Consultant Studying Need for Shuttle Between Malls : Transit: Margaret Dunn Hodge says a trolley system linking The Oaks, Janss and other centers would reduce traffic and air pollution.

Thousands of cars clogging the streets between competing shopping centers in this commuter city have prompted officials to consider launching a localized shuttle between the most popular commercial centers.

Under the proposal being studied by a private consultant, the city would operate a trolley or shuttle service for customers traveling between The Oaks mall, the Janss Marketplace and other busy shopping areas.

Earlier this month, the city spent $8,000 to study whether people would use such a system. A recommendation is due from Arizona-based consultant Margaret Dunn Hodge later this week.

“I talked to a lot of people, asking whether they would use it and how much they would be willing to pay,” said Dunn Hodge, who operates a seven-trolley transit system in Scottsdale. “I’m just crunching all of the information together and starting my report.”

Dunn Hodge spent several days here this month interviewing more than 100 customers outside the Janss mall. Although she declined to divulge the results of her questionnaire, she said that a Thousand Oaks trolley system could reduce traffic and air pollution.

“The biggest ingredient is whether there’s a need--if people need to go from Point A to Point B,” she said. “I did see that. There’s a lot of cross-shopping that’s going on.”

Bud Sweeney, who has operated a restaurant at The Oaks mall for 10 years, welcomed the idea of a trolley between malls.

“It would be a great service to our customers,” said Sweeney, who said he would be willing to contribute some funds toward its cost. “It would give us that little extra something to show customers that we care about them.”

The report is expected to be forwarded to City Council members early next month, and be considered by the panel as soon as Nov. 14, city transportation analyst Roy Myers said.

But to be successful, a trolley or shuttle service in Thousand Oaks would need to offer more than just a quick ride across town, he said.

“They would have to be more of a fun type of ride,” Myers said. “It’s not just something to get you from Point A to Point B. The driver could be kind of a tour guide.”

Also, such a system would have to run more frequently than typical buses, Myers said.

“Shuttles and trolleys operate over a short distance and are very responsive,” he said. “That means that every 10 or 15 minutes there should be one going by.”

Merchants benefiting from a trolley or shuttle service could be asked to help pay its annual operating expenses, according to Myers. But there is no estimate on what a trolley would cost because so many alternatives are under review, he said.

Mayor Jaime Zukowski recommended that the city use money paid by builders to the city to compensate for air pollution caused by their projects.

“Developers are paying big bucks for the air-quality mitigation fees we charge them,” said Zukowski, who first contacted Dunn Hodge about implementing a trolley early this year.

“We never see the direct application of those funds, so I’d like to begin to use them,” she said.

Thousand Oaks, like the entire county, is considered a non-attainment area because it exceeds federal smog limits. So city officials must come up with plans to minimize air pollution, including reducing the number of cars on the roads.

The city also is in the midst of major traffic improvements around Moorpark Road and the Janss Marketplace, where millions of dollars in renovations are under way.

“We are mandated to provide public transit because of our non-attainment status,” Zukowski said. “But the road-widening doesn’t do anything toward getting people out of the car.”