55C - RESO - FIXED GUIDEWAY PROJECT

Home Browse Search

Summary ®f Public Outreach Meaningful public engagement is an important component of the Santa Ana - Garden Grove Fixed Guideway Project. From the outset of the project and throughout the process, the cities shared information with and sought input from the community, elected officials, and key stakeholders through meetings, dissemination of informational materials, a project website. In support of the environment review process and the 45 -day public review period for the EA/DEIR, the cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove, in coordination with OCTA, conducted three Public Review Meetings for the Santa Ana- Garden Grove Fixed Guideway EA /DEIR in accordance with the requirements of CEQA. The Public Review Meetings, held between June 14 and June 19, 2014, combined an open house with a formal presentation and comment period, and provided members of the community forums through which to comment on the EA /DEIR. Trilingual (English /Spanish /Vietnamese) materials, interpretations and transcriptionists were available at public meetings. Approximately 120 to 150 people attended the public meetings. The following summarizes the comments received during the Public Review Period, (oral and written) that are germane to the selection of the Locally Preferred Alternative. • General community support for a streetcar system • Concern about the duration and potential impacts of construction on local Downtown businesses • Concern about loss of on- street parking • Interest in economic development stimulus in conjunction with the streetcar, particularly on 5`h Street • Expressed preferences for either 4`h Street or 5` Street. Based on the results of the detailed technical evaluation of the alternatives, the findings of the environmental review, and the comments received during the public review period, the recommended Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) is Streetcar Alternative 1. The following summarizes the key features of the LPA. Technology (Mode): It is recommended that transit service be provided by modern streetcars operating within existing streets in mixed -flow traffic (the streetcar will share the travel lane with other vehicles), consistent with the Streetcar Alternatives analyzed in the EA /DEIR. For planning purposes, the Siemens S70 short vehicle was assumed since it is currently the only vehicle approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for streetcar operations in California. LPA Decision Report July 2014 55C -18 3 Page