As fewer people under 30 choose not to drive, they want options denied to them by their elected officials far removed from public transportation. Even riders who have vehicles but choose to take public transit would prefer mass transit if given the option of a bus/shuttle service system that takes them from Point A to Point B in decent time and high frequency. La Habra had an in-town bus route, and with the increase of infill housing and new businesses entering the city, La Habra should smartly consider its reintroduction.
Transportation planning and financing for La Habra’s in-town bus should focus on high frequency and connecting to shopping centers, St. Jude Medical Center, Fullerton College, and the Fullerton Transportation Center. California and the federal government’s Department of Transportation emphasize multi-modalism, air quality, and land use decisions; La Habra should work with planning agencies to help provide greater financing as before, given the needed emphasis on accessibility required for the La Habra Shuttle to operate.
Based on La Habra’s General Plan’s estimates, La Habra will have an older population, with an aging housing stock, combined with infill housing of younger residents motivated to switch to multi-modal transportation. This estimate does not include the approximately 800 additional housing units La Habra must add in compliance with the State of California’s Housing Element goals. This combination for La Habra will result in a mixed population of residents motivated to use the La Habra Shuttle through city promotion for elderly and disabled La Habrans, along with Gen Z residents interested in using a shuttle system that connects to Fullerton while also being fast enough for intercity travel.
Providing an in-town bus shuttle service will reduce the number of cars driving on major arterial highways and streets in La Habra during peak driving hours. Many of the concerns La Habrans voiced during public comment on recent residential development involved concerns about traffic impacts. Elected officials never offered alternatives to residents, including the possibility of the La Habra Shuttle or even existing OCTA routes to mitigate VMT impacts. The miles of travel vehicles associated with the new developments will add to the neighborhood, which affects our environment.
Local transportation planning that includes the La Habra Shuttle with the General Plan can consist of major businesses involved, including Northgate Gonzalez Market, Wal-Mart, Target, and other businesses on the route that could combine with the existing La Habra senior shuttle service if the La Habra Community Center is considered a bus stop for this in-town bus shuttle service. The City of La Habra and its partners can review the mistakes made from the first shuttle experience to make this new shuttle work best for each generation of La Habrans, from the planning to its financing.
Connecting La Habra to better transportation solutions will alleviate La Habrans’ concerns about transportation demands by better responding to traffic patterns. La Habra has experienced and will experience an increase in new development, changing how it responds to transportation solutions. If the parking requirements in housing added to the city do not change, it will add more cars to the city. But if you give younger La Habras more choices in how they travel, they will likely choose the La Habra Shuttle rather than drive a car by themselves and sit in traffic with everyone else.
Peter Cruz is a resident of La Habra and is currently working on his Master’s in Public Administration at California State University San Bernardino.
Opinions expressed in community opinion pieces belong to the authors and not Voice of OC.
Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue or others please email opinions@voiceofoc.org.
