Supervisor of Orange County’s Fourth District. Doug Chaffee, began a two-year term as Metrolink’s board chair on Jan. 1, 2025.
Chaffee was unanimously elected by Metrolink’s board of directors at its Dec. 13 meeting. He replaced outgoing chair, City of Highland Mayor Pro Tem Larry McCallon, who was elected to oversee the transportation agency on Jan. 1, 2023.
“As chair, I look forward to supporting Metrolink’s ongoing operational evolution, further advancing ridership recovery efforts and delivering the best possible experience for our customers,” Chaffee said in a Metrolink press release.
Chaffee has served on the Metrolink board of directors since 2019 and has been a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors since 2018. As the Fourth District Supervisor, he represents northern Orange County communities, including the cities of Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton and La Habra. Between 2012 and 2018, Chaffee served as a city council member and mayor of Fullerton.
Metrolink operates an eight-line rail system that serves Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Ventura and San Bernardino Counties, extending down to Oceanside in San Diego County. Many riders utilize the rail for their commutes, with 81% of weekday trips being work-related.
As chair, Chaffee will appoint individuals to Metrolink committees, preside over board meetings and serve as the board’s spokesperson.
The board will manage Metrolink’s Student Adventure Pass, which provides free rides for current students in Southern California. Initially introduced in October 2023 for a nine-month pilot program under McCallon’s leadership, the program received a one-year extension in June 2024 and is now scheduled to expire on June 30, 2025.
“We are excited by the success of the Student Adventure Pass, which has nearly doubled Metrolink’s student ridership since its inception,” McCallon said in a press release announcing the extension. “The program has delivered much-needed financial relief for tens of thousands of Southern California students who can apply those cost savings to food, rent and other educational expenses such as books and school supplies.”
Metrolink recently implemented schedule changes with 32 new trains as of Oct. 21, 2024. However, these changes led to train delays and cancellations due to track capacity limitations and miscommunication with freight rail operators, according to an article by Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle.
“We are making updates to our new schedule that should reduce the occurrence of delays, and we are working tirelessly with the region’s freight railroads, BNSF and Union Pacific, to find solutions that will deliver meaningful relief,” Kettle wrote.
The board will also continue oversight of the agency’s zero-emission multiple unit (ZEMU) train, described as “North America’s first federally compliant self-powered, zero-emission passenger train,” according to the project’s webpage. The ZEMU was introduced in 2024 on the San Bernardino line, with testing set to continue through Jan. 31, 2025.
Metrolink’s reforms align closely with preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Metrolink, and other Southern California transportation agencies, will be partnering with the LA Metro to increase and refine their programs to provide reliable transportation during the event.
Noosha Taghdiri is a News Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. She can be reached at taghdirn@uci.edu.
Edited by Karen Wang and Jaheem Conley.
