In what could have possibly been the hottest thing to hit the OC since the return of Marissa's little sister, Orange County NIMBY's and Republican congressmen have finally killed off the 30-mile long CenterLine Light Rail project that threatened to connect Fullerton to John Wayne Airport. Light Rail Now! gets to the bottom of things, as only pro-transit activists can, finding that project opponents had shortened the CenterLine to 9 miles at one point before succeeding in killing it. The CenterLine will be replaced by buses.
This emphasis on buses, unfortunately, as a substitute for CenterLine, basically means that Orange County residents apparently will be mainly consigned for many more years to a familiar "option": experiencing the delights of skyrocketing motor fuel costs along with their gridlocking roadways, with no short-term prospect of a high-quality, attractive public transport system for relief. Nevertheless, a focus on lower-investment, modestly upgraded "Rapid Bus" – as a precursor to some form of [light rail transit] – would probably represent the most prudent planning strategem at present. · ITEM 2: Regional rail and "rapid bus", perhaps streetcars, may replace defunct CenterLine light rail plan [Light Rail Now!]