OC Bus is the transit bus service operated by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), serving every city in Orange County. Some of the lines serve the Los Angeles County border communities of Lakewood, La Mirada, Cerritos, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens, and Long Beach. As of February 2023, there are 52 routes in the system.
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![]() OC Bus in Orange, California | |
Parent | Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) |
---|---|
Founded | August 1972 |
Headquarters | 550 S. Main St Orange, California, USA |
Service area | Orange County |
Service type | Transit bus |
Routes | 58[1] |
Stops | 5,483 |
Fleet | 508 buses |
Daily ridership | 119,000 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[2] |
Annual ridership | 34,442,800 (2023)[3] |
Fuel type | CNG, battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell |
Operator | OCTA Keolis (Anaheim & Irvine) Transdev (OC ACCESS) |
Website | octa |
The agency is the second-largest public transportation provider in the metropolitan area after the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Its predecessor agencies include not only the prior Orange County Transit District but also such diverse entities as the Pacific Electric Railway and the South Coast Transit Corporation. In 2005, OCTA was judged America's Best Public Transportation System by the American Public Transportation Association, for its record gains in bus and Metrolink commuter trains ridership that it operates or funds.
The Authority's administrative offices are located in the city of Orange and it maintains bus operations bases in the cities of Garden Grove, and Santa Ana. Keolis operates about 40% of OCTA's Fixed Routes out of the Anaheim and Irvine bases,[4] while Transdev operates OCTA's paratransit base for the authority's ACCESS service, also in Irvine.
All OCTA buses are equipped with bike racks and can carry two bikes, and three bicycles on some buses at any time.
South Coast Plaza is the most served location on the OC Bus system, served by five routes (55, 57, 86, 150, 553). The longest is route 1 (Long Beach–San Clemente) which utilizes Pacific Coast Highway for the vast majority of its 40-mile (64 km) route. Trips take an average of 2 to 2.5 hours.
Routes
edit1-99 (Local Routes)
editRoutes with numbers less than 100 are fixed routes that cover almost every city in Orange County. Buses operate on most major arterial streets. Route 1 is the only single-digit route, acquiring the number from California State Route 1.
Route | Terminals | via | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Long Beach | San Clemente
El Camino Real & Avenida Santa Margarita |
Pacific Coast Hwy |
|
Newport Beach
Newport Transportation Center (short line) | ||||
25 | Fullerton
Fullerton Park & Ride |
Huntington Beach
Pacific Coast Hwy & 1st St |
Goldenwest St, Knott Av | |
26 | Fullerton
Fullerton Park & Ride |
Yorba Linda
Lemon Dr & Main St |
Commonwealth Av, Yorba Linda Bl | |
29 | La Habra
Beach Bl & La Habra Bl |
Huntington Beach
Pacific Coast Hwy & 1st St |
Beach Bl |
|
29A | Buena Park | |||
| ||||
30 | Cerritos | Anaheim Hills
Esperanza Rd & Fairlynn Bl |
Orangethorpe Av |
|
33 | Fullerton
Fullerton Park & Ride |
Huntington Beach
Pacific Coast Hwy & Magnolia St |
Magnolia St | |
35 | Fullerton
Fullerton Park & Ride |
Costa Mesa
19th St & Meyer Pl |
Brookhurst St, Orangethorpe Ave | |
37 | La Habra
1st Av & Euclid St |
Fountain Valley
MacArthur Bl & Hyland Av |
Euclid St | |
38 | Lakewood
Del Amo Bl & Pioneer Bl |
Anaheim Hills
Anaheim Hills Festival |
Del Amo Bl, La Palma Av | |
42 | Hawaiian Gardens
Carson St & Norwalk Bl |
