INTEGRATED BUS SERVICE FOR VENTURA COUNTY

Currently, most transit service in Ventura County is provided on a city-by-city basis, with limited service between cities. VISTA (the countywide intercity bus operator) provides some service between cities, but with limited stops. Although the limited number of stops speeds long lines such as the Hwy. 101 and Hwy. 126 routes, such lines are more difficult to use for shorter trips. Also VISTA is currently funded with Federal CMAQ demonstration funds, which are due to run out this July. Obviously, interconnecting service will still be needed; this document describes a few methods as to how such service might be continued, and even improved for some riders.

The following route descriptions and route maps/schedules comprise a plan in which an integrated bus service might be provided within the resources (vehicles and service hours) already provided by the existing operators. (Some "extra" services are also described herein).

The schedules in this document were derived from existing schedules and educated guesses; therefore the schedules may not be "perfect". However, any such descrepancy should not result in the need for additional equipment.

OPERATIONS AND FUNDING

The East County routes (#43, #53, #55, #60 and #70) should be operable with the current complement of Thousand Oaks Transit (TOT) and Simi Valley Transit (SVT) equipment., plus the buses allocated to the VISTA East County route. #50 , #58 and #59 may require at most two additional buses.

In the Central County, #20 and #25 can be operated with the current VISTA Central buses. Expanded #26 and #30 will require one additional bus each. #15 and #35 will need one SCAT bus and two Camarillo Area Transit (CAT) vehicles. #40,41 and 42 can be run with the current VISTA Hwy. 101 equipment.

To ensure both affordability and equity, a zone fare system for all Ventura County is recommended. Essentially, each city would be in its own zone (Oxnard/Port Hueneme, Fillmore/Piru and Ventura/Saticoy would be considered single zones). The initial fare payment ($1.00 reg/$0.75 student/$0.50 senior/disabled) would cover travel for the first two zones; any additional zones would cost $0.25 ($0.10 senior/disabled) each. Transfers would be available between Ventura County routes and to connecting public transit systems in Los Angeles County (MTA, LADOT, Santa Clarita Transit) and Santa Barbara Counties (SBMTD).

Institutional barriers to combined services may include labor issues (SCAT and SVT are traditional municipal operators, while all other transit services in the County are contracted to private operators), and cost-sharing ratios between cities and other jurisdictions.

Support from Los Angeles County will be needed for #26,#45 and #47. In the case of #45, a new MTA funding instrument called the "mobility allowance" being considered; this would allow certain jurisdictions (including the Agoura/Calabasas) area to replace MTA local bus service with locally operated services. This funding source might also apply to #47, although that service could also be partially funded with Warner Center trip reduction funds (one local shuttle and one express bus route are currently funded via this route.)

Transit and air quality officials in Santa Barbara County plan to expand their "Clean Air Express" buspool system; perhaps some of this funding might be used to implement Line #30.

ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS

#2 expands the SCAT "Colonia" route to serve the Esplanade, El Rio and the Auto Center, partially replacing current #15 in these areas. 45 minute headways are provided on the "trunk", and 90-minute service is provided in alternating directions on the Esplanade-El Rio-Auto Center loop; if three buses could be operated on #2; 30/60 minute service could be provided.

#15 is a SCAT route which has been rerouted to serve Camarillo and Pleasant Valley Hospital, via the industrial areas near Camarillo Airport. (in actuality, a portion of the former VISTA Hwy. 101 route). Service in Oxnard north of Gonzales is replaced by an expanded route #2 (see above).

#20 and #25 essentialy replace the current VISTA Central County route. Peak hour route #20 serves Point Mugu and also provides two connections between Ojai and Oxnard (designed to connect to Metrolink). #25 operates between Oxnard and Camarillo during the midday, replacing the unproductive layover time at Oxnard College with a new extension to Los Posas Plaza and western Camarillo.

