Orange County receives FTA approval for light rail line

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) in California secured approval from the Federal Transit Administration to proceed with preliminary engineering on its CenterLine light rail project. The CenterLine, a proposed 18-mile system linking the Orange County cities of Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Irvine, will connect local intermodal transportation centers with John Wayne Airport and several major shopping, business, government and entertainment centers. "With almost 500,000 people residing two miles or less from the chosen alignment, we think it can be a major success at providing mobility for central Orange County," said OCTA CEO Art Leahy. Construction on the rail line may start as early as 2006. The preliminary engineering phase of the project is expected to last 18 to 20 months. For more on the project, go to www.octa.net.