Council Asked to Rethink Transportation Hub Site

Members of a city task force want the Thousand Oaks City Council on Tuesday to reconsider its decision not to build a transportation hub beside the Ventura Freeway near Rancho Road.

In a report to the council, the Community Budget Task Force argued that the Rancho Road site is the best location for the multi-modal transportation center, envisioned as a public transit transfer facility and headquarters for local taxi services.

The City Council voted to reject the site amid criticism from residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, saying a transportation the hub should be in a central location, not on the outskirts of town. Council members also questioned whether most city residents were aware of the proposal and said more public involvement was needed before moving forward.

The 15-member task force was divided over the transportation center issue, with six members voting to ask the council to reconsider, four voting against that recommendation, one member abstaining and four members absent.

In addition to asking for a reconsideration of a full transportation hub, the majority report asks the council to consider a more minor transportation center at the site, which is currently a park-and-ride lot.

That would allow the city to use state and federal funds already secured for the project as well as continue to use the property. According to the majority report, the lease on the land expires in January, and its future use as a park-and-ride lot is in jeopardy.

However, the four dissenting task force members argue in a minority report that Thousand Oaks is not necessarily in danger of losing the state and federal funds if they are not used for the Rancho Road site. They also said the council’s original decision to seek greater public input and seriously consider the impacts of a transportation hub made a lot of sense.