In memory of all those who have given military service to their country…we salute you! Much is said on this day regarding defense of freedom and leaving our world better for the progeny than we found it. Having said all that…
In the Local Section of the OC Register today…”Schedule for transit center to be set” – Officials to lay out time frame for a long-planned centralized transportation hub in Anaheim. The lead was so telling: “Commuters could grab a bus, trolley, taxi or train from a centralized transportation hub within the next eight years. By 2020, tourists could hop on a magnetic levitation that eventually would shoot to Las Vegas in less than 90 minutes.”
The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center – ARTIC get it? The OCTA are the people scheduled to meet on Tuesday to formulate “their big plan”. The main thing will be their approval of $485,000 bucks just for the budget plan! Wow, they even have a “rendering with the twin towers and a bridge”!
Good grief, they are even going to move the location from the prior Disneyland location to somewhere between Angel’s Stadium and the Honda Center! The telling tale of this article was: “OCTA is trying to take a more practical approach to the center. Instead of relying solely on grandiose proposals for costly high-speed trains, the agency will begin with plans that are already in place – expanded bus lines and more frequent Metrolink service.” “We’re going to start with what we need and to expand when we need it,” LaMar said.
Ok, let’s get down to it….The Feds won’t fund it, the State won’t fund it…they can’t scam the money from their prior failure the Centerline project…..so what to do?
The reality is that four years ago…a nice little transportation center…with buses….managed to get people from LAX to the locations near the entrance to Disneyland and back. Also, a bus that actually took people to Orange County Airport…..now you need to call a shuttle!
So basically, what they are saying is: “In eight years will be bring back bus service to LAX and OC Airport. How about the buses that used to go to San Diego?
The OCTA is a flaming joke! They cannot even provide basic services for the people of Orange County and for tourists that come to visit our County and State. We need people on this board that understand “how to run a railroad and a bus schedule”.
Let’s just take our example: Taking our Muscle Car for service at the engine shop in Anaheim – off Magnolia and the 5 Freeway….. a funny thing happened. It was a Friday about 3PM….as we were backing out of the parking spot…..the shifter just broke! We
could not get the vehicle into any gear.
So, we had to leave the vehicle for a few days to make the repair. We called all our pals but found that Friday afternoons are pretty busy and so we had to scam a ride. One of the customers of the engine shop granted our request to drop us off next to Disneyland. Where, we may add…. where we thought – used to be a Transportation Center.
We were dropped off next to Disneyland and proceeded to walk the dangerous streets adjacent to Harbor Blvd. while we tried to find “the missing” Transportation Center. Finally, we had to take a cab to get out of the “Gang Ghetto” and back to Harbor Blvd. Luckily our Cab Driver was very cool and told us that the Transportation had closed and that if we wanted to get to John Wayne Airport we would have to take a Shuttle from one of the Hotels. It was a scary time, but we finally found a willing Shuttle driver and three hours later we were at John Wayne Airport.
This story shows that Anaheim is definitely NOT tourist friendly… much less OC Citizen friendly. This shows that OCTA has little or no clue in what Public Service means. What great minds closed the Anaheim Transportation Center without bringing an adequate replacement process? What great minds are going to take eight years to make the fix? What great minds can’t rub two brain cells together must less two dimes….to make the fix for the people?
OCTA requires serious oversight. Their political appointments make them a laughing stock! Can we please find people….Supervisors or those delegated to the task….to quickly right this ignorant Ship of State? Gives Public Service another definition doesn’t it? Like being stuck in the ARTIC…without snowshoes – for example? Happy Memorial Day!
The OCTA needs to focus on what they are, A BUS COMPANY!
A few years back the bus systems was running as a “Hub System”.
After sending a few hundred thousand dollars studing diff’ ways and route’s, the current “grid system” replaced the “hub system”
How they want to spend a few hundred thousand dollars on new studies for converting back to a “Hub System”?
…..
Next time you see the “Bus Book” pick up a copy. Study it, and then next time you are stuck you can hop a bus to wherever you want to go.
Ron. you are forcing me to open a closed door. Several years ago, while fighting to stop MCAS El Toro from becoming a commercial airport, I sat next to a major proponent at a Republican function. He was president of the Lincoln Club but I won’t name names. What do we talk about? So, we discussed transportation in and around OC. A safe topic. We agreed that OC lacks the high density residential area to warrant local rail but did agree on adding a high speed service to and from Las Vegas. In fact he had lined up private sector funds to build said system. Think about it. You have high rollers coming from around the globe to Vegas who would put their family members on the train so that they could spend a day at Disney or perhaps go on to one of our beaches while they can play without interruption.
As I think about it today, and with a concern for the rail roadway in OC, it might require service ending at or near Victorville. No matter how you slice it I would insist that those who benefit pick up the tab, namely the hotel casino’s in Vegas and the entertainment centers a the opposite end such as Disney or the Convention Center.
With the homeland security check in requirement to arrive at airports an hour before flights, and time spent arriving and on your ground connections, it is quicker to take a high speed train than a flight or drive from Vegas to OC.
There is no need for public financing of said system.