• OCTA Awards $26.4 Million to Improve Orange County Streets
• Board Receives CEO Initiatives and Action Plan Progress Report
• Workshop Held to Discuss Proposed FY 2022-23 Budget

The Orange County Transportation Authority board awarded $26.4 million to Orange County cities to help ease traffic congestion by making improvements to streets and timing of traffic signals.

Nine projects that will improve and widen busy streets and intersections will receive $10.2 million and five additional projects will receive $16.2 million to synchronize traffic signals to ensure drivers hit the most green lights during peak traffic hours.

The funds are available through Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, also known as OC Go.

Regional capacity projects include:

• Improving the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Harbor Boulevard in Anaheim
• Widening Lincoln Avenue between East and Evergreen streets in Anaheim
• Improving the southbound SR-57 onramp at SR-90 in Brea
• Completing the engineering phase of improvements at the intersection of Harbor and Garden Grove boulevards in Garden Grove
• Improving the intersection of Culver Drive and Alton Parkway in Irvine
• Improving the intersection of Harvard Avenue and Michelson Drive in Irvine
• Widening the intersection at Cannon Street and Serrano Avenue in Orange
• Improving Fairview Street between Monte Carlo Drive and Trask Street in Santa Ana
• Widening Savi Ranch Parkway in Yorba Linda.

Signal synchronization projects include:

• Bake Parkway and Rockfield Boulevard in Irvine and Lake Forest
• Euclid Street Corridor in La Habra, Fullerton, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Fountain Valley
• Crown Valley Parkway in Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Dana Point and the County of Orange
• Moulton Parkway/Golden Lantern regional project in Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills and Dana Point
• Yorba Linda Boulevard/Weir Canyon Road corridor in Yorba Linda, Fullerton, Placentia and Anaheim.

The OCTA board received a report highlighting the agency’s progress on its 2022 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan for the first three months of the year.

The 2022 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, approved by the board in January, consist of three board initiatives and nine CEO initiatives monitored through 96 milestones throughout the year. From January through March, 16 of the 96 milestones outlined in the action plan have been completed.

Highlights include:

• Continued progress on the I-405 Project including the completion and opening of the first half of the Brookhurst Street bridge
• Negotiated and reached new agreements with coach operators as well as parts clerks and facilities technicians to ensure the continuation of safe and reliable OC Bus service that is essential to the people of Orange County
• Added the Youth Ride Free Program to OCTA’s fare policy, making OCTA the first large transit agency in the region to permanently offer free bus rides to all youth ages six to 18
• Expanded the College Pass Program to include students at Coastline College
• Graduated the fourth cohort of OCTA’s internal Management Development Academy
• Submitted the 2023 Federal Transportation Improvement Program project list and financial plan
• Launched an online version of unconscious bias training for all new administrative employees

The OCTA board held a workshop to discuss the agency’s proposed $1.65 billion balanced budget for fiscal year 2022-23.

Overall, 52% of the proposed budget is dedicated toward funding transit programs. A quarter of the proposed budget is allocated toward freeway improvements and 11% toward streets.

Additional highlights from the proposed budget include:

• Sales tax receipts are anticipated to be significantly higher than the current year’s budget
• Establishes funding to protect against a potential economic downturn
• Bus operations budget includes the capacity to add fixed-route service and accommodate increases in OC ACCESS trips
• Metrolink budget includes the capacity to reach pre-pandemic trip levels
• Measure M continues to provide funding for freeways, streets and transit modes consistent with the Next 10 Delivery Plan
• Strong trip growth is anticipated for the 91 Express Lanes.

The proposed budget is scheduled to return to the board for consideration after a public hearing on Monday, June 13.