A Tustin police officer conducted a traffic stop and contacted Eddie Poncio. During a search of Poncio’s vehicle, the police officer found over 50 items of personal identifying information (Passports, ID cards, credit cards, etc.) not belonging to Poncio. Poncio also turned out to be a convicted felon in unlawful possession of ammunition, a stun…
On November 17th, 2020, a narcotics related search warrant was executed by the Fountain Valley Police Department at the 17000 block of Stearns Drive in the unincorporated area of Santa Ana, near the City of Tustin. Christian Gibbons, a 28-year-old Santa Ana resident, was contacted inside his rented suite within the residence. An operational meth…
Restaurants and other food vendors ordered to close and allowed to reopen by Orange County health inspectors from Nov. 19 to Nov. 27: Food Mart at Shell Station, 320 N. Tustin Ave., Santa Ana, Closed: Nov. 23, Reason: Rodent infestation, Reopened: Nov. 23 The Human Bean, 21991 El Toro Road, Suite 10, Lake Forest, Closed:…
An unidentified pedestrian was struck by a car and killed early on Thursday morning on the northbound 55 Freeway in Costa Mesa near the 405 Freeway at 3:20 a.m., according to the CHP. The vehicle that struck the pedestrian was a white Ford Fusion, according to the CHP. The crash happened on the freeway’s right…
Suspect Jose Francisco Armas, a 29-year-old transient, has an outstanding $100,000.00 bail arrest warrant issued for him for carrying a dirk/dagger.
Armas is a transient and is known to frequent the area of McFadden Avenue and Standard Avenue.
Anyone with information on Armas’ whereabouts is asked to contact Santa Ana Police Department Communications at (714) 245-8049.
The City of Santa Ana has partnered with America On Track to offer Drug Prevention & Life Skills Classes for youth. America On Track will be hosting weekly virtual classes for youth in elementary, middle and high school. The age-appropriate classes begin during the week of Nov. 16 from 4 to 5 p.m. and you can still enroll.
The curriculum is focused on preventing and or reducing alcohol, tobacco/vape, marijuana, opioid and methamphetamine use among youth. These FREE weekly classes strive to give youth the confidence and skills necessary to handle challenging situations.
Registration is required. Weekly prizes and a grand prize will be provided to participating youth who complete the program. All youth are encouraged to participate and learn to live a drug free life!
High School Sessions – Mondays, 4-5 p.m. 10 sessions, Nov. 16 – Feb. 1.
Middle School Sessions – Wednesdays, 4-5 p.m. 15 sessions, Nov. 18 – March 10.
Elementary School (4th & 5th Grade) Sessions – Fridays, 4-5 p.m. 8 sessions, Nov. 20 – Jan. 29.
English Registration Link
https://americaontrack.wufoo.com/forms/m80w4bb1ep4ub0/
Spanish Registration Link
https://americaontrack.wufoo.com/forms/myc7mq1g1kato/
Weekly prizes (Gift Cards) and a grand prize (i.e. Hoverboard, AirPods, etc.) will be provided to participating youth who complete the program.
Clases de Prevención de Drogas para Jóvenes de Santa Ana
La Ciudad de Santa Ana se ha asociado con America On Track para ofrecer clases de prevención de drogas y habilidades para la vida para jóvenes. America On Track ofrecerá clases virtuales semanales para jóvenes de primaria, secundaria y preparatoria. Las clases apropiadas basada en edades comienzan durante la semana del 16 de noviembre de las 4 p.m. a las 5 p.m. y todavía se puede registrar.
El plan de estudios se centra en prevenir o reducir el consumo de alcohol, tabaco/vapeo, marihuana, opioides y metanfetaminas entre los jóvenes. Estas clases semanales GRATUITAS se esfuerzan por brindar a los jóvenes la confianza y las habilidades necesarias para manejar situaciones desafiantes.
Es necesario registrarse. Se proporcionarán premios semanales y premios grandes a los jóvenes participantes que completen el programa. ¡Se anima a todos los jóvenes a participar y aprender a vivir una vida libre de drogas!
Sesiones de la escuela Secundaria – lunes, 4-5 p.m. 10 sesiones, noviembre 16 – febrero 1.
Sesiones de la escuela Intermedia – miércoles, 4-5 p.m. 15 sesiones, noviembre 18 – marzo 10.
Sesiones de la escuela Primaria (4 y 5 grado) – viernes, 4-5 p.m. 8 sesiones, noviembre 20 – enero 29.
