More than 58,000 fairgoers hopped on board the buses this summer,saving time and money on OCTA’s special service
Aug. 28, 2013
ORANGE – The Orange County Fair has come to a close and the numbers are in for the OC Fair Express which set a ridership record this year with more than 58,000 people hopping on board.
The special bus service offered by the Orange County Transportation Authority reported 13,685 boardings the closing weekend of the fair which brought the total to 58,706. This year’s numbers are a 26 percent increase compared to last year’s total ridership of 46,365.
“The OC Fair express had its best year to date and we are proud to offer this annual service that allows residents across the county to get to the fair in a convenient and affordable way,” said OCTA Chairman Greg Winterbottom. “The partnership between our team, the Orange County Fair and Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee has proven to be successful and we look forward to bringing it back again next year.”
Two new routes were added this year and many riders took advantage of the additional Newport Beach and Orange locations.
The OC Fair Express provided non-stop direct service from nine park-and-ride lots to the OC Fair. Buses ran hourly between approximately 2:30 p.m. and midnight on Friday and 9:30 a.m. and midnight on Saturday and Sunday. Passengers also received a coupon for $3 admission to the fair and bus fare was $2 each way.
The OC Fair Express was made possible by a $342,000 grant from the MSRC, which provides funding to projects that remove vehicles from the roadways resulting in reduced emissions.
The MSRC also helps fund the Angels Express service, a partnership of OCTA and Metrolink that provides round-trip train service to all Angels weekday home games beginning at 7:05 p.m.
For details on the trains, visit: www.octa.net/angelsexpress.
