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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2004 1020 CC REG ITEM 09ECITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting of /0 -070 -0?00� ACTION: 646a s ";••� Al. MOORPARK MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: Mary K. Lindley, Director of Community Services k? DATE: October 71 2004 (Meeting of 20, 2004) SUBJECT: Consider the Draft 2004 Congestion Management Plan DISCUSSION Councilmember Millhouse requested that the Congestion Management Plan (CMP) be placed on the October 20 meeting agenda for discussion. At its meeting on October 1, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) authorized the release of the draft 2004 Congestion Management Plan (CMP) for a 45 -day review and comment period. At that same meeting, VCTC staff presented a Power Point report on the CMP. This same report will be made at the October 20 Council Meeting. As stated in the document's executive summary (Attachment A), the purpose of the CMP is to develop a coordinated approach to managing the decreasing traffic congestion by linking the various transportation, land use and air quality planning programs throughout the County. The complete Draft CMP was provided to the Council under a separate memo. Initially, the establishment and monitoring of the CMP was a requirement imposed by the State to provide a mechanism to tie transportation and land -use decision making together. While the preparation of the CMP is no longer mandated by the State, VCTC continues to prepare subsequent Plans to meet federal Congestion Management System requirements. 000034 Honorable City Council October 20, 2004 Page 2 The Plan contains the following chapters: • CMP Policies and Objectives • Land Use Impacts and the CMP • Major CMP Corridors • Streets and Highways • Transit Services • Transportation Demand Management • Performance Measures Element • Capital Improvement Program At this time, City staff is reviewing the draft CMP and plans to return to City Council on November 3 with a list of recommended comments for transmittal to VCTC by their November 15 deadline. STAFF RECOIIlMNDATIOIN Direct staff as deemed appropriate. Attachment A - CMP Executive Summary M: \MLindley \Transit \Draft CMP ccagd 10- 7- 04.doc 011 () O011 r motion Man Ve i u my fement PI on Commission Y r motion Man Ve i u my fement PI on Commission EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Draft Congestion Management Plan (CMP) Ventura County Transportation Commission October, 2004 1 -1 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOREWARD The initial requirement for a Congestion Management Program (CMP) was generated by the State Legislature's desire to provide a mechanism to tie transportation and land -use decision making together. This general direction was followed by the federal government with its Congestion Management System (CMS) requirement contained in the Transportation Efficiency Act (TEA) of 1991. The Congestion Management Plan prepared by VCTC will be used by the Southern California Association of Governments to meet the requirements for a federal Congestion Management System. The draft CMP is now available for a 45 -day review and comment period, which commenced on October 1, 2004. Copies of the full CMP may be obtained by calling the VCTC Dial -A -Route Center at 1- 800 - 438 -1112 or on the VCTC web page WWW,aoventura.org. Please submit any comments by Monday, November 15, 2004, either electronically, through the VCTC web page or by mail to: Ventura County Transportation Commission Attn: Mr. Kerry Forsythe 950 County Square Drive — Suite # 207 Ventura, CA 93003 The Commission has scheduled a public hearing at its meeting on Friday, December 3, 2004 to adopt the Final 2004 CMP. The location of the hearing is at Camarillo City Hall — City Council Chambers, 601 Carmen Drive, Camarillo and will be held at 10:00 AM. 1 -2 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program 0001912N EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2004 VENTURA COUNTY DRAFT CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM It used to be when we thought about gridlock it meant traveling to Los Angeles or Orange County. Unfortunately, congestion is now a daily fact of life right here in Ventura County. If you travel during morning and evening peak hours, no doubt you have been stuck in traffic on our freeways. Most of our roads have changed very little over the last twenty -five years, with interchanges designed for agricultural or rural traffic. However, almost twice as many people live here and are now driving on them. We haven't been able to keep up with the need to widen and fix our highways, and our local streets are crowded and in need of repair. Ventura County is the largest urban county without a local sales tax for transportation purposes, so improvements on our highway system are reliant entirely on the State and frequently get delayed or postponed due to circumstances such as an earthquake or a state fiscal crisis. It is no wonder that reducing traffic congestion is extremely important to most people living here. But, we cannot simply build our way out of congestion. Accidents and incidents, like someone running out of gas or getting a flat tire, cause half of the congestion