What is the Short-Range Transit Plan (SRTP)?
The last few years have brought significant change to West Ventura County, impacting every aspect of life – including public transportation. To better serve our community, Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD) needs a transportation network that reflects the new ways we live, work, shop, travel, and play.
The Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) is the tool to get us where we need to go. The purpose of the SRTP is to improve mobility and quality of life in our region by:
- Enhancing transit effectiveness and efficiency
- Restructuring bus service to optimize economic growth and regional connectivity
- Assessing the feasibility of creating a higher-quality transit corridor between Oxnard and Ventura
- Improving ridership, reliability, and customer experience.
Recommended Bus Service Improvements
In the Fall of 2023, we asked for community input on the current transit system. Riders told us what they think is working well and what could be improved. Non-riders weighed in on what might entice them to give transit a try. Based on that feedback and technical analysis, we’ve developed a set of recommended service changes to 13 GCTD routes.
Overall, our recommendations will improve weekday frequency on six routes and weekend frequency on seven routes. They will increase access to 30-minute-or-better weekday service by 21% and 40-minute-or-better weekend service by 73%. They will also improve transfer times at the Ventura Transit Center, Oxnard Transit Center, and The Esplanade.
Transit Opportunity Corridor
In parallel with the SRTP, GCTD is studying the feasibility of creating a Transit Opportunity Corridor (TOC) in western Ventura County. A TOC is designed to provide fast, high-frequency bus service between major destinations. This service would run every 15-20 minutes during most of the day. Each stop in a TOC would have enhanced amenities and provide a comfortable and safe location for customers waiting for the bus. At locations with poor access, pedestrian improvements may be part of a TOC project. As part of this study, GCTD is considering seven alignment alternatives made up of different routing and stop locations. We would like your feedback on these alignments which will be filtered down to a list of top options.
SRTP Goals
The following SRTP recommendations were developed to accomplish these goals:
Improving Mobility
Improving mobility by making bus service more frequent and aligning it better with new travel and development patterns in western Ventura County.
Enhancing Customer Experience
Enhancing Customer Experience by simplifying bus routes, providing more seamless connections between routes, and shortening transfer times.
Focusing on Equity
Focusing on Equity by connecting vulnerable populations to the fixed-route network and providing opportunities for low-income residents to use transit.
Ensuring Financial Sustainability
Ensuring Financial Sustainability by maximizing existing resources through routing and scheduling efficiencies and leveraging regional and state operating and capital funding for transit.
Promoting Environmental
Stewardship
Promoting Environmental Stewardship by supporting GCTD’s transition to zero-emissions buses and targeting longer transit trips within our service area to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
We want to hear from you!
Take the community survey and tell us which service change recommendations you support or how we can improve them. You can view the proposed changes line-by-line and comment on some or all of them. The recommendations will be refined based on your feedback and then presented to the GCTD Board later this summer. We’re also seeking your input on the seven draft Transit Opportunity Corridor alignments to help us select the top alternatives for further development. Additionally, a recorded video of the SRTP presentation is available here.
Survey respondents who provide their contact information will be entered for a chance to win a $50 VISA gift card and a 31-Day bus pass.
Community Engagement Project Schedule
Resources
Learn more about our Short Range Transit Plan by reviewing our fact sheet here.
The fact sheet is available in Spanish here.
Draft Existing Conditions Report here.
Contact Info
Austin Novstrup, Planning Manager