Orange | Seal Beach Bl, Los Alamitos Bl, Lincoln Av |
|
42A | Seal Beach
Electric Av & Main St | |||
43 | Fullerton
Berkeley Av & Harbor Bl |
Costa Mesa
Harbor Bl & Bernard St |
Harbor Bl |
|
46 | Long Beach
Norwalk Bl & Wardlow Av |
Orange | Ball Rd, Taft Av |
|
47 | Fullerton | Newport Beach
Balboa Bl & 23rd St |
Anaheim Bl, Fairview St |
|
50 | Long Beach | Orange | Katella Av |
|
53 | Anaheim | Irvine
Yale Loop & Alton Pkwy |
Main St |
|
Santa Ana
MacArthur Bl & Main St (short line) | ||||
54 | Garden Grove
Chapman Av & Valley View St |
Orange
(Mon-Sat) |
Chapman Av |
|
Orange
Rancho Santiago Bl & Chapman Av (Sun) | ||||
55 | Santa Ana
Flower St & 6th St |
Newport Beach
Newport Transportation Center |
Standard Av, Bristol St, Fairview St, 17th St |
|
56 | Garden Grove
Chapman Av & Valley View St (early AM / late PM) |
Orange Orange Transportation Center |
Garden Grove Bl | |
Garden Grove
Belgrave Av & Valley View St | ||||
57 | Brea | Newport Beach Newport Transportation Center |
State College Bl, Bristol St, Jamboree Rd | |
Fullerton
State College Bl & Via Burton (short line) |
Costa Mesa
Anton Bl & Sakioka Dr (short line) | |||
59 | Anaheim La Palma Av & Kraemer Bl |
Irvine
(weekdays) |
Kraemer Bl, Glassell St, Grand Av, Von Karman Av | |
Tustin
(weekends) | ||||
60 | Long Beach | Tustin Larwin Square |
Westminster Ave, 17th St |
|
Westminster
Main St & Locust St (weekends) |
Santa Ana
Fruit St & Tustin Av (weekends) | |||
64 | Westminster | Tustin
Larwin Square |
Bolsa Av, 1st St | |
66 | Huntington Beach
Goldenwest Transportation Center |
Irvine | McFadden Av, Walnut Av | |
Tustin
Bryan Av & Newport Av (short line) | ||||
70 | Huntington Beach
Warner Av & Pacific Coast Hwy |
Tustin | Edinger Av |
|
71 | Yorba Linda | Newport Beach
Superior Av & Placentia Av |
Tustin Av, Red Hill Av, Newport Bl |
|
72 | Huntington Beach
Warner Av & Pacific Coast Hwy |
Tustin | Warner Av |
|
76 | Huntington Beach
Talbert Av & Beach Bl |
Santa Ana | Talbert Av, MacArthur Bl | |
79 | Tustin Larwin Square |
Newport Beach
Newport Transportation Center |
Bryan Av, Culver Dr, University Dr |
|
82 | Foothill Ranch
Foothill Ranch Towne Center |
Rancho Santa Margarita
Plano Trabuco Rd & Alas De Paz |
Portola Pkwy, Santa Margarita Pkwy | |
83 | Fullerton
Fullerton Park & Ride |
Laguna Hills
Laguna Hills Transportation Center |
I-5, Main St | |
85 | Laguna Niguel
Niguel Rd & Crown Valley Pkwy |
Mission Viejo
Portola Plaza |
Marguerite Pkwy, Crown Valley Pkwy |
|
86 | Costa Mesa | Mission Viejo
Oso Viejo Community Park |
Alton Pkwy, Jeronimo Rd | |
87 | Rancho Santa Margarita
Avenida Empresa & Aventura |
Laguna Niguel
Niguel Rd & Crown Valley Pkwy |
Alicia Pkwy |
|
89 | Mission Viejo Portola Plaza |
Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach Bus Station |
El Toro Rd, Laguna Canyon Rd |
|
90 | Tustin | Dana Point
Golden Lantern & Dana Point Harbor Dr |
Irvine Center Dr, Moulton Pkwy, Golden Lantern St |
|
91 | Laguna Hills
Laguna Hills Transportation Center |
San Clemente
Calle de Los Molinos & Avenida Pico |
Paseo De Valencia, Camino Capistrano, Del Obispo St |
|
100s (Community Routes)
editRoutes with numbers in the 100s descended from the old RunAbout service that formerly served residential neighborhoods, or provide service to portions of 1-99 routes that have reduced demand. Three routes (129, 143, 153) were truncated from routes 29, 43, 47, 53, and 59 as a result of March 2010 service change; the 153 was later discontinued in February 2023. These routes are operated by Keolis, although between February 2022 and June 2023 OCTA temporarily operated many of these routes in-house except for the 129, 143, and 177, likely due to contractor driver shortages.
