December 2004

Welcome to NewsWire, your source for the regional news you need to know.  NewsWire is a joint project between
 SBCAG and the commute division Traffic Solutions.

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IN THIS ISSUE

Elected Officials Summit
New Amtrak
Transportation Sales Tax Measures
New Rail Workshop
 Traffic Solutions Updates

 
 

HELPFUL LINKS

SBCAG
 Traffic Solutions
 Clean Air Express
 Coastal Express
101 in Motion


 

Historic Regional Elected Official Summit Held

On November 11th 2004, elected officials from Santa Barbara and Ventura County met to address regional issues in an historic summit. The following editorial is signed by all of the Santa Barbara County elected officials who participated in the meeting.

SB County Supervisor Naomi Schwartz   SB County Supervisor Susan Rose          Carpinteria Mayior Dick Weinberg          Lompoc Mayor Dick DeWees

 Carpinteria Vice Mayor Donna Jordan       Goleta City Councilmember Jack Hawxhurst    SB City Councilmember Dan Secord             SM City Councilmember Marty Mariscal    

Santa Barbara County residents have long considered our region separate and distinct from the rest of southern California.  The Santa Barbara-Ventura County line is viewed by many as the boundary dividing the Central Coast from Los Angeles.   These old perspectives are changing, however, as we find that Santa Barbara County is increasingly connected to Ventura County.

Decisions made by local governments to our south affect our own community’s quality of life.  We can no longer afford to ignore changes that are taking place in the rest of southern California.  Port expansion plans in Los Angeles and Long Beach, the need for more freight line capacity from coastal ports to inland warehousing and distribution centers, the increasing demand upon regional airports, the jobs--housing imbalance between Santa Barbara and Ventura County all affect our own community’s future. 

Recognizing this changing reality, a wide range of local elected officials from Santa Maria, Lompoc, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara & Goleta met recently with our elected counterparts from Ventura County and southern California to discuss issues of mutual concern.  This unprecedented summit meeting, brought together for the first time elected leaders from the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), Ventura Council of Governments (VCOG), Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to begin seeking common ground on issues of regional significance including housing, jobs and transportation. 

Our discussions confirmed how important it is that we collaborate on a number of issues given the inter-relationship of the transportation, and planning issues facing our regions.  Local governments enjoy tremendous public support because of the high visibility and accountability of local decision making.  Unfortunately, local communities are no longer islands where local actions alone can buffer us from the effects of outside events. To protect community character and quality of life we need to actively engage our local communities in understanding how the newly emerging interconnectedness of the world economy is driving change in Southern California and then we can develop strategies that are compatible with our region, but protect our own local interests.

Among the items raised at the summit meeting included exploring various approaches to alleviate worsening traffic congestion on the 101 Freeway, strategies to achieve a jobs/housing balance amidst a growing population and trans-migration between counties in the region.    Other key issues included the possibility of extending the Metrolink commuter train system from Ventura into Santa Barbara County, increasing other transit services between Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties like the Coastal Express bus service and integrating Santa Barbara County into Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies to improve the efficiency of traffic flow on the freeway.

Participants agreed that by advocating for legislation and funding as a united region we will be a much more effective in working with Congress and the State Legislature to ensure that our region has the resources and policies to preserve our long-term prosperity and high quality of life.  As part of this cooperative approach, leaders acknowledged the need to educate their communities about the benefits of regional planning and advocacy.

Nearly 100 years ago Santa Barbara and Ventura County separated into two counties.  The dividing line between the two counties won’t be erased but the challenges of the 21st century demand continued dialogue across county and regional lines.  The same connections exist with our northern neighbors in San Luis Obispo County and deserve similar attention.  Dramatic change is occurring all around us.  We can either deal with this change reactively or begin the working together to meet the challenges ahead.                                                                

New Amtrak Train Serves Santa Barbara County

On Wednesday, November 17th a new Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train began service between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo with stops at all Santa Barbara County train stations.  The new service provides a 5th daily Surfliner train from LA to Santa Barbara/Goleta and a much needed alternative for drivers using the South Coast’s congested Highway 101.  Detailed fare and schedule information is available at www.amtrak.com. 

