A year-and-a-half after its ceremonial groundbreaking in Santa Ana, construction is progressing for the new OC Streetcar system.
The $408-million project - funded through a combination of local, state and federal sources - will stretch more than four miles, linking Santa Ana with Garden Grove.
The at-grade system will travel along a segment of a historic Pacific Electric Railway right-of-way (check out Militant Angeleno's Pacific Electric Archaeology Map for more information) before progressing onto city streets. Service will terminate at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Westminster Avenue in the west and at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center in the east.
According to an official project website, the OC Streetcar will operate with a total of eight vehicles - each capable of carrying up to 180 passengers. Streetcars will run every 10-to-15 minutes, making 10 stops in each direction.
Completion is expected in 2022.
Though the OC Streetcar is still nearly two years away from beginning service, some Orange County officials are already pushing for future extensions. The Santa Ana City Council adopted a resolution in January supporting extensions of the streetcar to Anaheim's resort district and John Wayne Airport.
- Santa Ana (Urbanize LA)