Route | Terminals | via | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
123 | Anaheim | Huntington Beach
Goldenwest Transportation Center |
Artesia Bl, Malvern Av, Chapman Av, Valley View St, Bolsa Chica Rd | |
129 | La Habra
Beach Bl & La Habra Bl |
Anaheim
Kraemer Bl & Coronado St |
La Habra Bl, Brea Bl, Birch St, Kraemer Bl |
|
143 | La Habra
Beach Bl & La Habra Bl |
Brea | Whittier Bl, Harbor Bl, Brea Bl, Birch St | |
150 | Santa Ana
Flower St & 6th St |
Flower St, Fairview St |
| |
150A |
| |||
167 | Orange | Irvine | Meats Av, Santiago Bl, Wanda Rd, Hewes St, Newport Av, Irvine Bl, Jeffrey Rd, Campus Dr |
|
177 | Foothill Ranch
Foothill Ranch Towne Center |
Laguna Hills
Laguna Hills Transportation Center |
Lake Forest Dr, Muirlands Bl, Los Alisos Bl | |
178 | Huntington Beach
Yorktown Av & Goldenwest St |
Irvine | Adams Av, Birch St, Campus Dr |
|
400s (StationLink/iShuttle)
editRoutes with numbers in the 400s are "StationLink" and Irvine Shuttle (iShuttle) routes which travel between Metrolink stations and business districts. These routes operate only during weekday rush hours and do not operate reverse peak services. These routes are operated by First Transit.
Route | Terminals | via | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
400A | Tustin | Santa Ana John Wayne Airport |
Von Karman Av |
|
401B | Tustin | Irvine
2101 Business Center |
Jamboree Rd, Michelson Dr | |
403D | Irvine | Irvine
Irvine Center Dr & Sand Canyon Av |
Alton Pkwy | |
453 | Orange | Orange
La Veta Av & Pepper St |
Chapman Av, Main St, La Veta Av |
|
472 | Tustin | Irvine
Food and Drug Administration |
Edinger Av, Red Hill Av, Campus Dr, Jamboree Rd | |
473 | Tustin | 'Irvine | Edinger Av, Harvard Av | |
480 | Irvine | Lake Forest
Lake Forest Dr & Regency Ln |
Alton Pkwy, Bake Pkwy, Lake Forest Dr |
500s (Rapid Routes)
editRoutes with numbers in the 500s are "Rapid" routes that operate on heavily used routes making limited stops and at transfer points to other routes. It is named according to the parent route it accompanies, for adding the number five to the beginning of the route indicating that it is a Rapid express route. Rapid routes use a dedicated fleet of buses and have different color schemes from regular route buses.
Route | Terminals | via | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
529 | Fullerton
Goldenwest Transportation Center |
Fullerton
Fullerton Park & Ride |
Beach Bl |
|
543 | Fullerton | Costa Mesa
Harbor Bl & MacArthur Bl |
Harbor Bl |
|
553 | Anaheim | Costa Mesa
Sunflower Av & Bristol St |
Main St |
|
560 | Santa Ana | Westminster
Main St & Locust St |
17th St, Westminster Av |
|
800s (City Shuttle)
editRoutes with numbers in the 800s are City Shuttle routes. Route 862, the first and only 800 series route, serving as a circulator route in Downtown Santa Ana and was introduced in October 2019, replacing former StationLink Route 462.
Route | Terminals | via | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
862 | Santa Ana | Civic Center Dr |
|
Bus fleet
editActive fleet
editMake/Model | Fleet Numbers | Year | Propulsion | Assigned Divisions | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Flyer XHE40 | 1111–1120 | 2018 | Hydrogen | Santa Ana |
|
New Flyer XE40 | 1201–1210 | 2021–2022 | Battery electric | Garden Grove |
|
Gillig Low Floor Plus CNG 40' | 2101 | 2021 | CNG | Garden Grove Santa Ana |
|
2102–2199, 2201–2266, 2301–2336 | 2022–2023 | CNG | |||
New Flyer C40LFR | 5121–5150 | 2008 | CNG | Irvine |
|
5501–5599, 5601–5674 |
2007–2008 | CNG | Anaheim Irvine Santa Ana |
| |
5675–5678 | 2008 | CNG | Anaheim |
| |
New Flyer XN40 | 5701–5799, 5801–5858 |
2015–2017 | CNG | Anaheim Irvine Santa Ana |
|
5861–5866 | 2018 | CNG | Santa Ana |
| |
Gillig Low Floor Plus CNG 29' | 6381–6392 | 2020–2021 | CNG | Irvine |
|
New Flyer C40LFR | 7501–7528 | 2007–2008 | CNG | Anaheim |
|
7529 | 2007 | CNG | Anaheim |
| |
7530–7592 | 2008 | CNG | Anaheim Santa Ana |
| |
New Flyer XN60 | 7601–7620 | 2013 | CNG | Santa Ana | |
7621–7636 | 2016 | CNG | Santa Ana |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "OC Bus Transit Fact Sheet" (PDF). Orange County Transportation Authority. August 11, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "OCTA Awards Cost-Saving Contract to Continue Providing More OC Bus Service". Orange County Transportation Authority. Retrieved September 18, 2023.