Ventura County Transportation Commission
Ventura County Transportation Commission | |
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Overview | |
Chief executive | Martin R. Erickson |
Headquarters | 751 E. Daily Drive, Suite 420 Camarillo, CA 93010 |
Website | www.goventura.org |
The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) is the public sector transportation planning body for Ventura County, California. The VCTC oversees highway, bus, aviation, rail and bicycle activity and controls the use of government funds for transportation projects. The commission was created by state legislation in 1988[1] and began operation in 1989, when it assumed the transportation responsibilities of the Ventura County Association of Governments.[2]
Rail
[edit]The VCTC is one of five member agencies which make up the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink).[3]
The agency additionally owns a thirty-mile railway corridor (48 km) in the Santa Clara Valley, the Santa Paula Branch Line. The Sierra Northern Railway became the contract operator of the line in December 2021 after approval by the commission.[4] Twelve miles (19 km) of the tracks and right of way were used by the Fillmore and Western Railway from 1991 to 2021.[5][6]
Bus
[edit]In 2012, a Regional Transit Plan was developed that called for the creation of three subregional service areas: the Gold Coast Transit District, serving the west county cities of Oxnard, Ventura, Port Hueneme, Ojai and unincorporated areas; the Heritage Valley Transit Service serving Fillmore, Santa Paula and Piru; and a less formal east county transit agreement covering Moorpark, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo and unincorporated areas.[7] The commission would continue to oversee the intercity bus system, Ventura Intercity Service Transit Authority.[8]
In 2015, the commission oversaw the creation of the Heritage Valley Transit Service and the beginning of four fixed-route bus lines in Fillmore, Santa Paula and Piru using 16-seat buses. The Valley Express was established under a cooperative agreement between the cities of Fillmore Santa Paula, the county of Ventura (Piru and unincorporated areas) and the commission.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE - DIVISION 12. COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONS CHAPTER 2. Creation of Commissions § 130050.1
- ^ "About VCTC". Ventura County Transportation Commission. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ^ "Fact Sheet" (PDF). Metrolink. 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ^ Lustig, David (December 16, 2021). "Sierra Northern to operate line formerly used by Fillmore & Western". Trains. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
- ^ Harris, Mike (July 25, 2014). "Railway's eviction is back in force". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
- ^ McLeod, Jean (23 July 2014). "Western Railway, VCTC still at odds over track maintenance, lease". The Fillmore Gazette. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ Harris, Mike (October 13, 2014). "$12 million contract for new Heritage Valley transit service". Ventura County Star.
- ^ Harris, Mike (November 7, 2014) "Fillmore company loses bid for transit contract" Ventura County Star
- ^ Biasotti, Tony (February 11, 2015). "Fillmore prepares for bus service". Ventura County Star.
- ^ Martinez, Arlene (March 3, 2015). "Valley Express offering free bus rides today in Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru". Ventura County Star.