California’s Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) board approved a balanced budget of $1.76 billion for the upcoming fiscal year.

The budget keeps essential transportation improvements moving forward while responsibly planning for a balanced and sustainable transportation future for Orange County.

OCTA’s New Budget

The approved budget makes significant investments in public transit — totaling approximately 52% of the overall budget — and makes improvements to Orange County’s freeways and streets to keep the county moving safely and efficiently.

Overall, the fiscal year 2024-25 budget represents approximately a $58 million increase (about 3.4%) over the previous year’s budget. This mirrors a similar budget increase last year, which followed two years of budget cuts largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other themes of the budget include:

• Planning responsibly and conservatively for the current economic climate, while maintaining strong reserve levels.

• Ongoing investment in zero-emission buses and infrastructure to support the ongoing conversion to a full zero-emission fleet.

• Delivering on the projects and programs promised through Measure M.

• Continuing to fund Metrolink service and implementing the rail-service optimization model.

• Advancing planning studies for solutions to protect the coastal rail line.

• Making significant progress toward completion of the OC Streetcar project and beginning pre-revenue service.

Continued Funding

Measure M — the voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation — will continue to fund improvements to freeways and streets throughout Orange County, in addition to multiple transit and environmental programs.

Transportation funds are provided to cities through formula and competitive funding.

Major initiatives for the budget include advancing capital improvement projects on freeways. The year ahead will also improve local streets and continue serving Orange County’s transit needs, while moving toward a goal of zero-emissions to help improve air quality for the entire community.

The FY 2024-25 budget encompasses all services, projects and programs that are administered by OCTA.