Commuters Want Bus Service Expanded

According to a recent survey, commuters on the VISTA bus system want more buses on Saturdays, afternoons and at night.

The 5-year-old bus system, which carries riders between local city buses and into Los Angeles, has four routes crisscrossing the county and two dial-a-ride services.

The survey found that the system’s most-used route--which carries about 100,000 passengers a year along California 126 between Fillmore, Santa Paula and Ventura--often leaves people standing at the bus stop in the afternoon because of overcrowding, said Ginger Gherardi, executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission.

Among other findings of the survey, taken during a two-week period in November and December:

* 45% of riders on the East County line would like Saturday services. This line carries about 40,000 passengers a year between Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Westlake and Moorpark.

* On the U.S. 101 route--which has nearly 80,000 riders each year between Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo and Thousand Oaks--36% of the riders said they would like later bus service.

* About half of the commuters on the Conejo Connection line--which carries passengers between Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks and the Warner Center in Woodland Hills--wanted later evening service, mostly to get home from work.

* On all lines, 70% to 90% of the riders said they are dependent on public transportation as their main source of transit.