Orange County Plans Hybrid Bus-Rail Line

"The Irvine City Council approved a $280-million project that planners hope will ultimately become the backbone of Orange County's first mass transit rail line.

The five-mile route would use a combination of streetcars and buses to connect the Irvine Spectrum to the Irvine train station, the future Great Park and housing developments surrounding it."

"According to the plans, streetcars powered by overhead electrical lines will run 3.4 miles through the Great Park to the Irvine train station, where passengers will transfer to a shuttle bus along Alton Parkway to the Irvine Spectrum 1.6 miles away.

The bus portion is expected to be in operation by 2009, and the streetcars by 2012. The goal is to install rail along the entire route and possibly expand it to other parts of Irvine, city officials said.

The hybrid rail-bus line would attract about 5,000 daily riders, officials say. All nine planned stations will be at street-level, except one built into the Irvine train station, where riders will transfer between rail and bus. Part of the bus line will be elevated to cross over Interstate 5, officials said."