The Orange County Transportation Authority is marking a half-century of public bus service in Orange County by offering free bus rides all day on Sept. 1.
“Public transit service has come a long way since those early days of a handful of buses, growing into a thriving and vital public transit system that helps tens of thousands of residents, workers and visitors get where they need to be every day,” said OCTA Chairman Mark A. Murphy, also the Mayor of Orange.
“We can all be proud of today’s OC Bus system, and I hope that people will celebrate this 50-year milestone with us as we continue to build a safe, efficient and even cleaner public transit system for Orange County,” Chairman Murphy added.
Bus service in Orange County began in fall 1972 when the then Orange County Transit District began running five leased buses on just three routes. Those routes in North County served about 25,000 boardings monthly. The price to ride the bus back then: 25 cents.
As the county grew, so too did the popularity of the bus system, as more people discovered how affordable and convenient public transit could be – whether it was to get to school, to work or out for a day at the beach.
Over time, ridership grew exponentially and dozens of bus routes were added, crisscrossing the county from La Habra to Seal Beach, from Irvine to San Clemente, and all cities across Orange County.
Nearly 20 years after service began, the bus service became part of the newly formed Orange County Transportation Authority in 1991. And OCTA continued to work to improve efficiencies and modernize the bus system.
As technology changed and buses reached the end of their regular lifespan, diesel buses were replaced with more clean-burning fuels. Buses ran on liquified natural gas, then on renewable compressed natural gas (CNG), which produce nearly zero emissions.
Today, OCTA has more than 500 buses that serve passengers throughout Orange County. The system was rebranded as OC Bus in 2016, as passengers got to know the familiar blue, orange and white buses that run on Orange County streets.
Riding the bus now costs just $2 per ride or $5 for a day pass. This year, OCTA’s College Pass program expanded to all nine community colleges in Orange County. The shared-cost program allows community college students to ride anywhere OC Bus travels for free for the semester.
Also this year, OCTA permanently extended the Youth Ride Free program, which allows youth 18 years and younger to ride for OC Bus for free, giving tens of thousands of Orange County residents better access to school, employment, recreation and to everywhere OC Bus travels.
OCTA is also focused on ensuring the health of Orange County communities and long-term sustainability. In 2020, the agency began testing 10 buses that operate on hydrogen fuel-cell batteries. Earlier this year, the first two of 10 plug-in battery electric began being tested on Orange County streets, as well. OCTA is working toward a full fleet of zero-emission buses by 2040.
“Building Orange County’s transit system into what it is today and providing this essential service to our community takes the ongoing hard work and dedication of hundreds of employees, including coach operators, maintenance workers, operations managers and more,” said OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson. “I applaud all of our employees, present and past, who proudly keep Orange County moving.”
OCTA will continue to celebrate the golden anniversary of the bus system in the months to come. Stories from the history of the bus service will continue to be highlighted online.
