OC Streetcar
| Company type | Public transit project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | November 30, 2018 |
| Headquarters | Orange County , United States |
Area served | Santa Ana, Garden Grove, California |
Key people | Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) |
| Products | Electric streetcar service |
OC Streetcar
The OC Streetcar represents a contemporary electric streetcar project currently being developed in Orange County, California, serving the municipalities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove. Managed by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), this line will encompass ten stops along its corridor.
Apart from a brief loop located in downtown Santa Ana, the entire route will be double-tracked. The alignment largely traces the historic course of the early 1900s Pacific Electric Railway "Red Cars," which ceased operations in 1950. Groundbreaking occurred on November 30, 2018. As of October 2023, OCTA anticipates beginning revenue service by March 2026, a delay from the original 2021 schedule.
This streetcar will link the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center with a newly established Harbor Transit Center in Garden Grove, facilitating connections between the Metrolink station and Santa Ana’s downtown area.
Route
The eastern endpoint of the streetcar is the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, which serves Metrolink commuter trains, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, and several bus lines.
From this station, the line proceeds westward along Santa Ana Boulevard toward downtown Santa Ana and the Santa Ana Civic Center, a key government complex hosting roughly 38,000 jobs. At Mortimer Street, the route diverges: westbound cars continue on Santa Ana Boulevard through the Civic Center, while eastbound vehicles return via 4th Street passing through the Arts District.
The tracks reunite at Ross Street near Santa Ana City Hall and continue west along Santa Ana Boulevard to Raitt Street. From there, the line follows the former Pacific Electric West Santa Ana Branch right-of-way situated north of 4th Street. The streetcar crosses both the Santa Ana River and Westminster Avenue on newly constructed bridges.
At its northwest terminus, the line briefly enters Garden Grove, concluding at an intermodal transit center at Westminster Avenue and Harbor Boulevard. This hub will integrate streetcar service with OCTA’s busiest bus routes along Harbor Boulevard—which accounts for nearly 8% of OCTA’s ridership—and Westminster Avenue.
Operations and infrastructure
Between Santa Ana station and Raitt Street, the streetcar operates as a curbside, street running system; beyond Raitt Street, it runs on an exclusive right-of-way. Service hours are from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. Trains run every 10 minutes during peak daytime periods and every 15 minutes during off-peak times. A complete trip takes approximately 22 minutes, averaging a speed of 11.3 mph.
The corridor includes ten stations in each direction and connects with eighteen existing OCTA bus routes. Stations are positioned near significant cross streets, featuring double tracks along the entire length of the line. Maintenance and storage facilities are situated near 5th Street at Raitt Street. Both the Harbor Transit Center and Raitt Street station offer park and ride facilities alongside parking available at Santa Ana station.
While the original Pacific Electric rail bridge over the Santa Ana River still exists, it is single-track and structurally insufficient; therefore, a new double-track bridge is under construction parallel to it. The streetcar crosses Westminster Avenue via an elevated bridge to access Garden Grove’s Harbor Transit Center.
The fleet will consist of eight Siemens S700 light rail vehicles assembled in Sacramento, with six operating concurrently. Power is delivered through overhead catenary wires at 750 volts DC. OCTA forecasts daily ridership between 6,000 and 7,300 passengers; each vehicle can accommodate up to 180 riders.
The OC Streetcar utilizes a proof-of-payment fare system without turnstiles at stations; fares are collected using contactless smart cards or through the Wave mobile ticketing application and are consistent with OCTA’s OC Bus fare structure. Herzog Transit Services secured the operations contract in 2020.
