A proposed streetcar project in Santa Ana and Garden Grove moved forward Jan. 20 when the Santa Ana City Council approved the project environmental impact report. This sets the stage for OCTA to take the lead on project implementation.
The planned streetcar route is slightly more than 4 miles long with 12 stations and is expected carry more than 6,000 riders per day by 2035. From the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, through Downtown Santa Ana and the Civic Center, the streetcar would operate along 4th Street and Santa Ana Boulevard. The route would continue along the Pacific Electric right-of-way and connect to a new multimodal transit hub at Harbor Boulevard and Westminster Avenue in Garden Grove.
Simulation of a streetcar in downtown Santa Ana
The project is expected to move into the design phase later this year with construction starting in 2017. On the current schedule, the streetcar would begin operating in late 2019.
The streetcar is intended to provide “last-mile” transportation for individuals traveling from the transportation hubs to employment and retail and recreational areas in the heart of Orange County. Some funding will come from Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, and OCTA is also pursuing local, state and federal dollars.
