Plan to Bring Elevated Rail Into County Is Discussed : Transit: The proposal would extend the San Fernando Valley commute system into Thousand Oaks. Several local officials are supportive.

An elevated train system slated to run through the San Fernando Valley could be nearly doubled in length and extended into Thousand Oaks under a proposal being discussed by Los Angeles and Ventura county supervisors, officials said Monday.

Some Ventura County leaders have endorsed the idea, saying the train could speed commuters to work in Los Angeles, relieve traffic jams on the Ventura Freeway and reduce air pollution.

“I think it is great,” Supervisor Vicky Howard said. “I’m a very strong believer in monorail. It is clear that it can be very quiet and can be very attractive. It would be a great addition to our county.”

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission approved plans to build a train system that would operate on support columns in the median of the Ventura Freeway between Universal City and Warner Center in Woodland Hills.

Supporters refer to the system as the “monorail alternative” because they favor the use of such high-speed, low-noise rail cars. But no decision has been made yet on the type of elevated rail system to be built in the San Fernando Valley.

After years of bitter debate, the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission endorsed the elevated rail plan over a rival subway proposal that was found to be more expensive to build.

One of the elevated rail’s key proponents, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, sought the support of Ventura County leaders in recent weeks by discussing a possible extension into their jurisdiction.

County supervisors Howard, John K. Flynn and Maria VanderKolk were among the officials contacted by Antonovich or his aides. “I told him I would favor it,” Howard said.

Howard said she did not object to the lobbying effort by Antonovich, who also chairs the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.

“When you go out on a limb for billions and billions of dollars, you want to make sure you have support from the local area,” Howard said.

Los Angeles County officials have estimated that it will cost $2.59 billion to build the 16-mile elevated line between Warner Center and Universal City, where it is to link with the Metro Red Line to downtown Los Angeles.

The system is not expected to reach Warner Center in Woodland Hills until 2018. No cost estimates have been prepared for extending the line about 15 miles farther west to Thousand Oaks.

VanderKolk and her assistant Russ Baggerly recently met with an Antonovich aide and several elevated rail supporters. “I think we were all impressed with the concept,” Baggerly said.

VanderKolk’s district includes Thousand Oaks, where the proposed extension would end.

“Of course Antonovich was looking for support, and he was offering information about the proposal,” Baggerly said. “The concept is going to have to have a broader base of support because the potential ridership is not all in Los Angeles County.

“Many of the riders may be coming from Ventura County, and we should be informed about this.”

Antonovich aide Habib Balian said Antonovich and Flynn have discussed the extension for years but have only recently had their staffs involved in the talks.

Balian cautioned, however, that the discussions are preliminary and that no studies have been conducted to determine if the extension is feasible.

“It’s in the very, very early stages,” he said.

The Ventura County extension might never be built if researchers find that it would not attract enough new riders to justify the extra cost, said David L. Mieger, the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission’s project manager.

About 165,000 vehicles per day use the Ventura Freeway through Thousand Oaks, said John Clement, the city’s public works director.

He said an elevated rail line would probably appeal to motorists from Thousand Oaks and west Ventura County who find it inconvenient to drive to Moorpark to catch the Metrolink commuter rail system.

Several city officials in Thousand Oaks said Monday that they were unaware that an elevated-rail extension was being considered for their community. “I’m sure there would be a good amount of support for it, but there are also some problems that spring to mind very quickly,” Mayor Judy Lazar said.

She wondered whether Thousand Oaks might attract more traffic congestion if commuters from throughout the county begin to converge on an elevated rail train station.

Councilman Frank Schillo added, “It would be nice if we had rapid transit from Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles.” But Schillo said too many questions still must be answered about the project.

Schillo said he was concerned about whether elevated rail columns would disturb the hillside views prized by many Thousand Oaks residents.

Schillo, who serves on the Ventura County Transportation Commission, said he was upset that Antonovich’s staff did not talk to city officials or the commission regarding the proposed rail-line extension.

“He’s leaving lots of people out of the information loop,” Schillo said.

But Ginger Gherardi, the Ventura County commission’s executive director, said construction of the rail extension is probably more than two decades away.

“We have the time to do the analysis and see if it’s feasible to connect,” she said.

Proposed Elevated Rail Extension to Thousand Oaks, Los Angeles Times