List of stops
| District | Stop | Locale | Connecting services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Station District | Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center | Located at Santa Ana Boulevard and Santiago Street, adjacent to the Santiago Arts District | Template:RintPacific Surfliner Template:Rint Template:Rcb Template:Rcb Template:Rint Greyhound Lines Template:Bus icon OC Bus: 59, 83, 862, Rapid 560 Park and ride: 315 spaces |
| Lacy Street | Intersection of Santa Ana Boulevard and Lacy Street | ||
| French Street | Santa Ana Boulevard and French Street (westbound), 4th Street and French Street (eastbound), close to the Yost Theater and Frida Cinema | ||
| Downtown Santa Ana |
Sycamore Street | At Santa Ana Boulevard and Sycamore Street (westbound), 4th Street and Sycamore Street (eastbound), near the Arts District and Old Orange County Courthouse (California) | Template:Bus icon OC Bus: 53, Rapid 553 |
| Civic Center |
Ross Street | Located at Santa Ana Boulevard and Ross Street (westbound), 4th Street and Ross Street (eastbound), close to Santa Ana City Hall and Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse (Santa Ana) | Template:Bus icon OC Bus: 55 |
| Flower Street | Santa Ana Boulevard and Flower Street, adjacent to Orange County Sheriff's Department (California), Superior Court, Department of Public Works, and Santa Ana Stadium | Template:Bus icon OC Bus: 55, 150/151, 862 | |
| Artesia Pilar |
Bristol Street | At Santa Ana Boulevard and Bristol Street | Template:Bus icon OC Bus: 57 |
| Raitt Street | Intersection of Santa Ana Boulevard and Raitt Street | Template:Bus icon OC Bus: 150/151 | |
| Fairview Street | Located at Civic Center Drive and Fairview Street | Template:Bus icon OC Bus: 47 Template:Rint Santa Ana River Trail | |
| City of Garden Grove | Willowick (potential future stop) | Near Clinton Street and Redwood Street, north of Willowick Golf Course | |
| Harbor Transit Center | Situated at Westminster Avenue and Harbor Boulevard; the sole station within Garden Grove, California | Template:Bus icon OC Bus: 43, 60, Rapid 543, Rapid 560 |
Pacific Electric
This streetcar line partially traces the historic path of the Pacific Electric interurban railway's Santa Ana Line, where Red Cars ran between Santa Ana and Downtown Los Angeles along the West Santa Ana Branch beginning in 1905. The route originated at the former Southern Pacific Railroad#Southern Pacific Station near today's Santa Ana train station, passing through downtown Santa Ana via 4th Street. Due to increased automobile usage, service ceased in 1950, with tracks subsequently removed and covered with pavement.
Westward from downtown Santa Ana, the original wide right-of-way—secured by OCTA after the line's abandonment—remains an undeveloped corridor extending northwest across Orange County’s street network from Santa Ana to Cypress/La Palma at the Los Angeles County boundary. While interim uses such as parking have been permitted, OCTA plans to reinstate this corridor for transit purposes.
CenterLine initiative
During the 1990s, the concept of a contemporary light rail network in northern Orange County was introduced through the CenterLine initiative. This plan included several routes, notably a primary corridor stretching from Fullerton through Santa Ana to Irvine, partially overlapping with today's OC Streetcar alignment but excluding the diagonal West Santa Ana Branch corridor. The majority of these routes were intended to be elevated. Initially, the 1992 proposal encompassed of light rail infrastructure; however, this was scaled back to by 2001 and further reduced to by 2004 amid political resistance. The initiative encountered backlash due to its substantial price tag—exceeding $1 billion for just the section between Santa Ana and John Wayne Airport—leading to its cancellation in 2005.
Present-day project and construction progress
In 2006, OCTA introduced the "Santa Ana-Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Corridor" streetcar under the "Go Local" program, aimed at financing transit studies that connect Orange County municipalities with Metrolink stations. The 2006 Measure M2 sales tax increase (OC Go) partially supports these efforts. By 2008, Santa Ana and Garden Grove collaborated with OCTA to advance the streetcar development, drawing inspiration from light rail systems in Portland and Salt Lake City.