Enlace de registro en inglés
https://americaontrack.wufoo.com/forms/m80w4bb1ep4ub0/
Enlace de registro en español
https://americaontrack.wufoo.com/forms/myc7mq1g1kato/
Se proporcionarán premios semanales (tarjetas de regalo) y premios grandes (como Hoverboard, AirPods, y más) a jóvenes participantes que completen el programa.
The California Department of Public Health has issued a limited curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning Nov. 21 through Dec. 21 to control the spread of COVID-19 in all counties that are under the Purple Tier of State restrictions. This includes Orange County and Santa Ana.
The Limited Stay-at-Home Order requires that all gatherings with members of other households and all activities conducted outside the residence, lodging, or temporary accommodation with members of other households cease between 10:00 p.m. PST and 5:00 a.m. PST, except for those activities associated with the operation, maintenance, or usage of critical infrastructure or required by law. This order does not apply to persons experiencing homelessness.
Nothing in this order prevents any number of persons from the same household from leaving their residence, lodging, or temporary accommodation, as long as they do not engage in any interaction with (or otherwise gather with) any number of persons from any other household, except as specifically permitted.
The State Health Officer said restaurants should close at 10 p.m. for dining and walk-ins but can still provide food delivery.
Here is the official press release from Governor Gavin Newsom:
SACRAMENTO – In light of an unprecedented, rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across California, Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced a limited Stay at Home Order requiring generally that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10 PM and 5 AM in counties in the purple tier. The order will take effect at 10 PM Saturday, November 21 and remain in effect until 5 AM December 21. This is the same as the March Stay at Home Order, but applied only between 10 PM and 5 AM and only in purple tier counties that are seeing the highest rates of positive cases and hospitalizations.
“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” said Governor Newsom. “It is crucial that we act to decrease transmission and slow hospitalizations before the death count surges. We’ve done it before and we must do it again.”
This limited Stay at Home Order is designed to reduce opportunities for disease transmission. Activities conducted during 10 PM to 5 AM are often non-essential and more likely related to social activities and gatherings that have a higher likelihood of leading to reduced inhibition and reduced likelihood for adherence to safety measures like wearing a face covering and maintaining physical distance.
“We know from our stay at home order this spring, which flattened the curve in California, that reducing the movement and mixing of individuals dramatically decreases COVID-19 spread, hospitalizations, and deaths,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “We may need to take more stringent actions if we are unable to flatten the curve quickly. Taking these hard, temporary actions now could help prevent future shutdowns.”
“We are asking Californians to change their personal behaviors to stop the surge. We must be strong together and make tough decisions to stay socially connected but physically distanced during this critical time. Letting our guard down could put thousands of lives in danger and cripple our health care system,” said Dr. Erica Pan, the state’s acting Public Health Officer. “It is especially important that we band together to protect those most vulnerable around us as well as essential workers who are continuing their critical work amidst this next wave of widespread community transmission across the state. Together we prevented a public health crisis in the spring and together we can do it again.”
COVID-19 case rates increased by approximately 50 percent in California during the first week of November. As a result, Governor Newsom and California’s public health officials have announced a list of measures to protect Californians and the state’s health care system, which could experience an unprecedented surge if cases continue their steep climb.
On Monday, the state pulled an emergency brake in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy putting more than 94 percent of California’s population in the most restrictive tier. The state will reassess data continuously and move more counties back into a more restrictive tier, if necessary. California is also strengthening its face covering guidance to require individuals to wear a mask whenever outside their home, with limited exceptions.
Late last week, the state issued a travel advisory, along with Oregon and Washington, urging people entering the state or returning home from travel outside the state to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus. The travel advisory urges against non-essential out-of-state travel, asks people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country, and encourages residents to stay local.
On Thursday, November 19th, 2020, at 3:26 a.m., Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) personnel responded to a call of a brush fire along the Santa Ana riverbed trail, near the 3000 block of West First St. Firefighters located a small fire in shrubbery which was quickly extinguished.
The partially burned body of a deceased male was then located within the shrubbery. SAPD was notified of the suspicious death and SAPD Homicide Detectives assumed the investigation.
The circumstances surrounding the male’s death are currently being investigated. The identity of the male remains unknown pending identification by the Orange County Coroner’s Office.
Detectives are attempting to identify and locate any witnesses who can shed light on this incident.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call SAPD Homicide Section Detectives at (714) 245-8390, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
The Tustin Police Department recently received complaints regarding trespassing and unlawful camping near the railroad tracks by Jamboree Road.