on our highways. We must do a much better job managing traffic, clearing accidents or incidents from the roadways quickly and providing motorists with reliable and up -to -date information on traffic conditions and possible alternative routes. In order to do this we must continue to incorporate technology into the construction of all future freeway construction projects. Over the last ten years we have made significant improvements in our intercity bus system, VISTA. It is now possible to travel between cities and both Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Counties by bus from early morning to early evening six or seven days a week. All of the buses in Ventura County have bike racks to permit people to combine a bus and bike trip. Increased bus service and the use of technology for things like trip planning, the Smartcard transit pass, and NextBus "real time message signs" have made it easy to travel seamlessly throughout the County by bus. Even though ridership on our bus systems continues to grow, most people still rely on their cars to get around. We need to provide more frequent service to make the trip more convenient to attract discretionary riders; those people who have a car available but can choose to leave the driving to someone else. We also need to do a much better job in expanding and coordinating senior and disabled curb -to -curb services to address the needs of our transit dependent. These problems aren't unique to Ventura County. Fortunately, because of city and county land use and growth policies, Ventura County is still better off than most other urban areas in California. The passage of the SOAR initiative by the voters locks in place the adopted general plans of each city unless the voters choose to make a change. Although some people think that SOAR means "No Growth ", almost every adopted General Plan calls for growth within the existing city limits. Added to this, the population is growing by approximately 14,000 people a year simply because of our birth rate. Even limited future growth will make our transportation problems worse. Just a quick look at our neighbors to the south makes it clear how bad it can get. Our State legislators were also very concerned about the impact of growth on California's distressed transportation system. They wanted to find a way to tie land use and development policies to transportation so that smog and traffic congestion won't get worse. And they wanted to 1 -3 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program EXECUTIVE SUMMARY make sure that any new development would not create more congestion on our freeways and major streets. What the Legislature came up with was a "Congestion Management Program ", or CMP. When the voters passed the gas tax increase in June 1990 (Proposition 111), Congestion Management Programs became law in California. A copy of the current CMP statutes, which have been significantly amended since 1990, is included in Appendix 1 of the 2004 Congestion Management Program report. In Ventura County, the cities and County designated the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) to be the Congestion Management Agency (CMA) responsible for preparing the CMP. As initially written, the legislation required VCTC to adopt a CMP for Ventura County and to monitor compliance by the cities and County. If a city or the County did not comply with the CMP, the VCTC was required to withhold their share of the new gas tax funds. While amendments to state law have removed the requirement for CMP preparation, the need to meet federal Congestion Management System requirements has led to VCTC's continued preparation and adoption of the CMP. But beyond the state /federal regulations, the CMP has become a very useful local planning document. CONTENT OF THE CMP The purpose of the CMP is to develop a coordinated approach to managing and decreasing traffic congestion by linking the various transportation, land use and air quality planning programs throughout the County. We all know that major new developments, such as housing tracts or shopping malls, permitted in one city can add to the traffic congestion and air pollution in other areas of the County. The CMP makes sure each city and the County takes into account, and deals with, the overall countywide impact of local land use decisions. The CMP contains the following chapters: CMP Policies and Objectives Land Use Impacts and the CMP Major CMP Corridors Streets and Highways Transit Services Transportation Demand Management Performance Measures Element Capital Improvement Program Appendices 1-4 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program 0 0 ��34 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Major CMP Corridors In addition to the required elements, a new chapter "Major CMP Corridors" has been added to the 2004 CMP to look at each of our major corridors in a comprehensive, multi -modal way. Ventura County has a number of major transportation corridors including State Highway 101 connecting northern and southern California, as well as rail and transit operations in most areas. These major corridors work together as a transportation system. All corridors in Ventura County are expected to include advanced technology, sometimes called Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in the future since Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) policy requires technology to be incorporated into transportation projects and operations wherever appropriate and possible. Below is a listing of the major corridors and recommendations for each. