We don’t begrudge transit agencies for developing new projects that attempt to reduce our region’s car dependence. But instead of thinking outside of the box, the Orange County Transportation Authority embraced the common transit-planner method of throwing massive amounts of money at boutique projects that do little to improve mobility.
The latest local example is the Santa Ana to Garden Grove streetcar, which was first envisioned 19 years ago. OCTA says “the community’s first modern streetcar is on track to connect today’s excitement with tomorrow’s potential. When the 4.15 mile OC Streetcar makes its debut in spring 2026, a new horizon of mobility will be revealed.” Yet, it’s hard to imagine that such a short route will live up to the hype or even entice many riders.
Typical with these types of government projects, it’s plagued by cost overruns, delays and long-running construction-related disruptions to local businesses. In a report late last month, the Orange County Grand Jury detailed the ongoing problems. The project proceeded even though there’s no apparent demand for it. Leave it to a transit agency to invest millions of dollars based on hopes and prayers.
That cost is not insignificant. Per the grand jury, “This cost to taxpayers is over two and half times the initial stated cost and equates to a staggering $156.42 million per mile.” Even using the agency’s optimistic ridership estimates, the streetcar “will serve a tiny fraction (less than ¼ of 1%) of the 3.2 million Orange County residents.”
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