Ventura County Asks Cities to Help Fund Commuter Rail Line : Transit: Some communities oppose giving up state gas tax money for the service, which would also serve the San Fernando Valley.

Ventura County transportation officials have recommended that $1 million in gasoline sales tax revenue available to the county and its 10 cities for transit programs be used to operate a commuter rail service linking Moorpark and Simi Valley through the San Fernando Valley to Los Angeles.

However, some city officials questioned whether they should give up their share of the transit funds.

The money is available through a special state transportation assistance program that allocates a portion of the state sales tax collected on gasoline to help counties pay for mass transit. Under the program, Ventura County is eligible to receive $1 million the next two years, officials said.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission’s staff recommended Friday that the county’s share of this money be used to operate the commuter rail service, said Mary Travis, transit manager for the commission.

Now transportation officials must persuade the county’s 10 cities to hand over their portions of the state transit funds for the commuter rail service, Travis said. She said the commission hopes to have the issue resolved by its June 7 meeting.

Travis said the county has no other source of money to pay for the estimated $560,000 a year needed to operate the planned service between Moorpark and Simi Valley and Los Angeles beginning in October, 1992, on the same line through Chatsworth, Van Nuys and Glendale used by Amtrak trains.

In November, Ventura County voters overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that would have raised the county sales tax to help pay for transportation projects, including operation of the commuter rail service.

Travis said the county commission has already applied to the state for $31 million in Proposition 116 funds to pay for rail rights of way from Southern Pacific Transportation Co., passenger cars and maintenance facilities to establish commuter rail service.

Travis said the county must show that it can afford to operate the commuter trains before it can receive the funds under Proposition 116, a statewide bond measure approved by voters in June.

But Thousand Oaks Mayor Frank Schillo, a member of the county Transportation Commission, questioned whether his city should give up its share of transportation funds to pay for the rail service. He said Thousand Oaks needs all the money it can get to buy more buses and to help pay for special transit services for the elderly and handicapped.

“That’s the conflict,” he said. “We’re concerned about transportation needs in our city, and we don’t know where the money is going to come from.”

Schillo suggested that the county continue looking for other funding options for the rail service rather than taking money earmarked for cities.

Meanwhile, Ventura County officials Monday got a glimpse of a commuter rail passenger car similar to those that are to be placed in service between Moorpark and Los Angeles.

The $1.3-million passenger car, built by Canadian-based Urban Transportation Development Corp., can seat 155 people and has special features to accommodate handicapped passengers. Each of the four commuter trains that would serve Moorpark and Simi Valley would have four cars and a locomotive.

County transportation officials said four eastbound trains would leave at peak morning rush hours and four would return in the evening. The trains would operate Mondays through Fridays. Exact schedules and fares have not been determined.

Among those who were given a special tour of the passenger car Monday were Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), Ventura County Supervisor Vicky Howard, Moorpark Assistant City Manager Susan Caldwell, and Simi Valley council members Bill Davis and Sandi Webb.

Several of the officials said the commuter train service would eventually pay for itself. They noted the continuing success of Amtrak’s Los Angeles-to-Santa Barbara line, which was recently expanded to include a second round trip between the two cities.

“That proves that the ridership is there and that train travel has really become a success,” Howard said.

* FYI

Ventura County residents are invited to tour a commuter rail passenger car similar to those that would travel between Moorpark and Simi Valley and Los Angeles beginning in October, 1992.

The $1.3-million double-decker car can be seen today in Simi Valley between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the former CalTrain station on Valley Fair Street just west of Tapo Street.

The passenger car can seat 155 people and is outfitted with special features to accommodate handicapped passengers.