Ridership on Orange County Transportation Authority buses has plummeted nearly 60% during the coronavirus emergency, prompting the agency to cut back to a Sunday schedule daily, starting Monday.
The order was issued Friday on an emergency, temporary basis, but will be discussed when OCTA board members meet via a teleconference call Monday.
The Sunday schedule is about 40% of an average weekday bus service schedule.
The agency’s system for disabled riders — OC ACCESS — will continue to operate as usual.
The OCTA cutbacks come as the county reported 53 total cases of coronavirus.
Of the cases, 25 were contracted by residents while traveling, seven from person-to-person spread and 19 were “community acquired,” according to Orange County Public Health. Two are under investigation as to how the patients were stricken.
Thirty-three are men, 20 are women. Twenty-six fall into the age range of 18 to 49; 17 are 50 to 64 years old; and 10 are 65 and older.
There have been 589 people tested, leaving county officials with enough tests for 942 people.
There was a more than 50% drop in ridership the past two weeks, OCTA officials said. On Wednesday, the agency recorded 61,000 riders, much less than the typical 125,000 on an average weekday.
OCTA spokesman Joel Zlotnik said the agency expects ridership to dip even more now that the governor has asked the state’s residents to stay at home as much as possible, shutting down nearly all but essential businesses.
“The health and safety of our customers and OCTA employees is of utmost importance and we believe these changes to service are proper and necessary as we all do our best to navigate through unprecedented and unsettling times,” said OCTA Chairman Steve Jones, who is also the mayor of Garden Grove. “We also know that for some people, transit service will continue to be critical to shop for food and get to essential jobs for our communities and medical facilities to function.”
There was some confusion in Orange County earlier this week about an order issued Tuesday by the county’s chief health officer, Dr. Nichole Quick. Many merchants were confused about having to close their doors, but county officials amended the order Wednesday to clarify that most businesses could remain open during the crisis.
That all changed Thursday evening when Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a new order telling residents to stay home unless they work in one of 16 categories of occupations deemed necessary. The governor’s order supersedes the county’s, officials said.
County officials say residents can still go to gas stations to fuel their vehicles, get food at grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores and restaurants that offer take-out and delivery only. Laundromats and banks remain open.
The governor’s order closes in-restaurant dining, bars and nightclubs, gyms, public events and gatherings and convention centers, among other entertainment venues.