Plans Chugging Ahead for Metrolink Stop in Ventura

There are still some ifs and whens to be worked out, but commuting by rail to Los Angeles from Ventura County will soon become a more attractive option.

Spurred by the Ventura County Transportation Commission’s promise of several million dollars, the Ventura City Council is about to start looking for a site for a Ventura station that would connect the city to the Metrolink line that now runs to L.A. through Oxnard, Camarillo, Moorpark and Simi Valley.

The present system also will become more efficient by this time next year, when officials add a third train to the line leaving Oxnard during the morning rush hour, said Ginger Gherardi, executive director of the transportation commission. Council members will consider the staff’s report at an Aug. 2 meeting. If they vote in favor of a preliminary site, officials could begin feasibility studies, city engineer Rick Raives said.

The Metrolink system operates on an $80 million budget, 52% of which comes from ticket sales. The Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which runs Metrolink, also receives funds under the state Transportation Development Act.