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY CORRIDOR — ROUTE 1: Route1 is a north /south road that provides interregional, recreational, commuter and local travel through both rural and urban settings. Route 1 is also known as the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and has been designated as part of the state's California's Scenic Highway System. Recommendations: 0 Complete projects already underway needed to realign Route 1 from Oxnard Boulevard to Rice Avenue. • VCTC should seek state Interregional Improvement Program (IIP) funds to add one lane in each direction from the LA County Line to Point Mugu to bring the Level of Service from F to C, the acceptable standard. • Construct railroad grade separation at Rice Avenue and 5th Street (future location of Route 1) to improve the flow of traffic crossing the Coast Main Rail line which carries Union Pacific freight service, Metrolink Commuter Rail, Amtrak Pacific Surfliners and Amtrak Coast Starlight passenger rail trains. ROUTE 23 CORRIDOR: Route 23 is primarily a north /south highway that stretches from Highway 126 in the City of Fillmore south through Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, and Westlake Village and on to the Los Angeles County Line where it continues to Route 1 at the Pacific Ocean. While a portion of Route 23 is a four -lane freeway, the majority of the route is a two -lane conventional highway. Route 23 connects with Route 118 in the City of Moorpark and Route 101 in the City of Thousand Oaks. Below are the projected hours of congestion along the 23 Freeway based on the SR -23 /SR -118 study completed in 2003. 2010 +iu u -,n %M axa aH ou�.au ,nia,+M 1 -5 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program 0 -00041 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recommendations: • Continue to seek funding to expedite the widening of the Route 23 Freeway. • Provide operational and safety improvements to the northern portion of Route 23 including guardrails, left turn lanes, shoulder widenings, etc. • Add a fourth lane each direction on freeway segment where needed and consider designating one -lane for peak hour carpools and buses. ROUTE 33 CORRIDOR: Route 33 stretches 57.3 miles from Highway 101 in the City of Ventura north to the Santa Barbara County line. The first 6 miles from Highway 101 consists of a two -lane freeway, while the balance of the route is generally a two -lane conventional highway. Route 33 connects with Route 150 near Ojai, which allows access to either the City of Carpinteria to the west, or the cities of Ojai and Santa Paula to the east. Routes 33 and 150 provide the only roads in and out of the Ojai Valley in the event of an emergency. Congestion is so bad at the intersection of Highways 150 and 33 that over ten years ago the intersection was grandfathered into the CMP at Level of Service F- stop and go. Also, during times when the Ventura River floods or other natural disasters cut off access to Highway 101, Routes 33 and 150 provide the only connecting road to the north and south, even though the detour results in many hours of delay and there are very few passenger services. The Ojai Valley is not expected to add significant new housing or new commercial /business developments in the future. A large number of the residents in this area commute in and out of the Ojai Valley to jobs or to shop or conduct other business. The Ojai area does however attract significant numbers of visitors and tourists to their facilities and events throughout the year that impacts traffic on the roads. Recommendations: • Convert the Stanley Interchange to standard diamond interchange configuration. • Provide traffic operational improvements (e.g. turning lanes, shoulder widening, channelization, signal synchronization, etc.) on the conventional portion of Route 33. • Fund project development work leading to solution to resolve Casitas Springs' traffic problems. 1 -6 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program 000142 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HIGHWAY 101 CORRIDOR: Highway 101 is the major east/west transportation corridor in Ventura County, carrying between 68,000 and 199,000 vehicle trips per day, depending on location. Between 3.5% and 6.5% of this traffic consists of trucks. The route is heavily used by commuters traveling between Ventura, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara Counties and the route sees heavy seasonal recreational traffic bound for vacation destinations along the coast. Portions of this route experience heavy localized congestion, especially during morning and afternoon commuter periods. The hours of congestion along Highway 101 are shown below based on the recent Highway 101 Study. Recommendations: • Widen Conventional Highway 101 to four lanes each direction between the City of Ventura and the Santa Barbara County Line and consider implementing a peak hour carpool lane in each direction. • Widen Highway 101 to four lanes in each direction between Thousand Oaks and the City of Ventura, maintaining auxiliary lanes. • Widen ramps and add auxiliary lanes to improve traffic flows around interchange areas. • Reconstruct Central Avenue, Del Norte, Rice Avenue /Santa Clara Avenue and California Street Interchanges. • Construct the Springville Interchange located between Central Avenue and Los Posas Road. • Construct the pedestrian undercrossing at La Conchita. • Look for ways to improve pedestrian safety at freeway interchanges including pedestrian signals that flash the seconds left on the walk cycle, hand railings separating pedestrians from road traffic, and placements of crosswalks for good sight distance to traffic approaching the on -ramp areas. 