Environmental assessments were finalized by 2015, allowing the project to qualify for federal funding. Former President Obama allocated $125 million within the 2016-17 federal budget through the Major Capital Investments program, with Congress adding $50 million in 2017, bringing total federal contributions to $175 million. Governor Jerry Brown listed this project among his "Top 10 State Infrastructure Projects," facilitating accelerated federal review. Funding is sourced approximately as follows: 72.2% federal, 8.6% from California's cap-and-trade program, and 19.2% via county sales tax revenues.
OCTA awarded HNTB Corporation a $15 million contract in September 2015 for design services covering tracks, bridges, stations, utilities, and maintenance facilities. In December 2016, a request for proposals was issued to procure eight light rail vehicles. Construction was initially scheduled for commencement in 2018 with operations expected by 2020. In March 2018, OCTA placed an order for eight Siemens S700 vehicles valued at $51.5 million. By July 2018, projected expenses had escalated from $299.3 million in mid-2017 to $407.76 million, with completion anticipated in 2021.
On September 24, 2018, a construction contract worth $220.5 million was granted to Walsh Construction Company. A groundbreaking event took place on November 30, 2018, coinciding with an increase in federal funding to $217 million.
Although originally planned for service launch in 2021, the project has encountered setbacks including the September 2020 unearthing of Native American remains at a construction site and legal disputes initiated by Walsh Construction in March 2022. As of October 2023, OCTA projected revenue operations would begin in August 2025; this timeline was subsequently extended to March 2026 due to ongoing construction obstacles.
Planned future expansions
Santa Ana mayor Miguel Pulido envisions the OC Streetcar serving as a pivotal node within a broader light-rail network connecting significant Orange County destinations such as Disneyland, Anaheim's Platinum Triangle, and John Wayne Airport. A potential northward extension along Harbor Boulevard could link with the proposed Katella Avenue streetcar project (Anaheim Rapid Connection), although Anaheim's City Council rejected this proposal in 2017. Nevertheless, OCTA's Central Harbor Boulevard Transit Corridor Study maintains this connection as a possible county-led venture.
The OC Streetcar represents one of two transit initiatives utilizing the historic West Santa Ana Branch corridor; the other is the Los Angeles Metro Rail Southeast Gateway Line. While these systems are not currently planned for direct integration, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has been exploring reestablishing service between Santa Ana and Los Angeles since 2012. Fully restoring light rail on the Pacific Electric Santa Ana Line would require approximately $3 billion in capital investment and is projected to accommodate about 80,000 daily passengers.
Impact
The streetcar project has elicited varied reactions from business proprietors and residents along the proposed route. Advocates highlight its potential to enhance real estate values and stimulate economic growth, drawing parallels to successful light rail initiatives such as the E Line in Los Angeles County. Areas currently underused along the corridor might be transformed into higher-density transit-oriented development, encouraging new residents to depend less on personal vehicles. In Garden Grove, the Willowick Golf Course is being considered for conversion into a regional park featuring sports facilities and an amphitheater, complemented by mixed-use developments near a planned streetcar station. Furthermore, with 17.8 percent of households in the service region lacking automobile access, the streetcar would significantly improve their connectivity to broader transit networks.
On the other hand, some businesses express concerns about disruptions caused by construction, reduced parking availability, and potential increases in traffic congestion. There are also apprehensions among lower-income communities regarding possible gentrification and escalating rental prices resulting from rising property values. Criticism has been directed at the project’s substantial cost—approximately $129 million per mile—and the comparatively limited adaptability of a fixed-guideway system when contrasted with bus services.
See also
- Anaheim Rapid Connection
- List of United States light rail systems by ridership
- List of rail transit systems in the United States
- Light rail in the United States
- List of North American light rail systems by ridership
- Light rail in North America
External links
- Official page (Orange County Transportation Authority)
- OC Streetcar related articles (Voice of OC)
- Environmental impact reports and technical documents (City of Santa Ana)
- 2017 construction and technical map
