Honor Roll Manager Brenna Wolverton said. “Looking at the information, I learned more about the streetcar project than before. It’s exciting and informational, and I like how it’s broken into different categories.”
 OCTA’s website hosts interviews with a few Orange County residents and visitors, and an infographic about the streetcar project in multiple languages. |
Business owners and employees aren’t the only people learning new facts about the streetcar. People who shop in the area are interested as well, and Monica Gonzalez, who went to downtown just to buy earrings with her friend, found the information compelling.
“I can’t believe we are the 11th largest city in California,” Gonzales said. “Some of the stuff I read took me by surprise, like I would have never thought that. I think this will be really helpful for people here.”
Vicky Fuentes is among members of the business community intrigued by the colorful infographics with facts and statistics on the streetcar and neighborhood.
Fuentes, a marketing specialist at OC Kids Dental Care, says she hopes the website will continually have updated information.
“I think the information is great,” Fuentes said, flashing a bright smile. The eight-year Santa Ana resident who is featured on “Voices and Visions” of the OCTA website, says she is excited to see the streetcar come to downtown Santa Ana. “This information, especially in Spanish, will help a lot of people know more about the streetcar. They hear about it but they don’t really know, so it’s really good.”
Visit octa.net/ocstreetcar for more information.