Jennifer Kho
COSTA MESA -- Maria Gardena was lost for more than three hours Monday.
She rode several buses, but they didn't go where she expected them to
go -- or stop at the times she thought they would stop.
She's not new to the area or to bus-riding, but Gardena said the
county's new bus system has left her struggling to regain the comfort of
being bus-savvy.
"I'm lost," she said, laughing. "I don't know the routes yet. There
are a lot of changes and no one to ask for help."
Gardena is one of dozens of Costa Mesa residents who spent time Monday
acquainting themselves with Route 180, a new route.
On Sunday, the Orange County Transportation Authority implemented a
new system that straightens many of the county's crooked bus routes.
Route 57, a route many residents knew well, no longer passes by most of
their usual stops.
But it was Monday, when many regular bus riders boarded on their trip
to work, that the new system was really under review.
Bus rides are free until Thursday, when the OCTA will begin collecting
its regular rate of $1 per boarding.
The transportation authority has been working on the system for a year
and a half, and officials say they think the result is quicker commutes
for most of the county's riders.
"We anticipated that in the first few days there would be some
confusion," said George Urch, an OCTA spokesman. "We tried to reduce it
with an aggressive advertising campaign and by having transit ambassadors
at our busiest bus stops, and actually things are going a little better
than we expected.
"It's going to take riders a couple of weeks to figure out the most
efficient way to get where they want to go. But so far, so good."
Officials are monitoring the different runs to decide if any of them
needs to be tweaked, Urch said.
A citizens' group, which includes some Costa Mesa residents, has
opposed the changes, saying the changes have resulted in more transfers
and more waiting.
The bus riders taking advantage of the free fares Monday expressed a
wide range of opinions, however.
"This schedule works out better for me," said Kathie Curtiss. "I go to
[Orange Coast College] in the afternoons, and with the new system I get
home earlier in the evenings. I get home early enough to feel safe."
Curtiss is one of several Costa Mesa residents who said they are
pleased with the changes. Some said their commutes are now shorter and
others said new stops are helpful to them, including several along
Newport Boulevard.
