Santa Ana — Streetcar Builder Sought

December 2016

Progressive Railroading reported that the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) on December 19 released a request for proposals for the manufacturing and delivery of eight streetcar vehicles for the planned Orange County Streetcar system in Santa Ana.

OCTA will evaluate proposals based on cost, technical requirements, and the submitting firms' qualifications and related experience, OCTA officials said in a press release. The agency has schedule a pre-proposal conference oon January 10. Proposals will be due on April 28, 2017.

The 4.1-mile OC Streetcar line will run from Santa Ana to Garden Grove connecting with 18 of OCTA's busiest bus routes. The streetcar is expected to carry up to 7,500 passengers a day within its first year of operation.

As many as six streetcars would operate concurrently along the line at 10 minute peak headways. Construction would begin in 2018, with testing and operation following in 2020.

The project, which has entered the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts program, is estimated to cost $298 million.