Comments on Transit Needs Solicited

The yearly comment period when county residents can formally make recommendations concerning unmet transit needs has officially started.

Transit officials will be collecting feedback and suggestions on the county’s public transportation systems--including bus and Metrolink services--through e-mail, regular mail and by phone through Feb. 21.

The annual process is meant to give residents the opportunity to tell county officials whether transportation needs are being met and how they can be improved.

Public hearings are scheduled Feb. 14 and 21, when the comment period ends.

“[In the past] we have received a number of comments from folks wanting bus service later in the evening,” said Chris Stevens, a Ventura County Transportation Commission official. The VISTA bus service, a countywide system that connects the local bus services of individual cities, was in part an outgrowth of suggestions by residents.

Maureen Hooper Lopez, a Transportation Commission official who oversees bus service, said there is $8 million in transportation funds that have not been allocated for unmet transit needs. If it’s determined the county’s needs are being met or the suggestions do not meet certain criteria, the money could be used for street maintenance projects.

“I think public transit is critical to the health of the community, and this gives people the opportunity to request service where it doesn’t exist,” she said.

Residents can offer comments by calling (800) 438-1112, sending e-mail to mlopez@goventura.org or letters to VCTC Unmet Transit Needs, 950 Country Square Drive, Suite 207, Ventura 93003.