Now in its 54th year, Earth Day serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to safeguard the environment and our future.
On Monday, April 22, OCTA will once again offer free OC Bus rides on all its nearly 60 fixed routes.
Choosing to take public transportation instead of driving helps reduce pollution and takes cars off the road. The OC Bus fleet runs on clean, renewable energy, including compressed natural gas and zero-emission hydrogen fuel-cell electric and plug-in battery electric buses.
OCTA’s commitment to environmental sustainability and stewardship goes beyond Earth Day and is prioritized in OCTA’s Board and CEO Initiatives. OCTA uses funding from OC Go, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, to protect Orange County’s natural resources through environmental mitigation and cleanup programs. OC Go is also known as Measure M.
In addition, OCTA is working toward a 100% zero-emission future with its bus fleet by 2040. OCTA introduced 10 hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses into its regular fleet in 2020 and has begun testing plug-in battery electric buses. The pilot programs are helping the agency determine which technology, or mix of technologies, will perform best on Orange County streets.
In 2024, OCTA expects to procure an additional 40 hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses and 10 battery electric buses and add an additional hydrogen fueling station.