Anaheim ARTIC Project

Passengers using taxi services from Orange County to LAX should be paying attention to a new regional transportation project launching soon in the Anaheim area. The city council has approved a $127-million contract for a transportation hub.

The new project is called, “Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC)” and will begin in September. The Anaheim City Council recently approved the contract. If the project is completed on schedule, it will be completed no later than 2014. Officials and supporters of the project view it as a main artery into the Orange County area.

The project is being celebrated as a major job creator. There will be approximately 5,000 jobs created as a result of the newly approved project. The congestion that is currently a problem in the region will be reduced in the major county highways in the area. The center will bring together taxis, commuter trains and buses servicing the region.

Opponents argue that the project is an unnecessary one. Some believe that it is intended to ready the area for a high-speed rail project that is likely to fail. Taxpayers don’t feel that a project this large in magnitude would improve traffic conditions. Supporters of the project expect the finished terminal construction to encourage investment from the private sector.

The project is expected to cost $184.2-million, $68 million of which will be devoted to the main terminal. The terminal project is 120 feet tall and spans 56,000 square feet. It will be funded partially by Measure M2, a sales tax fund that is used for transportation improvements. The M2 fund is usually spent on improvements for city streets. Additional funding will come from the state and the federal government. The city will be purchasing the land for the project, which will be paid using $32.5 million of local taxpayer funds.

It is uncertain how patrons taking taxi from Orange County to LAX will be affected by the project. The public is still divided on whether or not this project has merit, given all of the uncertainty surrounding the high speed rail project. The effort is still being marketed as a “gateway to Orange County” and an infrastructure project that will be a major job creator.