Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD), Ventura County's largest provider of public transit, broke ground Wednesday on the future home of its new Operations and Maintenance facility that will support future transit needs for thousands of riders in Ventura County. Congresswoman Julia Brownley and officials from GCTD’s service area including Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura and the County of Ventura, were at the event.
"This facility is an investment in both the future of transit serving Ventura County and the transit workers we depend on to keep a modern, efficient transit fleet in good working order," said Congresswoman Julia Brownley.
The new facility will replace an outdated and deteriorating bus garage located on a 3-acre site that was originally built in the 1970’s for a much smaller fleet. Once built, the new “green facility” will allow GCTD to maintain a future fleet of up to 125 buses and will include an administration and operations building, an eight-bay maintenance and repair building, a compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel station and bus wash. Noted Darren Kettle, Executive Director of Ventura County Transportation Commission, “This is the largest transportation infrastructure project in the last 10 years.” The new facility is located at 1901 Auto Center Drive in Oxnard, and is expected to open in late 2018.
“We have to keep our buses, equipment and facilities in good shape so that people can rely on public transit to get to work, school and appointments,” said Steve Brown, General Manager. “This new facility is an example of how investing in transit will help us meet the needs of our riders for decades to come.” Brown specifically recognized Congresswoman Lois Capps for helping to secure a $15 million earmark grant that turned GCTD’s vision into a reality.
GCTD strives to be a leader in sustainable transportation service. With that in mind, the new facility, designed by architects Maintenance Design Group and RNL, will meet all California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) requirements and is expected to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. Environmentally sensitive construction will include energy efficient lighting, low-flow water fixtures, and day-lighting for office areas and bus maintenance bays. The building is also being positioned and designed in such a way that will take maximum advantage of the sun and wind, helping to decrease lighting, heating and air conditioning costs. As the new facility will use 100% LED lighting, the costs will be comparable to the lighting costs at the current facility, though it will be three times in size.