Category: OC Streetcar

Santa Ana Votes to Dissolve Its Downtown Business Improvement District

The Santa Ana City Council unanimously voted last week to dissolve its Downtown Business Improvement District, to which local merchants have been required to pay annual fees—on top of business taxes—after an outcry from some of the area’s merchants. The area’s improvement district, known as a BID, was started in 1984 to fund promotions and…


OC Streetcar Construction Delayed, Frustrating Business Owners

The OC Streetcar is expected to start running about a year later than originally planned due to project delays, officials announced July 25—frustrating small business owners who continue to lose customers and revenue because of the construction. The $509 million project—a modern streetcar line that will run through Santa Ana and Garden Grove—was originally set…


OC Transit Authority Helps Promote Businesses Hurt by Streetcar Construction

ORANGE, Calif.—The Orange County Transportation Authority announced May 23 that it has been working to help attract customers to downtown Santa Ana businesses impacted by the OC Streetcar project. The streetcar, a $509 million project, is set to become Orange County’s first modern electric streetcar, providing residents a 4-mile route from Santa Ana’s downtown to…


Orange County Grants $1.2 Million to Santa Ana Businesses Hurt by Streetcar Construction

Orange County will grant $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Santa Ana businesses whose customer traffic is affected by the construction of the OC Streetcar, a modern streetcar line that will run through Santa Ana and Garden Grove, California. On May 10, the OC Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion—introduced by Supervisor…


Santa Ana Business Owners Call for Reparations Due to Impacts of Construction

ORANGE, Calif.—Several Santa Ana Business owners who have been impacted by the Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) streetcar project asked for reparations during an April 11 board meeting. The owners argued that the shutdown of 4th Street for streetcar construction in downtown Santa Ana caused their buildings to become dirty, have endless construction noise, created…


OC Streetcar Contractor Sues Transportation Authority for $50 Million

SANTA ANA, Calif.—The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is getting sued for $50 million by a company it hired to construct the rail system for the OC Streetcar, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this month in the county’s Superior Court. Walsh Construction, the company hired by the transit authority, said in the Mar. 4…


Orange County Streetcar Project to Receive $9.4 Million in Federal COVID Relief Aid

An Orange County streetcar project to connect Santa Ana and Garden Grove will receive $9.4 million in federal aid, authorities have confirmed. The funds were allocated in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden earlier this month. “Our understanding is that the additional…