A Tustin Homeless Liaison Officer examined the unoccupied encampment and left a notice ordering its removal. A day later the Homeless Liaison Officer returned to find a majority of the personal items had been removed.
The remaining items were lawfully removed by Field Services.
Hurray for Tustin but where did the homeless people in question go? Tustin does provide a homeless shelter. But in the example above the homeless people in question just left. Where did they go?
This is how most cities deal with the homeless. They just chase them off and they go to the next city, which in this case was probably Santa Ana.
This is why it is important for the County of Orange to open and maintain regional homeless shelters. There are those who complain about the latest shelter being set up here in Santa Ana. But the homeless issue is a regional problem. And Santa Ana is our County seat. It is where many homeless people come to for whatever benefits they can scrounge up.
To make matters worse the drugs that many of the Orange County homeless are addicted to are often found in Santa Ana, where local gangs pad their income by selling Meth and Opiates on the streets.
Not all the homeless are on drugs but many are. The rest have many stories but all have ended the same, with these people living hand to mouth on our streets.
This problem won’t go away by itself. These people need help including drug and mental health treatment. That help is on the way, both at the new Yale Navigation Center and the new homeless shelter the City of Santa is opening.
Should other Orange County cities be doing more? Sure. And several of them are. New shelters have opened this year in several Orange County cities such as Placentia, Anaheim and Costa Mesa. More shelters are on the way. You can see them all on Google Maps. The County of Orange also provides an online directory of such services including shelters here.
Join the Santa Ana Zoo for at-home nature activities! Santa Ana youth in preschool through middle school are invited to sign-up for your kit and join zoo staff for a FREE virtual program.
Community Connections: The Zoo & You is a new program dedicated to connecting the zoo to our community through fun, interactive programs for youth of all ages. Nature Lab programs include kits of all of the materials needed to complete activities during a live, Zoom session with zoo staff. Participants will love getting their hands dirty as they investigate, observe, construct and share their discoveries.
Slither into the world of snakes! Reserve your kit and mark your calendar to discover why snakes are so important to our environment!
Sign-Up: Visit https://forms.gle/V37Mxd98vCExTbLR7 to reserve your activity kit. Kits are designated for students in preschool through 2nd grade or 3rd grade through middle school.
Confirm: A confirmation email will be sent letting you know when your kit is in the mail. When registration is full, a wait list will be created for the next program.
Log-On: Log on to Zoom on Saturday, Nov. 21, with the information in your kit to join the LIVE program for your grade level with zoo staff and special animal guests!
SANTA ANA, California – A former physician assistant at a Fountain Valley medical clinic pleaded guilty today to a federal charge that he conspired to issue and sell prescriptions for oxycodone, a highly addictive opioid painkiller, without a medical purpose, to drug dealers, knowing the drugs would be sold on the street.
Raif Wadie Iskander, 54, formerly of Ladera Ranch, but who now resides in Ennis, Montana, pleaded guilty via videoconference to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
to his plea agreement, from 2018 to April 2019, Iskander, who was a licensed physician assistant in California, wrote prescriptions for “patients” he had never met or examined, including an undercover law enforcement officer. Iskander provided to drug dealers multiple paper prescriptions that he had signed, but with the patient names left blank, to be filled in by drug dealers later.
In exchange for cash, Iskander wrote fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions for co-defendants Johnny Gilbert Alvarez, 40, a.k.a. “M.J.,” of Santa Ana, and Adam Anton Roggero, 37, of Costa Mesa, who sold the prescribed drugs on the street as well as to an undercover officer, according to the plea agreement.
Iskander admitted he knew that the oxycodone filled from the prescriptions would be sold to drug customers who were not using the oxycodone for legitimate medical purposes and whom defendant had never met or examined.
United States District Judge James V. Selna has scheduled an April 26, 2021 sentencing hearing, at which time Iskander will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Roggero pleaded guilty on October 20 to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. Alvarez is scheduled to go to trial on March 9, 2021.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Costa Mesa Police Department, and the California Department of Health Care Services.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalind Wang of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
On 10/31/2020 at approximately 9:14 PM, the victim parked his vehicle in the front parking lot of the 900 block of East 1st Street and left the keys inside the vehicle. The wanted suspect entered the victim’s vehicle and fled East through the parking lot to Standard Avenue. The vehicle has since been recovered.
Suspect Description: Male, Hispanic, 25-30 years old, medium to heavy build, black curly hair, black hair on chin. Last seen wearing a Raiders ball cap, black Nike hooded sweater and dark blue jeans.