1 -7 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program 9100,343 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HIGHWAY 118 CORRIDOR: Highway 118 extends in an east/west direction for 33 miles through Ventura County, from the Los Angeles County Line in the east to Highway 126 in Saticoy on the west. From the Los Angeles County Line, through Simi Valley, to the Madera Road interchange, Highway 118 is a freeway with three lanes in each direction. From Madera Road to the New Los Angeles Avenue exit in Moorpark, the freeway is two lanes each way. Route 118 exits the freeway at New Los Angeles Avenue, and becomes Los Angeles Avenue, varying from four to six lanes through the City of Moorpark. Beyond Moorpark, the route becomes a two -lane highway, widening out again to four lanes between Vineyard Avenue (Route 232) and the Highway 126 Freeway. Below are the projected hours of congestion along the Highway 118 based on the SR -23 /SR -118 study completed in 2003 3 ®14 a 4v ria i . axe Recommendations: • Add one regular freeway lane in each direction between the Los Angeles County Line and Tapo Canyon Road. • Add at least one new freeway lane in each direction on the 118 Freeway from Tapo Canyon Road to New Los Angeles Avenue to provide four lanes in each direction. • Add sound walls where needed. • Widening the Arroyo Simi Bridges to allow for four lanes in each direction. • Complete the Rocky Peak Road interchange to provide a westbound on ramp and eastbound off ramp. • Improve interchanges at First Street and Erringer Road near the new Simi Valley mall. • Add new interchanges in conjunction with future developments at Alamos Canyon and North Park. • Expand Simi Valley Transit bus service to the new mall; to new residential developments in Simi Valley as they occur; and, between the Simi Valley Metrolink Station and nearby employment centers. 1 -8 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Consider the addition of a peak hour carpool lane in each direction on the 118 freeway from the Los Angeles County Line through the 23 Freeway to Highway 101. • Add lanes where needed to provide a continuous six -lane road from the 23 Freeway to Gabbert Road in Moorpark. • Construct a new Route 118 bypass from Princeton Avenue in Moorpark to the western edge of Moorpark. • Widen Highway 118 to two lanes in each direction and construct a Class 1 bicycle trail from Gabbert Road in Moorpark to Vineyard Avenue in Oxnard. • Widen Santa Clara Avenue to four lanes from Highway 118 to Highway Route 101. • Extend Moorpark City Bus transit service to new residential areas and employment centers in Moorpark when they are built. • Double -track and /or add sidings to the Coast Main Line • Increase the number of Metrolink and Amtrak trains running in the corridor. • Build permanent truck weigh station just west of Moorpark. • Grade separate the Union Pacific railroad crossing over Highway 118. HIGHWAY 126 CORRIDOR: Located in the scenic Santa Clara Valley between Highway 101 and Interstate 5, the forty -one mile long Route 126 corridor provides an important east/west connection between the Ventura County coastal area and the Santa Clarita Valley as well as the northern San Fernando Valley located in Los Angeles County. In addition, the western end of Highway 126 transitions onto the northbound Highway 101, while Victoria Avenue in the City of Ventura acts as a southbound connection to Highway 101. Highway 126 also connects with Highway 118 in the Community of Saticoy, Route 150 in the City of Santa Paula, Route 23 in the City of Fillmore, and provides a connection to roads in the Community of Piru leading to Lake Piru. Studies are currently being conducted to provide a fiber optic and /or wireless communications system along the Santa Paula Branch Line. This communications system will allow the placement of cameras at locations where Route 126 and the Santa Paula Branch Line cross, to assist the highway patrol in monitoring traffic conditions and dispatch emergency equipment when needed. Recommendations: • When traffic warrants, add one lane in each direction between Hallock Road in Santa Paula and the 126/101 interchange in the City of Ventura. • Add a new westbound 126 to southbound 101 connection between State Route 118 and the 126/101 Interchange. • Add westbound off -ramp from conventional 126 immediately east of Hallock Road intersection. 