Two IUSD Students Named Edison Scholars
Two Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) high school seniors — Matthew Chang (Woodbridge High...
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Author: ICNV Staff
Congratulations to Irvine’s CERT Graduates
Congratulations to the latest group of volunteer trainees who have graduated from the City’s...
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Council Directs City Staff to Analyze Ways to Expand Irvine’s Free Shuttle Service
Last April, the City launched its free public bus service to connect Irvine residents to parks, schools, hospitals, and shopping centers.
The shuttle currently makes about 70 stops, including Sierra Vista Middle School & Lakeside Middle School; Irvine High School & Woodbridge High School; Lakeview Senior Center; Northwood Community Park & Heritage Community Park; Kaiser Permanente Hospital & Hoag Hospital; Northwood Town Center; retail centers on Alton Parkway & Barranca Parkway; the Irvine Spectrum; and the Irvine Train Station.
Due to the popularity of the Irvine CONNECT shuttle and its increased ridership, the City Council voted unanimously in support of Councilmember Kathleen Treseder’s motion to have staff analyze ways to expand the shuttle’s service area and hours of operation.
Will Irvine’s Meticulous Planning Become a Model for Building Fire Resistant Communities in California?
A recent LA Times article suggested that Irvine’s meticulous planning and strict regulations could become a model for other California cities that want to build fire-resistant neighborhoods.
Four years before the Palisades and Eaton fires swept through Los Angeles, Irvine faced the Silverado fire that threatened homes in the northern Irvine community of Orchard Hills. Residents were evacuated and the fire came dangerously close.
However, no one in Irvine lost their home. In fact, the fire didn’t damage a single residence in Orchard Hills.
So, why was Orchard Hills spared? According to the LA Times article, it wasn’t luck — it was the result of deliberate design, stringent regulations, and proactive planning.
The City of Irvine’s Ambitious Forestation Program
Last year, Irvine ranked No. 1 in California and No. 4 in America in the Public Land Trust’s ParkScore Index, which is recognized as the national gold-standard comparison of park systems across the 100 most populated cities in the United States. The index is based on factors including park access, acreage, investment, and amenities.
Some years ago, Mayor Larry Agran and other environmental activists got the City of Irvine to set a goal to plant 500,000 trees. “I’m proud to say we reached that goal, adding beauty and value to our entire community,” Agran said.
Now, Agran wants Irvine to set a new goal due to the growth of the City and the urgency of climate change. “We need another 200,000 trees, minimum, to help clean the air, sequester carbon, cool the City, and help us reach our Climate Action Plan goals,” Agran said.
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