IRVINE
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City Council members voted 3 to 1 on Tuesday to abandon a four-mile, light-rail project planned for the Irvine Business Complex in favor of joining a countywide system.
The city will offer to contribute more than $120 million to the Orange County Transportation Authority for construction of the countywide system, called CenterLine.
In turning over the funds, which it receives from the Proposition 116 statewide transit initiative, the city wants the authority to begin CenterLine construction in Irvine.
The city’s proposal also would require OCTA to help develop a bus system that would bring residents to CenterLine stations, to build a spur to UC Irvine and to construct a parking structure at the Irvine Transportation Center.
The proposal comes after county transit officials asked cities to choose a preferred route for the 28-mile, light-rail project, which would run from Fullerton to Irvine.
Councilman Mike Ward came up with the plan after learning that Irvine was short $14 million to $50 million for construction of its Demonstration Guideway project, a four-mile transit loop. The city has spent $1.3 million on analyzing the Guideway project and would need an additional $1.1 million to complete the study.
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