1 -9 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program GIG00 S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Widen one lane in each direction in the City of Fillmore (total of seven lanes). • Construct permanent truck weigh station near Fillmore (location to be determined). • Extend Santa Paula Branch Line Tracks to Los Angeles County Line and work with Los Angeles County to extend tracks to Santa Clarita. • Investigate the possibility of future containerized freight shipments on the Santa Paula Branch Line to reduce the number of port related trucks trips on Route 126. • Complete the Santa Paula Branch Line Bikeway /Recreational Trail. HIGHWAY 150 CORRIDOR: Route 150 is a two lane conventional highway that connects with Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County on the west and the cities of Ojai and Santa Paula in Ventura County on the east. During times when the Ventura River floods or other natural disasters cut off access to Highway 101, Routes 33 and 150 provide the only connecting roads to the north and south, even though the detour results in many hours of delay and there are very few passenger services. Just west of the City of Ojai, Highway 150 crosses Highway 33 and becomes the main street, known as Ojai Road, through downtown Ojai. East of the town, the road crosses the upper Ojai Valley before it climbs the Dennison Grade and drops down into the City of Santa Paula where it is called Tenth St/Ojai Rd. In mid -Santa Paula, the road crosses the Santa Paula Branch rail line and it then ends at Highway 126. The route provides access to the Lake Casitas Recreational area as well as Soule County Park in Ojai and Steckel Park near Santa Paula. Most of the route is a two -lane, rural road with no median and unimproved shoulders. Only in the cities of Ojai and Santa Paula does Highway 150 become an improved facility with traffic signals. Recommendations: • Conduct a study of the feasibility of relocating Highway 150 in Santa Paula to the East side of the Santa Paula Creek. • Add passing lanes on Highway 150, where feasible, between Highway 101 and 126. • Upgrade substandard shoulders and safety improvements where warranted. • Extend VISTA general public dial -a -ride in Santa Paula, as needed to serve any major developments such as a new Junior College or housing development. 1 -10 ? 2004 Ventura County, Congestion Management Program 000046 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Streets and Highways When most residents of Ventura County think of traveling, they probably think of driving in their car. The convenience of traveling by car has created a real problem on our roads. Keeping up with needed road improvements is not easy. One of the basic objectives of the CMP is to control traffic congestion and make sure that the countywide street and highway system is adequate. The adopted CMP road network consists of all State Highways in Ventura County as well as the major streets, within and between each of the communities. For CMP purposes, major streets, called principal arterials, are generally those roads that carry a lot of traffic and serve a large amount of travel between communities. Following is the VCTC approved Priority List of Highway Projects: 1 -11 Draft 2004 Ventura Cozmry Congestion Management Program EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Figure 5 -5 VENTURA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ADOPTED PROJECT PRIORITY LIST (Optimistic Scenario) Based on 2004 Draft STIP fund Estimate Assumes reimbursement from the General Fund, continuation of Proposition 42 & $13.2M /year after 2009 Total 1,556.13 * Expect Environmental Delays #* Extensive Design, Alignment & Environmental Studies Needed 1 -12 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program Total Program Project Priority List Project Year With Sales Tax cost (STIP) $M 1. Route 23 — Route 101 to Route 118 widening 35.92 2006 2005 Ready to construct 0 to 6 Route 23 — Route 23/101 Interchange & months after measure passes. Auxiliary Lane Improvements on 101 34.2 2009 2006 Ready to construct 1 year after Sub - total: Route 23 measure passes. 70.12 2. Route 118— LA County Line to Tapo Canyon widening — Phase 1 plus ITS 40.68 2008 2005 Ready to construct 0 to 6 months after measure passes. Route 118 — Rocky Peak Rd Ramps 2.27 2008 2005 Ready to construct 0 to 6 months after measure passes. Sub - total: Route 118 Freeway 42.95 3. Lewis Rd Widening — Ventura BI. to CSUCI 18.22 2009 2005 Ready to construct 0 to 6 months after measure passes. 4. Route 118 — Tapo Canyon to New LA Ave. Ready to construct 1 year after widening — Phase II 158.60 2021 2006 measure passes. 5. Route 101 — LA County Line to Route 33 Ready to construct 3 years after widening, replace interchanges and ramps 350.00 2048 2008 measure passes. 6. Route 33 — Casitas Springs 175.50 2061 2015 Ready to construct 8 - 10 plus years* after measure passes. 7. Santa Paula Branch Rail Line — Montalvo to Ready to construct 2 years after LA County line 74.10 2067 2007 measure passes. 8. Route 118 — 126/101 to Moorpark widening, Truck Weigh Station, Grade Separation, Rail 248.04 2086 2015 Ready to construct 8 - 10 years* Siding and Bike lanes after measure passes. 9. Route 101 — Rte 33 to Santa Barbara County Ready to construct 5 years after 195.00 2101 2010 measure passes. 10. Route 126 — Within Fillmore City Limits 28.60 2103 2008 Ready to construct 3 year after measure passes. 