FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2025
Latisha Townsend – Communications Director, Supervisor Foley
(714) 559-8364 | Latisha.Townsend@ocgov.com
Vice Chair Katrina Foley Releases Statement Following Orange County Transportation Authority Board Vote on Emergency Permits and Garfield-Gisler Bridge Project
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Vice Chair Katrina Foley released a statement following the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors meeting.
Advancements in Protecting Our Beaches and Rail Corridor: On April 10, the California Coastal Commission issued a partial emergency Coastal Development Permit for portions of OCTA’s Coastal Rail Stabilization Project. The project focuses on four hotspot areas where rail failure is most likely. The emergency permit fully approved Areas 1 and 2, partially approved Area 3, and unfortunately determined that there was no emergency in Area 4.
The OCTA Board of Directors voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency in the vicinity of the four critical areas along the LOSSAN Rail Corridor in San Clemente, allowing further streamlining of project delivery.
“I commend the Coastal Commission for beginning approval for our emergency permit, and I hope they move with urgency to approve the remaining components, particularly the sand nourishment components,” said Vice Chair Foley. “I support the emergency resolution approved today as a method to move forward and strongly encouraged OCTA staff to expedite the sand sourcing and placement. The current timeline is not fast enough given the imminent threat of coastal erosion on San Clemente shores.
Vice Chair Foley continued, “The Coastal Commission has done their part. Now it’s up to OCTA to quickly and efficiently get the sand on our beaches. I hope the South County Beach Coalition, which my office established to bring together key stakeholders to coordinate future sand nourishment and beach restoration projects, can support OCTA’s efforts to speed up project delivery.”
Item 11: Amendments to the Master Plan of Arterial Highways: With a slim majority, the Board of Directors moved to postpone the removal of the prospective Garfield-Gisler Bridge Project from the Master Plan of Arterial Highways by 30 days, when the Board will vote again. OCTA Directors Foley, Stephens, Sarmiento, Amezcua, and Leon supported immediate removal. In the current plan, the crossing threatens to redirect heavy traffic directly through Costa Mesa neighborhoods, coastal park preserves, and the Mesa Verde Country Club.
“In my two decades of public service, I have consistently advocated for the removal of the Gisler Street Bridge and 19th Street Bridge from the Master Plan of Arterial Highways. I disagree with the Board’s decision to continue the item for 30 days,” said Vice Chair Katrina Foley.
“All transportation improvements in the last decade have brought the level of service to the agreed-upon levels. This eleventh-hour intervention by some in Fountain Valley to keep the bridge on the Plan unilaterally undermines two decades of advocacy and harms Orange County residents, placing approximately 55 homes, a school, and a cemetery at risk of destruction. The very prospect of such a project unnecessarily worries the residents of Costa Mesa. If the City of Fountain Valley has transportation-related inquiries or concerns, they should bring them forward. However, to leverage Costa Mesa residents to be used as a bargaining chip is inappropriate.”
Item 12: Low Carbon Transit Operations Program Recommendations for OC Bus Transit Projects: The Board of Directors approved the reauthorization of the Youth Ride Free Program through September 2027.
“Since its launch in September 2021, I have been a strong advocate of the Youth Ride Free Program. As we move toward a future defined by expanded public transportation, it remains critical that we build up confidence with the next generation of commuters and help them navigate our intricate system. I look forward to how this program’s extension will help us achieve our goals for a more transit-oriented future,” said Vice Chair Katrina Foley.
Item 10: Active Transportation Program Biannual Update: The OCTA Board of Directors received a biannual update on the status of OCTA’s Active Transportation Program. This update included the Next STEP Project, which partners with city staff and school districts to provide education on walking and bicycling and to assess infrastructure needs at participating schools. The Project team has enrolled 14 schools in the infrastructure needs assessment, including Wood Canyon Elementary in Aliso Viejo, Las Flores Elementary in unincorporated Orange County, and Harold Ambuehl Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano.
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Orange County Supervisor Vice Chair Katrina Foley was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2022 to represent the newly established District 5, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, a large portion of Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, as well as the unincorporated areas of Coto de Caza, Emerald Bay, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Rancho Mission Viejo, Stonecliffe and Wagon Wheel. This is her second term on the Board of Supervisors, where she previously served District 2.
Vice Chair Foley’s 2025 Board appointments include:
Chair – Orange County Housing Finance Trust,
Orange County Audit Oversight Committee,
Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA),
Vice Chair – OCTA Legislative and Communications Committee, Regional Transportation Committee, Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), TCA Joint Capital Improvements and Projects Committee, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Community Engagement Panel,
Co-Chair – Spent Fuel Solutions Coalition,
Orange County Public Libraries Advisory Board, Coastal Greenbelt Authority, Newport Bay and South Orange County Watershed Executive Committees, Ocean Institute, Orange County Community Corrections
Partnership (OCCCP), Santa Ana River Flood Control Protection Agency, and the Orange County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council.