#26 is the current VISTA Highway 126 route, except with an extension (pending agreement and/or funding from affected jurisdictions) into Piru and Santa Clarita. Stops within Santa Clarita include the Industrial Center, the Valencia Town Center, and the Kaiser medical facility. One peak hour round trip serves the Metrolink station in Santa Clarita (at other times, transfers to Santa Clarita Transit are available)

#30 connects Ventura with Santa Barbara and Carpinteria. This service will supplant the current SBAQMD "Clean Air Express" private buspool between Ventura and Santa Barbara (although that service should continue operating between Ventura and Goleta, for now.) #30 adds service to Carpinteria and several off-peak trips.

#35 is the local bus in Camarillo, operating between Carmen Plaza and Leisure Village.

#40 ,#41 and #42 replace the VISTA Highway 101 route, with a few slight modifications. #40 provides the regular midday service. (If time can be found in the schedule, a stop at Camarillo Springs might be worth considering).

#41 and #42 provide peak hour express service via US-101. #41 provides service from Ventura to Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks in the morning, and from Thousand Oaks/Newbury Park to Ventura in the evening; #42 provides service from Oak Park/Thousand Oaks to Ventura in the morning, and from Ventura to Thousand Oaks/Oak Park in the evening.

#43 serves Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Oak Park, replacing TOT #1, a portion of TOT #4, and the VISTA East County route in Oak Park. Hourly service is provided, with alternating trips operating either clockwise or counter-clockwise through Oak Park.

#45 combines most of TOT #4 with a streamlined MTA #161 and provides local service between Oaks Mall and Warner Center. (It is also recommended that LADOT continue its #423 commuter service, and that MTA continue running peak reverse commute trips via its route #425, as these two services serve different markets).

#47 provides express service from the Borchard Park/Ride, Oaks Mall Park/Ride, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills to Warner Center. Reverse-commute service is also provided to the Conejo Business Park at Borchard Road.

#50 and #58 are east-county commuter buses. #50 connects three park/ride lots Thousand Oaks with the Moorpark Metrolink station for train connections. The buses then change to Route #58, and serve Thousand Oaks, Conejo Business Park, 3M (Camarillo), Camarillo State Hospital and Point Mugu. This pattern is reversed for the evening commute.

#53 combines TOT #2 and the Moorpark City Bus route, providing a continuous connection between Oaks Mall and Moorpark College.

#55 combines a small portion of TOT #2 and SVT #D, providing a continuous connection between Oaks Mall and Simi Valley Hospital.

#59 connects Fillmore and Bardsdale with Moorpark, Moorpark College and the Oaks Mall, providing more destination and transfer opportunities than the limited service now offered between Fillmore and Moorpark.

#60 connects Simi Valley to Moorpark via the routes of the SVT local buses and the VISTA East County Route. Peak hour service is routed via S-118 and the business park on Madera south of S-118; off-peak service is designed to serve the mobile home parks on Los Angeles Bl. between Simi Valley and Moorpark. Also, Line #60 trips serve the Simi Valley Employment Development Department facility on First St, north of S-118. #60 also serves Moorpark College, Downtown Moorpark and its Civic Center.

#70 connects the Royal/Los Angeles Avenue SVT routes to Chatsworth. In Chatsworth, the route has been redesigned to serve more destinations. Passengers may board and alight anywhere along the loop, although a premium fare (Chatsworth-Simi Valley) will be charged for all such boardings. #70 also serves the business park at Madera, south of S-118

(During peak hours, additional trippers will run along the Simi Valley portions of #60 and #70, connected on the east end via Yosemite and on the west end at Madera. This will retain the current 30-minute peak hour headways now provided by SVT).
View map of proposed system and fare zones

Comment on this plan

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The information in this document is a service suggestion presented to the Ventura County Transportation Commission and other agencies. There is no connection between the author of this document and the VCTC, LACMTA or any other transit or governmental agency. The information in this document is intended for study purposes only and does not represent any existing service at this time.
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Charles P. Hobbs (transit@primenet.com)