ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority is reimagining OC Bus service to better connect Orange County residents, workers and visitors to the places they want to travel, and OCTA wants the public’s input to ensure that the bus rider experience is optimized.

The OCTA Board recently approved a draft service plan that proposes to increase bus service on high ridership routes, reduces wait times and simplifies the structure of bus routes.

The Making Better Connections draft service plan came as a result of the initial phase of public input and extensive staff analysis.

Additional public input will be sought during the coming weeks with community meetings, outreach at community events and on board heavily used bus routes, and through an online questionnaire.

“We want to hear directly from the people who ride OC Bus and from our diverse communities across Orange County about what can be done to better serve their public transit needs,” said OCTA Chairman Mark A. Murphy. “Public input is vital to the process of ensuring OC Bus continues to connect them safely and efficiently to the places they want to be, whether it’s for work, school or entertainment.”

The draft service plan can be reviewed online, including proposed route changes, at www.OCBus.com/ConnectionsPlanner.

And other ways to give feedback include:

• Fill out an online questionnaire by July 25 at www.OCbus.com/ConnectionsSurvey.
• Participate in an in-person community meeting at 6 p.m. June 14
  Laguna Hills Community Center, Heritage Room
  25555 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Hills CA 92653
  (Served by OC Bus routes 87 and 91)
• At 6 p.m. June 16, Santa Ana Senior Center, Hibiscus Room
  424 W. 3rd St., Santa Ana, CA 92701
  (Served by OC Bus routes 53, 55, 64, 83, 150, 862)
• Participate in a virtual community meeting online at 6 p.m. June 15
  Virtual Community Meeting via Zoom
  RSVP here
  Meeting ID: 886 0055 2644
• Participate in the in-person public hearing: at 9 a.m. July 25
  OCTA Headquarters, Board Room at 550 S. Main St. Orange CA 92863. (Served by OC Bus routes 53, 56, 83)

Those interested in providing feedback can also submit comments by phone at (714) 636-7433 or find a postage-paid questionnaire onboard OC Bus to mail in by July 25.

The same questionnaire can also be picked up at the OCTA Store, 600 S. Main St. in Orange during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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.