Late night bus service for Anaheim resort workers gets federal backing

The Anaheim Transportation Network has been awarded federal funding that will allow it to begin late night bus service in some of the main tourism hubs in the city.

The ATN “Night Owl” service will provide bus service for employees in the Anaheim Resort neighborhood where Disneyland is located, and the Platinum Triangle area where Angel Stadium and the Honda Center can be found.

The bus service will operate between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., when other public transit options aren’t available.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-Anaheim) presented the $790,000 federal funding check to leaders from the ATN alongside Anaheim City Councilman Carlos Leon Thursday morning in Modjeska Park.

“Those working on Main Street deserve access to affordable and accessible public transportation, especially at late night hours,” Correa said in a news release following Thursday’s ceremony. “This much-needed service is a win-win for the local economy. We must do all we can to keep tourists and workers safe.”

Correa continued by calling Anaheim resort workers the “backbone” of the city’s tourist economy.

In addition to helping kickstart the Night Owl service, the federal funds will also help ATN secure more electric vehicles and expand its clean energy fleet, which it says provides rides for more than 10 million passengers annually.

“This investment will launch a critical public transit service to meet the needs of the workforce in Anaheim,” said ATN Executive Director Diana Kotler.

Kotler continued by thanking Correa for the continued support of ATN and its clean public transportation efforts.

The federal funds are part of the omnibus appropriations bill for the 2024 fiscal year. According to Correa’s office, up to $15 million has been allocated for Anaheim community projects through this federal spending package.

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