Simi Valley Loan to Extend Bus Service
Ventura County transportation commissioners have agreed to borrow more than $1 million in federal transit funds from Simi Valley to extend the intercity VISTA bus service beyond June.
Short for Ventura Intercity Service Transit Authority, the VISTA bus system was launched in 1994 as a two-year experiment to link most of Ventura County cities by public transportation.
But with funding scheduled to run out after June, county transportation officials asked Simi Valley to approve a $1.1-million loan of money given to Simi Valley by the federal government.
“The city of Simi Valley wants to be assured that they will not be penalized,” said Ginger Gherardi, executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission. “They want their money back.”
Simi Valley was granted the federal funds to pay for special buses that run on cleaner-burning fuel. But city officials said they will not be ready to buy the new vehicles until next year.
“Simi Valley does not have a problem with [the loan],” said Councilman Bill Davis, who also sits on the countywide transportation panel.
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