The Orange County Taxpayers Association often favors transportation projects. For example, we supported the Measure M campaign for a half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements in 1990. OCTax believed then, and believes now, that Measure M generally meets our four criteria for a “good” tax: it is fair, understandable, efficient and good for business.
OCTax is not convinced that the CenterLine light-rail project proposed by the Orange County Transportation Authority passes the same four-way test.
n Is it “fair”? Most people who would pay the heavy subsidy for light rail (mainly through gas taxes) would seldom ride it. In contrast, almost everyone uses roads and freeways.
n Is it “understandable”? We don’t know exactly how much the system would cost or how people would use it, and OCTax would be reluctant to gamble on the largesse of the federal government for the $700 million needed to complete the initial phase of the system.
n Is it “efficient”? The transportation authority estimates that only one-half of one percent of travelers would use the light-rail system, all of whom live and work in a narrow corridor. Yet all taxpayers would help pay nearly $2 billion for only the first 28 miles of a proposed 87-mile system. (In 1990, Measure M literature said “the total capital cost of urban rail improvements,including heavy commuter rail, not just light rail,could exceed $800 million.” It seems the price has doubled.) Bowing to the objections of North County cities, OCTA staff now proposes to shorten the line to only 12 miles. This casts even more doubt on the project’s viability.
n Is it “good for business?” OCTax doubts that centers of commerce would spring up around transit stations, or that commuting workers would be willing to walk substantial distances to a train station.
OCTax can discover only two legitimate pro-rail arguments.
First, the people voted for Measure M, including its “high-technology advanced rail transit” component. But OCTax is not sure that what has been proposed is “high-technology.” It looks suspiciously like the electric streetcars of the 1930s. Moreover, Measure M literature said the rail system would “provide frequent train service between South and North County with nine stops at San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Mission Viejo, Irvine, North Irvine, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Fullerton and Buena Park.” It seems the nature of the project and its scope has shrunk.
Second, there is no clear alternative to rail to forestall freeway gridlock.
But light rail is not a solution at all if it would carry only one-half of 1% of travelers, would take its ridership from buses rather than cars, would be so costly, and would lack flexibility for re-routing. It may be better to spend the same amount of money making more “smart streets” such as Beach Boulevard, fixing “choke points” with extra lanes, expanding bus and jitney systems, and equipping buses with traffic-light preemption equipment.
The Transportation Authority Board of Directors will soon decide whether to spend an additional $30 million on final plans for its CenterLine project. Reluctantly, OCTax concludes that unless the authority finds more convincing evidence, we will oppose it.