Oxnard   

Ventura   

Carpinteria

Santa Barbara   

Goleta   

Lompoc   

Guadalupe

9:20 AM

9:34 AM

9:54 AM

10:11 AM

10:22 AM

11:27 AM

12:02 PM

 

Guadalupe

Lompoc

Goleta

Santa Barbara

Carpinteria

Ventura

Oxnard

1:56 PM

2:39 PM

3:47 PM

4:05 PM

4:21 PM

4:42 PM

4:56 PM

 For more information on the new train service and the role rail and other alternative transportation options play in the 101 in Motion project click here.  

                    70% of County Transportation                   Sales Tax Measures Pass

November 2, Election Day, was a big day for transportation sales tax measures around the State.    Local transportation tax measures were on the ballots in ten counties.  After weeks of hand counting ballots in San Diego and Sonoma County the results are in – Seven out of ten measures were successfully approved by local voters generating a combined 30 billion dollars for transportation improvements over the next 40 years!

Voters in five counties—San Bernardino, San Mateo, Sacramento, Contra Costa, and San Diego—had to decide whether to renew expiring sales tax measures.  Successful approval of the required 2/3 majority was achieved in all five counties.  New measures were put before voters in five other counties—Marin, Sonoma, Solano, Santa Cruz, and Ventura.   The Measures in Marin and Sonoma passed.

Expenditure plans were adopted for each of the local transportation measures by the regional agency responsible for administering the tax programs.  All of the successful measures are multimodal—between 20% and 60% of their revenues will be dedicated to transit and alternative mode projects.  A number of the successful measures also have sub-regional components to address the special needs of certain geographic regions of their counties. 

Legislative efforts to reduce the majority needed for special transportation sales tax measures from 2/3 to 55% or 50% are all but dead, given that seven of the ten measures on the ballot met the supermajority requirement and passed.  Unfortunately, while local voters have again shown strong support for transportation projects, the Governor and State Legislature continue to raid voter approved Proposition 42 transportation funds to balance the general fund budget deficit. 

The public clearly supports investment in California’s transportation infrastructure as the recent election results prove.  As the Legislature begins its new session it’s important to let our representatives in Sacramento know that California can no longer tolerate further cuts to transportation funding. There is a clear crisis in transportation funding in California - we are literally 'running on empty' and any further suspension to Prop. 42 will result in deprogramming of projects in the STIP, lost jobs, and significant economic impact to the state.  Our legislative leaders need to recognize what local voters around the state already understand – investing in transportation improvements are vital to preserving the quality of life promise of the “Golden State”.                                  

Workshop Kicks-off New Rail Strategic Business Plan

On December 16th local residents are invited to the kick-off meeting to discuss how rail service can be improved to better serve our local community.  The meeting will be held in the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors hearing room at 12:30 PM, following the SBCAG Board Meeting.   Sandwiches and drinks will be provided.  Members of the public are encouraged to attend and participate.

A new regional rail strategic business plan is being prepared by the LOSSAN Board of Directors, comprised of member agencies from counties along the Pacific Surfliner rail corridor, which extends from San Diego to San Luis Obispo.  LOSSAN advocates for improvements in the San Luis Obispo – San Diego coastal rail corridor.  Current voting membership includes appointed and elected representation from Caltrans, Amtrak, and Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and San Diego Counties.

In September 2003, the LOSSAN Board discussed the need for an updated long-range vision for the rail corridor.  Several efforts had been completed, including a detailed corridor plan sponsored by Amtrak in 2001.  Last year, Caltrans completed the LOSSAN Strategic Business Plan focused on improvements in the Los Angeles to San Diego segment of the corridor.  This new effort will concentrate on the northern segment of the corridor from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo County. 

The Plan will identify and describe potential rail improvements (such as grade separations, sidings, upgraded track and signaling, etc.)  and will also detail how a proposed improvement would benefit train service and performance (train capacity, running time, safety, reliability, cost and cost effectiveness).   

Caltrans is funding this effort and the project will be administered by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), prepared by a consultant, and completed within the year.  Working group members are staff from SLOCOG, SBCAG, VCTC, Amtrak, Caltrans, Metrolink, and LOSSAN.  Union Pacific also has been invited to participate. 

This planning effort will support the efforts already underway through 101 in Motion to consider new rail service options to assist in reducing traffic congestion on the 101 freeway.  

