Committee: Cancel out CenterLine

Elia Powers

An Orange County Transportation Authority committee unanimously

recommended Friday that the proposed $1 billion CenterLine light-rail

project be placed on hold in favor of other options, including a bus

rapid transit project.

The full board of directors is scheduled to vote on the issue at a

Feb. 14 meeting.

The CenterLine proposal would have required the widening of

Bristol Street.

Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Gary Monahan, who is on the board and

serves on three subcommittees, said he wasn’t surprised to hear the

news.

“A vision for transit has not been put forth,” Monahan said.

“CenterLine may or may not be part of that plan. I do believe a rail

system is in Orange County’s future.”

Monahan added: “This wasn’t a make-or-break deal for Costa Mesa.”

The CenterLine project had already been scaled back from the

original 28-mile route to a 9.3-mile path that would run from

downtown Santa Ana to John Wayne Airport.

The system would pass through the Sunflower Avenue and Bristol

Street intersection and follow Bristol toward Santa Ana.

Research for the proposal was funded primarily by Measure M, a

local sales tax that goes toward countywide transportation

improvements.

Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor, who has come out against the

CenterLine proposal in its current form, said he was pleased to see

the board make its recommendation.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” he said. “I didn’t see the support

[for the project].

“I don’t believe it would be effective in reducing traffic.”

The $900-million bus rapid transit line would likely make limited

stops, have its own lanes and also operate on Bristol Street. Monahan

said one bus plan he has heard includes portions of Harbor Boulevard.

He said the route would likely be convertible to a future rail

project.

Monahan said it is in Costa Mesa’s best interest for a mass

transit line to run near Bristol Street because of its proximity to

both South Coast Plaza and the theater district.

“The area is such a draw that whatever system (might be approved)

has to go through that area,” Monahan said.

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

[email protected].