OCTA to Increase Bicycle Capacity on Buses

The Orange County Transportation Authority will expand by 50 percent its ability to carry bicycles on all OC Buses with the installation of bicycle racks that hold up to three bikes at a time.

The OCTA board of directors approved a contract to install the racks on all standard 40-foot buses – up to 484 buses in all.

Currently, most OC Buses only have room for up to two bicycles on the carrier at the front of the bus.

“Adding bicycle capacity on OC Buses is an important step for helping cyclists around Orange County more conveniently access their first and last mile connections” said OCTA Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett, also the county’s Fifth District Supervisor.

OCTA operates its 484 40-foot compressed-natural-gas-powered buses on 65 routes across the county, serving more than 5,500 bus stops.

When buses already have two bikes on board, cyclists have had to wait for the next bus along the route, hoping there is room for their bike. Adding a third slot for an additional bike on each bus will greatly improve efficiency for Orange County’s cycling community.

The approximately $745,000 contract with Complete Coach Works allows for the purchase and installation of up to 484 three-position bicycle racks, and an option to purchase 73 more, if needed. Funding for the project comes from the state’s Low Carbon Transit Operations Program.

Several Southern California public-transportation agencies have already installed three-position bike racks. In 2014, Governor Brown approved the use of the three-position racks on 40-foot buses in California.

The new bike racks are expected to be installed in phases, approximately 100 at a time, beginning late this summer.