Nannies Still Want Old Bus Route

Noemi Gutierrez, the feisty nanny whose activism prompted Orange County officials to modify their massive bus-route revamping, is back with a new petition.

Gutierrez collected 900 signatures on her first petition to oppose the Orange County Transportation Authority’s bus realignment plan, which cut line 57. That line took many nannies from Santa Ana to Fashion Island, where they work in Orange County’s wealthiest homes. In response to those complaints, the transit agency created a new line--the 180 bus--to continue service into Fashion Island.

But Gutierrez said the new configuration, which started this week, is flawed because nannies must wait an extra 15-20 minutes each way to catch their needed buses.

“I feel like they have failed us. We really thought this might work, but it does not,” said Gutierrez. “The whole thing is a big mess.”

Gutierrez’s new petition again asks OCTA to restore the old service.

OCTA spokesman George Urch took note of the complaints but is not sure what the authority may do in response.

OCTA is aware that it needs to fine tune the new system, he added. Riders and drivers throughout the county were pretty confused Monday when the new routes went into effect.

“We are working out a few kinks. With all the new changes, we are trying to determine if we need to add more buses and make some small changes to maximize things,” he said. “I don’t think there will be any major changes though.”