Bus Agency Board Discusses Goals

Officials for a bus agency that serves riders in western Ventura County on Wednesday discussed their goals and priorities for the incoming general manager who will take over in February.

Board members from the five areas South Coast Area Transit serves--Ojai, Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and unincorporated areas--told a consulting firm that a high priority is to make the bus system more user-friendly. That can be accomplished by fixing dilapidated bus stops, increasing stops along certain routes and more effectively promoting the service.

“SCAT works well for what it does, but we have to expand what it does,” said Port Hueneme Councilwoman Toni Young. “I think with the right person we could double the size and ridership of SCAT.”

Peter Drake has been SCAT’s general manager since the agency started 26 years ago. He is retiring this winter.

Representatives from Ventura and Oxnard said the incoming manager needs to look at how to keep costs down. SCAT’s $10.6-million budget increased by over $1 million last year, the lion’s share of which was contributed by those two cities.

The consulting firm DMG Maximus, based in Los Angeles, will conduct a national search for the position. The incoming manager’s salary will be about $95,000.