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INTRODUCTION <br />Santa Ana is a city in motion. Santa Ana's circulation <br />system of over 500 miles of roads keeps this thriving <br />city of over 335,000 people on the move. Yet each <br />of us thinks about our transportation choices in <br />very different ways. For youth, it is about walking <br />or biking to a school, a park, or a friend's home. For <br />adults, it is about getting safely and conveniently <br />around Santa Ana or making sure children are safe <br />in their travels. For commerce, it is about ensuring <br />access to goods, services, and customers to improve <br />business opportunities. <br />Santa Ana's circulation system has been a vital <br />part of its history, dating back to 1869 when the <br />city was originally founded. At that time, the <br />circulation system consisted primarily of dirt roads <br />that connected agricultural fields and farms to the <br />shops and post office. In the 1880s, the Southern <br />Pacific Railroad and Santa Fe Railroad brought rail <br />transportation to the community, opening it to <br />commerce and housing development. Seventy-five <br />years later, freeways were constructed and later <br />expanded, which provided convenient access for <br />Santa Ana residents and businesses to the greater <br />metropolitan area. <br />Santa Ana's circulation system continued to evolve, <br />with added commuter rail and transit routes not <br />only offering options for getting around without a <br />car, but also making Santa Ana the transit and rail <br />hub of Orange County. Looking forward, the City <br />will continue to advance mobility through the OC <br />Streetcar and significant investments in bikeways <br />and pedestrian infrastructure. <br />Other City planning documents related to circulation <br />are the Alternative Transportation, Safe Mobility, <br />Safe Routes to School, and Street Standard plans. <br />. Crossing the Street in the Lacy Neighborhood <br />A crossing guard helps a family safely cross Brown Street from Garfield Elementary School and its new Wellness Cente1-11 <br />(opened in 2020), which is housed in a historic Pacific Electric substation that once served the Red Car railways system. <br />CITY OF SANTA ANA GENERAL PLAN <br />