11. Route 23 — Route 23/118 Junction to Walnut Ready to construct 10 plus Canyon 1 97.50 2110 2015 years ** after measure passes. 12. Route 126 — Southbound Connector to Route Ready to construct 10 plus 101 97.50 2117 2015 years ** after measure passes. Total 1,556.13 * Expect Environmental Delays #* Extensive Design, Alignment & Environmental Studies Needed 1 -12 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Transit Services Since the adoption of the first CMP in 1993 there has been a significant increase in the level of transit service provided for Ventura County residents. Whether a person needs to travel to and from work, school or shopping, or relies on bus service for all their travel needs, better transit services are available today than there were a decade ago when the first CMP was adopted. But there is still more, much more to do to make public transit more available and a more viable option for everyone in Ventura County. Recommendations: Based upon the current transit services operating in Ventura County, potential gaps in service identified by VCTC and transit operators through studies, and concerns raised by the public in recent Unmet Transit Needs Hearings, there are a number of possible transit improvements which should be monitored, and when viable, recommended for implementation. These transit service recommendations fall into four basic categories; service improvements and /or expansions, and improved or enhanced coordination, rail services and paratransit services. Transit Service Improvements /Expansions 1. SCAT express and limited stop service along heavily traveled corridors and new major developments and activity centers. 2. VISTA Express service on Highway 118 from Simi Valley and Moorpark to the West County. 3. VISTA 126 service to Santa Clarita. 4. Local transit service to low and medium density areas including industrial parks in Ventura, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Moorpark. 5. Community transit services to newly developed areas within cities to meet transit service demands. 6. Add transit services, possibly using a part -time Dial -a -Ride service, and possibly in conjunction with adjoining city transit services, to un- serviced small unincorporated urban areas such as Somis; Walnut Canyon (north of Moorpark); La Conchita /Mussel Shoals; Home Acres; Santa Rosa Valley; Santa Susana Knolls; and parts of the Ojai Valley. 7. Fixed route transit services within Camarillo to provide scheduled service to the Metrolink/Amtrak Station and VISTA buses (101 and CSUCI), as well as serve the Camarillo Outlet Mall and Target Center. 8. Increased hours of service in the morning and evening, possible Sunday services on the VISTA EAST and 101 routes, Saturday transit service on the Thousand Oaks and Moorpark transit systems 1 -13 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program 1 00 419 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9. Increased frequency of transit services from hourly to every half hour during the peak periods, if demand appears to warrant. Improved or Enhanced Coordination 1. VCTC should continue coordinated countywide transit marketing efforts. 2. All transit operators should continue to improve schedule coordination and transfer connections between different bus systems. 3. Increase the number of NextBus signs placed at heavily used transit stops to provide additional "real time" information to passengers. 4. When it is determined to be cost - effective, the Ojai trolley should begin using the Go Ventura SmartCard. 5. Complete planning and construct a transportation center at the new Simi Valley Mall, and assist in the scheduling of appropriate levels of transit service to the new facility. 6. Pursue interoperability of the Go Ventura SmartCard with the METRO SmartCard being developed in Los Angeles County and future smartcard development in Santa Barbara and other communities throughout the state. Rail Services Increase Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service during peak hours both north and south between Ventura County and Santa Barbara; eliminate Amtrak Surfliner train skip -stops at Camarillo and Moorpark; and, convert existing Amtrak buses along the route to trains. 2. Complete improvements to the current Metrolink/Amtrak station in Camarillo; construct security wall on south side of the Moorpark train station; upgrade other rail stations on Coast Main line as needed; and, complete stations with adequate parking along the Santa Paula Branch line at Saticoy, Fillmore and Rancho Camulos. [A - 3. Improve the Santa Paula Branch Line for rail passenger and freight services by upgrading the track, adding sidings, electrifying switches and reconnecting the track to Santa Clarita. 4. Double -track the Coast Main Line where possible and complete safety improvements to Tunnel 26 between Simi Valley and Chatsworth. 5. Work with Santa Barbara, Amtrak, and Metrolink to study the feasibility of commuter passenger rail service between Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. 6. Work with Santa Clarita, LACMTA, and Metrolink to study the feasibility of commuter rail service between Ventura and Santa Clarita along the Santa Paula Branch Line. 1 -14 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program 000050 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7. Work with the cities of Port Hueneme and Oxnard, Metrolink and Rail America to study the feasibility of passenger rail service on the Ventura County Railroad. 