Placentia Metrolink Concepts

Compass Blueprint provided the City of Placentia with urban design concepts and strategies for a proposed Metrolink station in the Placita Santa Fe district.  Beginning in 2003, the five North Orange County Cities (NOCC) of Brea, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia and Yorba Linda undertook a cooperative effort to define a vision for transit in North Orange County. The project has received grant funding from Compass Blueprint, the Reduce Orange County Congestion (ROCC) program, and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Go Local program to explore opportunities for transit-oriented development around an emerging high-capacity transit system.

Goals:

• Utilize the current alignment of Crowther Avenue and integrate the station with the existing community and the vision of the Placentia-Westgate Specific Plan.
• Develop urban design concepts for pedestrian connectivity, vehicular circulation, and transit access.
• Evaluate the proposed Metrolink parking structure for joint development potential.

The concepts and strategies in the Placentia Metrolink Station report address the long-range needs for parking, pedestrian circulations, multi-modal transit access, commercial intensification, and public gathering areas in the station area.

Results:

• The report covers a 19 acre study area
• Initially three surface lots will supply 433 parking spaces, passenger pick-up/drop-off, and a bus stop
• Once funding is obtained a three story 498-space parking structure will be built along with an 82-space surface parking lot
• Proposal for 2 to 4 story mixed-use buildings framing a transit plaza
• Recommendation to move bus stops south of Crowther Avenue and reroute selected OCTA routes