OCTA approved a contract to help maintain bus stops across Orange County, ensuring riders get updated, reliable route information wherever they board an OC Bus.
The $1.6 million contract with ShelterClean Services, Inc. is for a three-year term beginning Dec. 1, with the option to extend the contract through 2028.
OCTA currently has 58 bus routes operating across Orange County and into neighboring counties, with a total of 5,480 bus stop locations. Some express bus routes have as few as 10 stops, whereas the more well-travel routes in areas of core ridership have as many as 150 stops per route.
At each stop, OCTA installs and maintains posts and signage identifying route information and as well as solar lighting so the stops can be seen at night. OCTA works with individual jurisdictions to determine the most efficient placement of bus stops for the highest level of customer service.
Individual cities and the county are responsible for shelter upkeep and providing passenger amenities such as benches, shelters and trash receptacles. OCTA issues approximately 1,600 work orders every year for a variety of issues, including graffiti removal, replacing damaged signs and posts, trimming trees, painting red curbs, moving benches and repairing solar lights.
Service requests for trash removal and other shelter maintenance are coordinated with the jurisdictions responsible for the bus shelters.
The OCTA contactor performs preventative maintenance at each bus stop periodically, including cleaning, replacing and repairing OCTA-owned hardware. In addition, OCTA issues work orders for each of OCTA’s service changes, typically three each year.
The work orders vary in scope and include installing or removing bus stop signs, posts, hardware, informational materials and route schedules. Depending on the scope of a service change, 3,000 to 4,000 informational pieces may be replaced to support a single service change.
To save taxpayer money, OCTA began contracting bus stop maintenance in 1994. ShelterClean, based in Los Angeles County, has extensive experience in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.
For more information about OC Bus, visit here.