Anyone with information on the identity / whereabouts of the wanted suspects is asked to please contact Detective B. Romero at (714) 245-8529 or BRomero@santa-ana.org
The Orange County Board of Supervisors have approved a nearly $18 million, three-year contract with a non-profit organization, People Assisting the Homeless, known as PATH, to manage the new Yale Navigation Center, a 425-bed homeless shelter that will be opening up in January in Santa Ana at 2229 S. Yale St., near Warner Ave. and Harbor Blvd.
The Yale Navigation Center is going to replace the Courtyard Shelter, which was set up at a former bus terminal in Downtown Santa Ana, across from the Santa Ana Civic Center. This is good news for DTSA as the Courtyard has brought a lot of problems to that area.
PATH also manages a 100-bed homeless shelter, or navigation center, that opened in Placentia earlier this year.
The Courtyard was the County response back in 2016 to the incredible number of homeless people that used to camp out at the Santa Ana Civic Center Plaza. At one time as many as 400 transients were served there but now, due to COVID-19, they can only serve about 150 people.
Those who are currently living at the Courtyard will be moved to the new Yale Navigation Center. This will be huge improvement in the quality of their lives – a definite improvement over the poorly converted bus terminal.
The County is going to take steps to ensure safety at the Yale Navigation Center with 24/7 onsite security, no foot traffic to and from the facility, and a team to canvass the area twice a day.
The Yale Navigation Center was agreed to in Federal court as a resolution of a 2018 homeless civil rights lawsuit. Unfortunately the Santa Ana City Council attempted to block the project after it was initially approved by the City of Santa Ana. The City Council argued that Santa Ana is already doing enough with regard to the homeless but the reality is that our city is awash with homeless people and crime has greatly increased as a result. Doing nothing is not a solution!
Santa Ana is also working on a 200-bed navigation center, which is also expected to open early in 2021.
The new Yale Navigation Center is intended to provide shelter, meals, sanitary facilities and access to case management, employment and housing assistance, healthcare, mental health services and substance abuse treatment among other supportive services and assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness. Providing emergency shelter and access to wrap around supportive services will assist individuals experiencing homelessness in the Central Service Planning Area in accessing the appropriate resources to improve their overall health and stability.
Establishing the Yale Transitional Center will meet a critical need for individuals experiencing homelessness as well as the broader community, while also addressing a pressing social issue that is deeply affecting local businesses and neighborhoods. The overall purpose of the program is to connect individuals experiencing homelessness to supportive services and to achieve permanent housing and self-sufficiency.
Orange County’s restaurants will soon be eligible to apply for a $1,000 grant through the OC Restaurant Outdoor Dining Grant program to implement or expand outdoor dining capacity.
During today’s Board Meeting, the Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously supported a $1 million plan authored by Vice Chairman Andrew Do, First District, and Supervisor Don Wagner, Third District, to help Orange County restaurants expand and improve their outdoor dining as the County moves to the State’s most restrictive tier.
“The pandemic has forced restaurant owners to get creative to keep their businesses open,” said Vice Chairman Do. “Outdoor dining has served as a crucial tool for many restaurants across Orange County to stay afloat. As Orange County moved back to the Purple Tier yesterday, the state’s most restrictive tier, this grant program will help those restaurants stay open for businesses this winter while also making sure they are adhering to California Public Health Officials’ guidance to keep their customers safe.”
The Restaurant Outdoor Dining Grant program, which is funded with federal CARES Act funding, will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Eligible expenses solely include tents/canopies, heaters/warmers, and lighting. Purchases must be made between November 16 through December 23.
For more information, please visit the Orange County Community Resources agency’s website. The application portal will go live next week.
Orange County Vice Chairman Andrew Do represents the First District communities of Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, and Midway City. In his second term, Vice Chairman Do has advocated for health and safety-based COVID-19 response planning, reformed Orange County’s mental health services, expanded access to health care, and led efforts to combat homelessness. Supervisor Andrew Do was one of the first officials in the state to propose a face covering mandate.
Today’s unilateral move by Governor Newsom is troubling and harmful to Orange County families who need to put food on the table, to small business struggling to stay open, and to the mental health of our community. These actions continue to erode trust in government.
While rates of depression and other mental health issues continue to rise due to these shutdowns, Orange County’s hospital capacity is solid, and our positivity rate is still in the Orange Tier.
