1. Around San Juan: Train Interruption, Siren Test, More
O.C. Register
No trains will pass through San Juan Capistrano this weekend as city crews trim palm trees on Los Rios Street. The trees hang near the railroad tracks "and could adversely affect passing trains and the community if not cared for," according to a city news release.
The trimming will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday and continue into early Sunday. Crews also will perform maintenance on the tracks.
City officials said they worked with the Orange County Transportation Authority to schedule the work at a time that would have the least impact on nearby businesses. For more information, contact David Hubler in the city Public Works Department at 949-443-6365.
2. Buster The Bus Gets Paint Job
O.C. Register (Oct. 8)
photo credit: O.C. Register
Buster the Bus has some shiny new wheels. The popular 20-year-old exhibit at the La Habra Children’s Museum was officially re-dedicated on Monday, after a summer renovation project spearheaded by the Orange County Transportation Authority that cleaned up the once-rundown bus.
About two dozen people – including Councilman Tom Beamish and OCTA Chairman Gregory Winterbottom – attended the ribbon cutting for Buster the Bus, one of the most beloved exhibits at the museum.
After two decades of transporting children’s imaginations across the county, the bus’ upholstery had become ragged, the graphics faded and the lights dim.
So City Councilman Tim Shaw, a member of OCTA’s board, worked to get the bus refurbished. With funding from one of its main vendors, MV Transportation Inc., the authority’s engineers set to work on the reclamation project.
It cost $3,500 for materials and three-and-a-half days of OCTA labor, said authority spokesman Joel Zlotnik.
“The kids love Buster,” said museum Manager LovelyQureshi. “A lot of them pretend to ride the bus, and most pretend to be the driver.”
The OCTA added new upholstery and new graphics with trivia questions about mass transportation in Orange County.
The idea behind Buster, Qureshi said, is to educate students about an important aspect of public life. The point of the renovations, Shaw said, was to clean up the prized exhibit of La Habra’s crown jewel, the Children’s Museum.
“You sit on the (OCTA) board and approve billion-dollar projects and this is only a few thousand dollars,” Shaw said. “But it’s tangible. It’s a small project, but a significant one for our community.”
3. OCTA Bus Exhibit Opens At Children’s Museum
LA Habra Journal
The Orange County Transportation Authority held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday to reveal a renovated OCTA bus that has been on display in The Children’s Museum at La Habra for the past 20 years. The ceremony provided visitors a first look at the renovated “Buster the Bus,” complete with new upholstered benches, driver’s seat, interior paint, and a fixed electronic head sign.
4. Enhanced Expo Line Service in Culver City Planned for USC Game
Culver City Patch
The Orange County Transportation Authority will provide Metrolink Football Express train service from Oceanside and all points north to Union Station.
5. USC Bans On-Campus Parking, Tailgating For Thursday's Arizona Game
Los Angeles Daily News
The Orange County Transportation Authority will provide Metrolink Football Express train service from Oceanside and all points north to Union Station.
6. City Ready To Fight Toll Road Plan
Daily Pilot (Oct. 7)
The Costa Mesa City Council met Monday to discuss whether to pursue a lawsuit to prevent toll roads on the 405 Freeway, a proposal that was met with stiff opposition from area cities last year.