Orange County

Feds Approve New Natural Gas Pipeline Despite Corruption Probe
Federal regulators approved a pipeline critical to a natural gas power plant currently embroiled in a federal corruption investigation.

The Backbone of Orange County
In the 1950s, southern Orange County, California was a place of open hills, citrus groves, and scattered towns. The I-5 Freeway changed that, paving the way for today's subdivisions.
Legal Spat Over Plan to Widen I-405 in Orange County
Orange County, California transportation officials want to widen the 405 to reduce travel times and ease predicted congestion. The cities of Seal Beach and Long Beach are concerned about how that will impact traffic on surface streets.
Plans Advance for Orange County Streetcar
The $289 million streetcar would serve the cities of Santa Ana (population 329,00), county seat and second densest in California after San Francisco, and Garden Grove (population 170,000) on a 4.1-mile route. Service could begin 2020.
Orange County Retooling Bus Service to Reverse Transit Declines
Orange County provides the latest development in the ongoing experiment with transit in Southern California, hoping that a high-frequency bus grid can reverse slumping ridership numbers.
SunRail Phase II Receives $93.4 Million FTA Grant
Florida's SunRail commuter rail received a $93.4 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to extend the 61-mile line. The grant will cover half the capital costs for the 17.2-mile extension from Orlando to Osceola County.
When Too Many Farmers' Markets Are Too Much of a Good Thing
Few locations are such a natural fit for farmers' markets as Orange County—but the number of certified farmers' markets in the county are shrinking and others are struggling.
Southern California Counties Set National Migration Pace
More residents moved from the counties of Los Angeles and Orange to the nearby counties of San Bernardino and Riverside than anywhere else in the country.
Toll Lanes Continue to Spread on Southern California Freeways
To the chagrin of many Orange County transportation leaders, two express lanes will be added to each direction on a 14-mile stretch of the 405 (San Diego) Freeway, one through conversion, and a general purpose lane funded in part by Measure M added.

A Pedestrian's Perspective on Sprawling Orange County
Southern California's Orange County isn't exactly known for its walkability. Frank H. Wu decided to test that notion on a recent carless visit.
$188 Million ARTIC Transit Hub Opens in Anaheim
The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center opened earlier in December. Although planners expect 10,000 daily boardings at the hub, the big payoff will come if a high speed rail and a streetcar find their way to the station.
Struggling Toll Roads Make for Good Investments
In another example of a struggling toll road attracting no shortage of investors, the poor revenue performance of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency in Orange County, California has not dissuaded investors, as the returns are high.
Caltrans Overrides OCTA: 405 Freeway Widening Must Include Toll Lane
Transportation decisions are best made locally, not by the state DOT, right? For those advocating for tolled, managed lanes over free, general purpose lanes, the 405 Freeway in Orange County may prove the exception.
Roundabouts: A Tool for Placemaking
Designed properly, roundabouts enhance placemaking and the pedestrian experience.
Orange County Expanding its Recycled Wastewater Program
Southern California takes a lot of heat for sucking up the water from Northern California and the Colorado River, but the Orange County Water District, at least, is doing its part.
Orange County Opts for Free Lanes over HOT Lanes
Orange County, birthplace of the nation's first high occupancy toll (HOT) lane, may never see another. Not only did they reject a plan to add one (or two) toll lanes, to the 405 Freeway, legislation to ban them altogether may be introduced.
Can a "Rare Slice of California" Stave Off Sprawl?
San Luis Obispo County, along California's Central Coast, is at a crossroads. Will it go the way of Orange County and succumb to development pressures or will it follow Napa and Ventura Counties and protect its rural lands from exurban sprawl.
Feds Withholding $2 Billion in Funding for CA Transit
The U.S Department of Labor is holding up the distribution of billions of dollars in transit funding destined for San Diego, Sacramento, Los Angeles and other California cities due to a new state pension law's impact on transit workers.
Landmark Ruling Liberates California GIS Data
The California Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Sierra Club's quest to have publicly held GIS data made available for a nominal fee under the California Public Records Act.
CA Supreme Court to Decide if GIS Data is a Public Record
A case making its way through the California courts pits Orange County versus the Sierra Club. At stake is the availability of publicly held GIS data at a reasonable cost.
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