OCTA receives $1.5 million for light rail project

The Orange County (Calif.) Transportation Authority (OCTA) received $1.5 million as part of Congress' FY 2003 Omnibus Appropriations Bill to fund preliminary engineering on the CenterLine light rail system. The preliminary engineering phase will provide the information needed to refine route alignment and station locations, determine vehicle technology and develop a financial plan. The phase is expected to be complete by September. The 11.4-mile light rail line will run between the University of California, Irvine and the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, which serves Amtrak and Metrolink commuter trains as well as several OCTA bus routes. The CenterLine will provide service to the cities of Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Irvine. More than 415,000 residents and 340,000 jobs will be located within two miles of the proposed alignment.