8. Coordinate train and bus schedules to create convenient connections for passengers and add transit connections at Montalvo, Downtown Ventura and other stations as needed. 9. Extend Metrolink/Amtrak "rail -to- rail" program beyond the monthly pass to include ten -trip tickets, and extend the "Go Ventura Card" program for riders on rail services. 10. Obtain from Union Pacific Railroad unlimited crossing rights between the Santa Paula Branch line and the Coast Main Line. 11. Make grade crossing improvements with back up systems for increased safety and establish "quiet zones" according to FRA regulations in all areas where feasible 12. Construct railroad grade separations on Hwy. 118 and in Oxnard and Port Hueneme where needed. 13. Assist the City of Ventura in planning and development of a multimodal transit center in downtown Ventura. Improved Paratransit Services 1. Investigate /implement a secure networked sharing of ADA eligibility information, enabling all operators to access certification profiles as new and renewed applicants' information is entered rather than waiting for "manual" updates. 2. Standardize the age criteria for "senior" across the county. 3. Beginning with the next update of the senior and disabled transit directory, make an electronic version that is easy to keep up -to -date available via the VCTC website. Create an e-mail circulation list for distribution of the directory and notification of updates to all transit agencies, city information referrals, major public service providers and senior and congregate care representatives, etc. 4. Enable electronic submittal of the ADA form through the VCTC website. 5. Task the Paratransit Committee to explore greater coordination of services and broaden the " Paratransit Committee" to include any agency or organization that receives federal /state funding for vehicles and /or services to seniors and people with disabilities. 6. Continue to expand the use of the computer dispatching systems and develop ways for the various computer systems to communicate. 7. Provide real -time vehicle locations through the use of GPS antennas on all general public paratransit vehicles. 8. Using other successful regions /counties as a model, move toward consolidating paratransit services into one operation, including at a minimum, all of the current paratransit providers 1 -15 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program f)00051 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (ADA, senior, senior nutrition, etc.) utilizing FTA funding plus social service agencies who have received vehicles through the 5310 program: • Agree on software base • Standardize communications technologies • Assure that all liability concerns (regulatory obligations, insurance, etc.) have been thoroughly researched and addressed • Equip vehicles for GPS to provide real -time vehicle locations • Centralize reservation /dispatch functions 1 -16 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program ')6005 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Transportation Demand Management Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs are designed to reduce the need, or demand, for automobile trips, especially during congested commute times. TDM strategies include a wide range of activities to encourage transit use, ridesharing, bicycling, walking, and making trips at less congested times or not making trips at all. Successful TDM programs reduce the number of cars driven which generally results in less congestion and improved air quality. Recommendations: • Continue to implement trip reduction programs and strategies to encourage alternatives to driving alone to work. • Support federal and state legislative efforts that encourage alternatives to solo driving through changes in the tax code and other means, which provide increased funding for TDM programs and activities. • Promote "Commuter Choice" to employers, as well as any additional tax incentives for transit and vanpooling. • Continue to promote the existing TDM support services offered by the APCD and VCTC Commuter Services. The services being provided include rideshare matching, workshops and training programs, technical assistance and the development of promotional materials. • Construct additional commuter bikeways and bicycle parking facilities in the county and all cities, to the extent feasible with available funding, especially to park and ride lots, commuter rail stations, and transportation centers. Install bicycle parking facilities at these locations to extent feasible. • Develop and implement bicycle parking guidelines regarding provision of racks and lockers. • Update and distribute the county -wide bikeway maps. • Continue certification of County and cities ordinances for TDM - related amenities at new development sites. • In cooperation with Caltrans, study opportunities for ramp metering and HOV bypass lanes, park- and -ride lots, and commuter bikeways. •Modify the basic rideshare matching software currently in place for employers to also include School Pool capabilities. 1 -17 Draft 2004 Ventura County Congestion Management Program 11)OG S3