OJAI : Lack of Riders Puts End to Express Bus

Express bus service between Ojai and Ventura is scheduled to be canceled on July 1 because not enough people are riding the bus line, officials said this week.

The South Coast Area Transit began operating the express service in 1991 as an experimental route. But the project has failed, with subsidies costing as much as five times what other area bus routes cost, a transit official said.

“It was a demonstration route that was put into effect three years ago,” said Maureen Hooper Lopez, SCAT director of planning. “For each of these three years it’s been performing at a level very much less than the systemwide average.”

Lopez said fewer than 40 people a day ride the bus line that makes three round trips daily. Given the low ridership, the average subsidy reached $8.60 per passenger last year. That compared with a systemwide average subsidy of $1.46 per rider, she said.

“We’re not actually sure why, but it never quite caught on,” Lopez said. “People still don’t want to give up their cars.”

Ojai Councilwoman Nina V. Shelley said the decision to cancel the express service may be premature because mass transit has surged in popularity since last month’s earthquake.

“I believe we’re going to see a whole new aspect to public transportation on the part of the public,” Shelley said. “It’s possible that we need every bus from Ojai so that connections can be made.”

Lopez said no one spoke against the proposed cancellation at a public hearing last week. Another hearing is scheduled for March 2 at the SCAT office in Oxnard.

SCAT will continue to run six round trips daily between Ojai and Ventura, though the bus line makes a number of stops along the way.