SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The board of directors of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments has directed its staff to prepare a formal agreement for commuter rail service between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, following a meeting of the organization on Wednesday, KEYT-TV reports.
The proposal would add an early-morning Metrolink trip for commuters from Moorpark, Calif., to Goleta with five intermediate stops, with a mid-morning return from Goleta that would make the same intermediate stops but continue all the way to Los Angeles Union Station. An existing Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train would provide the afternoon return trip for commuters, as shown in the schedule presented in meeting documents:
The proposed one-year pilot program would cost an estimated $4.4 million, with the costs to be covered by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, the Ventura County Transportation Commission, and farebox recovery [see “Efforts advance to extend Metrolink service …,” Trains News Wire, May 8, 2024]. There would be options to extend the pilot program for one or two years. Once established for at least three years, the program could become eligible for Federal Transit Administration funding.
The proposed agreement would include the two county agencies, Metrolink, and the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, operator of the Pacific Surfliners. If the agreement is approved, the new service could begin as soon as October.
