Anaheim 2060

The City of Anaheim has been studying whether it should build a transit link between ARTIC and the Anaheim Resort.  The city has commissioned the Anaheim Fixed-Guideway Transit Corridor Study and is well under way with gathering public input.

As the Anaheim Resort continues to grow and expand, it will become necessary to accommodate more visitors into the area.  Over the past few years, the resort has added a number of new destinations, most notably the GardenWalk. Disney is currently renovating Disney’s California Adventure, with the hopeful result being increased park attendance.  The convention Center has been contemplating expansion plans. As the Platinum Triangle develops, more residents will be living in the area. Once ARTIC is built, it will be easier for visitors to get to Anaheim without a car.  These visitors will need a method of transit within the city once they get to the city. With all of this recent and planned expansion of the Resort and Platinum Triangle, it is important for the City to look ahead at its future needs and make its own plans to ensure those needs are met.

Even without these added destinations within the resort, it is already difficult to move around the area without a car. It is not convenient or pleasant to stay at the resort, attend a show at the convention center, have dinner at GardenWalk and then enjoy the Disneyland fireworks. Everything is too spread out, connected by busy streets that are not pedestrian friendly. For the Anaheim Resort to meet its full potential there must be a better way to get around the resort. This Fixed-Guideway Corridor Study intends to find the best way to meet these needs.

The study is currently looking at three different proposals: First, the study looks at a baseline scenario where the city continues its current course.  The second proposal is a low cost alternative that enhances the current transit system and encourages car pooling. The final proposal is the fixed-guideway itself and has a number of alternatives.

The two primary alternatives are between a bus rapid transit system and a monorail or people mover type system. The bus rapid transit system would use exclusive lanes along existing roadways so the buses wouldn’t have to contend with traffic.  This might even include a light priority system so the buses would not have to stop at stoplights.  The monorail system would be just as it sounds, an elevated monorail track that will (mostly) run along existing streets.

There are three different routes the city is looking at for the monorail alternatives.  The first alternative is to run from ARTIC, west along Gene Autry Way, north along Haster Street to Disney Way with a stop between the Pumba parking lot and GardenWalk.  From there it heads south on Harbor Boulevard and terminating either at the convention center or where Disney’s recently approved new parking lot will be (or at Disneyland’s long rumored third gate, if it ever gets built.)

The second proposed route again starts at ARTIC, but this time runs west along Katella Ave. through the center of the Platinum Triangle.  It then goes north along the 5 freeway and runs along the north side of the Pumba lot, at which point it again follows Harbor south to either the convention center of Disney’s new parking lot.

The final route alternative has been referred to as “The Claw” because it forks when it reaches Haster.  The Claw starts at ARTIC, runs west along Gene Autry Way, until Haster. At Haster, one branch goes north to Disney Way and terminates between the Pumba lot and GardenWalk. The other branch runs along the southern edge of the Disney property and terminates at Harbor.

All of these alternatives are still being studied, as well as how they will be funded.  This project is still in its initial phases of design and study, and therefore this is the best time for public input.  In the coming months, the city will be holding a number of meetings to solicit feedback and keep residents informed.

The Anaheim Fixed-Guideway will be a great addition to the city which will allow Anaheim’s primary tax generator to continue to grow. A monorail through the resort will be a large investment for the city, but it will be a better value than spending ever increasing amounts of tax revenue on roads that will produce marginal returns.  Not only that, a monorail will enhance visitors’ experience within the resort by easing their commute within the area and ensuring they can experience all the Anaheim Resort has to offer.

Finally, looking out even further to the long-term future of our city, this monorail will serve as a starting point for a transportation system throughout Anaheim and the County. This expanded transportation system will help us break our dependence on cars and allow our city to continue to grow and prosper without being further strangled by gridlock.