Metrolink may expand northward in the coming months, adding morning commuter trains between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Morning Metrolink service will begin later this year, adding a new route between Moorpark and Santa Barbara, ending in Goleta near the UC Santa Barbara campus.
The original plan was for the train to leave Moorpark just after 6:30 a.m. and arrive at the new station in Goleta around 8 a.m. The return journey will depart from Goleta Station at approximately 10:30am.
Additional afternoon train travel on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner will also be offered, officials said.
Metrolink’s proposed morning commuter train schedule between Moorpark and Goleta can be found in this presentation from the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.
Currently, Metrolink does not operate beyond the Ventura East station in downtown Ventura.
Moorpark-to-Goleta service will be uncharted territory for the system, but some local leaders say it’s much needed and has been promised for years.
The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, a regional planning commission made up of Santa Barbara County and its eight incorporated cities, held a meeting last week to discuss the proposed service, including fares and when the trains would start running.
Initial startup costs for the new service are estimated to be approximately $450,000, split 50-50 between the Ventura County Transportation Commission and SBCAG, and will be funded by a sales tax initiative passed more than a decade ago. It will be.
Measure A was passed by nearly 80% of voters in November 2008 with the goal of easing congestion on the 101 Freeway through expanding and adding carpool lanes and improving commuter rail options. The transportation initiative was given the slogan “lanes and trains.”
Aerial view of the California coastline near Carpinteria off Highway 101. (Getty Images)
Santa Barbara is one of the most expensive cities in Southern California, and many workers commute to the area on the 101 each day. The highway widening project is almost complete, but the second half of the promise has yet to materialize.
“If we had to do this, it was part of the trade-off to get all the money we could spend on widening Route 101,” Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joanne Hartman said. “So it was a promise to the people.”
Hartman added that if lawmakers want to pass additional sales tax revenue back to the public in the future, they need to show a sincere effort to fulfill their pledges.
SBCAG Executive Director Margie Kim said efforts were underway before the coronavirus pandemic to restart rail service on Pacific Surfliner flights from Los Angeles, but they encountered frequent delays and slow arrivals. Due to the delays, people “can no longer trust the service.” .
Kim said he doesn’t foresee similar problems this time around because Metrolink trains only come from Moorpark.
“Trains heading south from that location have fewer obstacles blocking trains heading north,” Kim said. “So if we leave at Moorpark, we’ll be on time.”
Ultimately, however, the decision to proceed with the plan rested with the SBCAG board.
“This is a big decision for the board. This is an investment in the future of transportation in and out of Ventura, and I am following the board’s lead in making this happen,” Kim said. “If you want to take a look, if you want to try it, now is the time to say, ‘Let’s try it and see what happens.’ We’ll come back in a year and let you know how it goes.”
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After public comment, the board voted unanimously to fund the service. The service will launch as a one-year pilot program with an option to extend for up to three years.
The total cost of operating the service is estimated to be approximately $4.4 million in the first year, including initial startup costs, according to Aaron Bonfiglio, SBCAG’s multimodal program director.
Negotiations must be completed between Metrolink, transportation company Union Pacific, and the Los Angeles Rail Corridor Agency, which operates the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner.
If all goes according to plan, service could begin as early as October, Bonfiglio said.
Estimated ticket prices per trip have not yet been determined, but officials expect the service to generate about $500,000 in annual revenue through fares.
Metrolink communications director Scott Johnson told KTLA that Metrolink expects to announce additional details to customers and community members “in the coming months as we continue to expand service throughout the Southern California region.” He said he is doing so.
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