I have strongly advocated for a regional approach with greater local control to allow our dedicated local health agencies to work together with the local medical community and develop plans to fight the virus.
Instead of combatting COVID-19 in a thoughtful manner, this one-size fits-all approach threatens the livelihoods of our residents.
First elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2014, Michelle Steel represents the residents of the Second District, which includes, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, Stanton, the unincorporated area of Rossmoor, and portions of Buena Park and Fountain Valley. Steel, a successful businesswoman and renowned taxpayer advocate, previously served as Vice Chair of the State Board of Equalization where she represented more than eight million people in Southern California, including all of Orange County, as one of the state’s 12 constitutional officers.
The Santa Ana City Council will have its regular meeting by teleconference today, Nov. 17, 2020, with a closed session at 5 p.m. and open session at 5:45 p.m.
Agenda items include:
Individuals who would like to comment on an agenda item or make a general comment regarding a topic not on the meeting’s agenda may do so before the meeting by email or during the meeting by phone.
For more information on how to participate and to see the meeting agenda, go to www.santa-ana.org/cc/city-meetings.
Watch or listen in to the meeting live via these remote options:
• On the City of Santa Ana’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/cityofsantaanavideos/live
• On the City’s television channel, CTV3, available on Spectrum channel 3 and AT&T U-verse channel 99
• Spanish audio can be heard at http://santaana.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=1
El Concejo Municipal de Santa Ana se Reunirá por Teleconferencia Hoy
El Concejo Municipal de Santa Ana se reunirá por teleconferencia hoy, el 17 de noviembre del 2020, con una sesión cerrada a las 5 de la tarde y una sesión abierta a las 5:45 de la tarde.
Las personas que deseen comentar sobre un tema de la agenda o hacer un comentario general sobre un tema que no esté en la agenda de la junta pueden hacerlo antes de la reunión por correo electrónico o durante la junta por teléfono.
Para obtener más información sobre cómo participar y para ver la agenda de la junta, visite www.santa-ana.org/cc/city-meetings.
Vea o escuche la junta en vivo a través de estas opciones remotas:
• En el canal de YouTube de la Ciudad de Santa Ana en www.youtube.com/cityofsantaanavideos/live
• En el canal de televisión de la Ciudad, CTV3, disponible en el canal 3 de Spectrum y el canal 99 de AT&T U-verse
• Se puede escuchar audio en español en http://santaana.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=1
Do you need a typing test certificate for that next job you’re applying for? Schedule your free typing test by calling the Santa Ana WORK Center at (714) 565-2600.
Typing test certifications can be used for job applications, resumes, proof of job skills, and more. You must provide valid government-issued photo identification on the day of the exam.
The Santa Ana WORK Center is located at 801 W. Civic Center Drive, Suite 200, Santa Ana.
Centro de Trabajo Ofrece Pruebas de Mecanografía Gratis
¿Necesita un certificado de prueba de mecanografía para el próximo trabajo que está solicitando? Haga una cita llamando el Centro de Trabajo de Santa Ana (Santa Ana WORK Center) al (714) 565-2600 para una cita.
Las certificaciones de pruebas de mecanografía se pueden utilizar para solicitar empleo y pruebas de habilidades laboral.
Debe proporcionar una identificación válida con fotografía emitida por el gobierno el día del examen.
El Centro de Trabajo de Santa Ana está ubicado en 801 W. Civic Center Drive, Suite 200, Santa Ana.
The City of Santa Ana has issued a Request for Proposal from qualified entities to provide Youth Programs and Services in the city. Funded through the Cannabis Public Benefit Fund established in 2018, $100,000 is available for experienced organizations to provide new or enhanced youth programs and or services for City of Santa Ana residents.
The City will enter into agreements for funding ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 with third-party organizations who will use the funds to offer a variety of programs and services including, but not limited to, outdoor recreation and athletic programs, health and wellness screenings and resources, outreach programs and services, science and technology educational resources, group classes and activities, job placement/internship opportunities, one-on-one tutoring, mentorship or coaching.
The Request for Proposal was released on Friday, Nov. 2, 2020. The proposals due date is Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. For more information in the Request for Proposal and or to submit a proposal, please visit: www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=20137&BidID=78040
Solicitud de Propuestas para Programas y Servicios para Jóvenes Ahora Está Disponible
La Ciudad de Santa Ana ha emitido una Solicitud de Propuesta para entidades calificadas para brindar Programas y Servicios para Jóvenes en la ciudad. Financiado a través del Fondo de Beneficio Público de Cannabis establecido en 2018, $100,000 están disponibles para organizaciones con experiencia para brindar programas o servicios nuevos o renovados para jóvenes residentes de la Ciudad de Santa Ana.
