55A - RESO OC STREET CAR - Laserfiche WebLink

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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: JANUARY 21, 2020 TITLE ADOPT A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING EXTENSIONS OF THE OC STREETCAR (NONGENERAL FUND) {STRATEGIC PLAN NOS. 3, 2C, 413; 6, 1G} /s/Kristine Ridge CITY MANAGER CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: APPROVED ❑ As Recommended ❑ As Amended ❑ Ordinance on 1s' Reading ❑ Ordinance on 2" ° Reading ❑ Implementing Resolution ❑ Set Public Hearing For_ CK�7►111�1�1q�iC�7 FILE NUMBER RECOMMENDED ACTION Adopt a resolution supporting the extensions of the OC Streetcar north on Harbor Boulevard to the Anaheim Resort Area and the Platinum Triangle, and south on Bristol Street with connections to the John Wayne Airport. DISCUSSION Since 2008, the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove have worked collaboratively with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) on the OC Streetcar (Project). The Project will extend the reach of Metrolink rail service by constructing a streetcar that will provide connectivity between the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, through downtown Santa Ana, and ultimately to a new transportation hub near Harbor Boulevard and Westminster Avenue in the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove. With Harbor Boulevard being a critical public transportation corridor, consisting of the busiest bus corridor in the county, there is clearly an opportunity to implement a high -quality and high -capacity transit alternative. Additionally, the OC Streetcar Project will greatly benefit commuters throughout the county who work in historic Downtown Santa Ana and Civic Center, one of the largest employment centers in Orange County. The OC Streetcar is on track to begin operations in 2022. With nearly 30 percent of Orange County's population and over 25 percent of the County's jobs located in the cities of Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Anaheim, an extension of the OC Streetcar route north from the Harbor/Westminster Hub would efficiently support job centers in these three cities, as well as help to alleviate worsening traffic conditions. In 2018, OCTA, in collaboration with the cities of Santa Ana, Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Fullerton, completed the Central Harbor Boulevard Transit Corridor Study. The study included several northerly extension options, one of which included a terminus near Katella Avenue. Given the completed transit study and the alternatives that were evaluated, an environmental study for an extension project in this corridor is a logical next step. The recommended Resolution (Exhibit 1) demonstrates City Council support to extend the OC Streetcar Project to the Anaheim Resort and advance the environmental study into the next phase. 55A-1