Simi Valley Will Join County Bus Program

The Simi Valley City Council has reluctantly agreed to join a pilot program for a countywide bus system, after gaining reassurances from a transit official that the city could drop out if the program costs too much.

Under the two-year program, the Ventura Intercity Service Transit Authority will replace the county’s existing bus route. The city of Simi Valley, which runs its own bus system, is not served by the existing route.

VISTA will establish four new bus lines connecting cities in Ventura County and western Los Angeles County. The east county line will run through Moorpark, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills.

Nearly 90% of the cost of the service will be covered by federal grants. The rest will be divided among the county and the cities sharing the service.

The cost to Simi Valley is estimated at about $20,000 a year for the first two years. After that, the city probably would have to cover more of the cost of the program or seek other funds to pay for it.

Mayor Greg Stratton questioned whether there would be enough demand for the bus service to make funding such a project after the first two years financially prudent.

“We like the idea,” Stratton said. “But we don’t want to run out of money either.”

Mary Travis, manager of transit programs for the Ventura County Transportation Commission, assured the council that the terms of the program were flexible and that the city could drop out after the initial two-year stint.

“This is a pilot program,” Travis told the council. “So we’re open to your ideas and to changes.”