La Ciudad establecerá acuerdos con organizaciones que utilizarán los fondos distribuidos en motos de $10,000 a $50,000 para ofrecer una variedad de programas y servicios que incluyen programas deportivos y de recreación al aire libre, evaluaciones y recursos de salud y bienestar, programas y servicios de divulgación, recursos educativos de ciencia y tecnología, clases y actividades grupales, oportunidades de colocación laboral/pasantías, tutoría individual, o capacitación entre otros.
La Solicitud de propuesta se publicó el viernes 2 de noviembre de 2020. La fecha de vencimiento de las propuestas es el viernes 11 de diciembre de 2020. Para obtener más información sobre la Solicitud de Propuesta o enviar una propuesta, visite: www.planetbids.com/portal/portal.cfm?CompanyID=20137&BidID=78040
ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority board this week approved purchasing 10 plug-in battery-electric buses for a pilot program to test how the buses perform on Orange County streets.
The contract with New Flyer of America, Inc. is for $10.4 million, with substantial grant funding helping pay for the purchase of the 10 buses.
The move is part of OCTA’s plan to convert the OC Bus fleet to 100 percent zero-emission technology by 2040.
Earlier this year, OCTA also began operating 10 hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses, and this new pilot will help determine which technology – or mix of technologies – will work best for Orange County moving forward.
It’s another important step toward zero-emission transportation technology for a balanced and sustainable future – one that will help bring even cleaner air quality to Orange County.
“This is a great opportunity for us to gather important data about the latest zero-emission technologies to ensure we continue providing the highest level of safe, reliable transit to Orange County riders,” said OCTA Chairman Steve Jones, also the Mayor of Garden Grove. “At the same time, we are helping provide an even cleaner environment.”
OCTA has already gradually transitioned its fleet over the years, from diesel-burning buses to clean-burning renewable compressed natural gas (CNG) buses with near-zero-emission engines. The state has set a requirement to transition to complete zero-emission transit within the next 20 years.
In June, OCTA approved a zero-emission bus (ZEB) rollout plan, which was submitted to the California Air Resources Board.
The plan is not a commitment to a specific type of technology. OCTA is testing both hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses and plug-in battery-electric buses to determine which ZEBs best meet OCTA’s needs related to operations, maintenance and cost, among other factors.
The 10 plug-in battery-electric buses are each the standard 40-foot length with capacity of up to 76 riders, (OCTA is currently limiting bus occupancy because of COVID-19). The buses have an estimated range of 200 miles between charges, which will allow them to run for a full day and be charged nightly at OCTA’s Garden Grove bus base.
Five of the 10 test buses are scheduled to run on a new Bravo! route between Anaheim and South Coast Metro in Santa Ana. The other five will operate throughout Orange County.
Five of the buses are funded by grants through the California Transportation Commission and SB 1, and through the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) administered by Caltrans.
The hydrogen fuel-cell buses, which also create no emissions, began operating in January, when OCTA debuted its hydrogen fueling station in Santa Ana. In all, it represented a $22.9 million investment. More than half of that funding – $12.5 million – came from California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.
OCTA operates more than 500 buses in the regular OC Bus system across Orange County. For now, most of those buses run on CNG but OCTA is working toward the goal of producing zero emissions.
OCTA will begin phasing in additional zero-emission buses as part of future bus purchases beginning in 2023. At the same time, staff will continue to analyze emerging technologies and work with partners to secure funding for purchase, operations and maintenance of the buses.
The effort aligns with California’s Innovative Clean Transit Rule, a first-of-its kind regulation in the U.S. that sets a goal for public transit agencies to gradually transition to 100 percent zero-emission bus fleets by 2040. The Innovative Clean Transit Rule is part of the state’s comprehensive program helping to achieve California’s air quality and climate goals.
The hydrogen fuel-cell buses continue to be tested on routes throughout Orange County. The plug-in battery-electric buses are expected to begin operation in Orange County in late 2021.
About OCTA: The Orange County Transportation Authority is the county transportation planning commission, responsible for funding and implementing transit and capital projects for a balanced and sustainable transportation system that reflects the diverse travel needs of the county’s 34 cities and 3.2 million residents. With the mission of keeping Orange County moving, this includes freeways and express lanes, bus and rail transit, rideshare, commuter rail and active transportation