MEETING SCHEDULE

December 16 SBCAG Board

 

SBCAG BOARD OF DIRECTORS

                8:30 AM                     Board of Supervisors Hearing Room
105 E. Anapamu St., 4th Floor       Santa Barbara
January 11

 

 SBCTAC                      1:30 PM                        Central Coast Water Auothority
            255 Industrial Way              Buelton
January 20

 

Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing

 

 

      10:00 AM (Time Certain)        Board of Supervisors Hearing Room   511 East Lakeside Parkway         Santa Maria         

All meetings are open to the public. Individuals needing special accommodations to participate in the meeting should contact SBCAG at least three work days prior to the scheduled meeting. Various other meetings, workshops, and public hearings are held periodically. For meeting locations, agendas or questions, call SBCAG at (805) 961-8900 or visit www.sbcag.org

  

                       Forum Works to Reshape                         Bike to Work 2005 Campaign

Bike to Work Day started in Santa Barbara County in 1994 and the response to the event has been tremendous over the years.  Participation reached its peak in May 2001, when over 1,300 bicyclists pedaled to work on Bike to Work Day.  Unfortunately, the event’s participation has slowly decreased since 2001. This reality of shrinking participation and high levels of coordination has lead SBCAG Traffic Solutions to re-think the format of bicycle commuting outreach and promotion. 

In January 2005 a broad group of community members will be meeting to help create a vision for Santa Barbara County’s Bike to Work 2005 campaign.  The three hour forum will be facilitated by an independent moderator.  This focus group will be designed to help us reach a consensus about what our Bike to Work projects should look like and what community partners will help coordinate the events.

If you’d like more information about the forum, please contact Erika Lindemann, Bicycle Coordinator for Traffic Solutions at 961-8919 or elindemann@sbcag.org.              

Regional Commuters Give Themselves a Raise

 

In early November Traffic Solutions held a three-day “Give Yourself a Raise” event in downtown Santa Barbara to promote using the VISTA Coastal Express and Clean Air Express regional transit services to commute to work.  City of Santa Barbara staff also issued City-sponsored MyRide MTD bus passes to Santa Barbara County employees working downtown.  Funded by the City of Santa Barbara, the MyRide pass offers unlimited use of MTD service for a full year.

At the “Give Yourself a Raise” event, information about new and expanded regional commuter bus service was made available to employees working in downtown Santa Barbara.  Commuting on the VISTA Coastal Express from downtown Ventura to downtown Santa Barbara can take as little as 37 minutes and only costs $2.00 each way.  The Clean Air Express from Lompoc or Santa Maria to downtown Santa Barbara can take as little as 60 to 70 minutes and with the purchase of a month pass, costs approximately $3.25 each way.  Both services eliminate the stress of hassle of driving and puts hundreds of dollars back in riders’ pockets every month.

The event also showcased the latest Traffic Solutions service, a customized Commute Cost Analysis that provides a detailed breakdown of the true cost of driving alone for an individual commuter.  Using a commuter’s specific vehicle and commute trip, the analysis not only yields an actual dollar figure for commute costs, but also illustrates how much a commuter can save by carpooling, joining a vanpool, or commuting on one of the regional transit services.  Many of the more than 100 people that signed up for a Commute Cost Analysis learned they could save over $5,000 by commuting on the Vista Santa Barbara or Clean Air Express commuter bus services.

The Traffic Solutions Commute Cost Analysis is available free to anyone that might want to know how much they are actually paying to drive to work.  Just visit the Traffic Solutions website, fill out the online form, and a report will be emailed to you.

              2005 Kids Care for Clean Air Calendars             Make a Great Free Gift  

Next week, Traffic Solutions and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) will complete the production of the 2005 “Kids Care for Clean Air” Calendar.  The Kid’s Care for Clean Air calendar is jointly funded by the APCD and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) Traffic Solutions, and features children’s artwork from winners of the 2004 “Kids Care for Clean Air” calendar contest.  The contest was open to kids between the ages of 5 and 12 who live in Santa Barbara County.  Winning artwork illustrates fun and creative ways to get around without creating air pollution or the importance of working together for clean air.  This year’s calendar has an exciting castle theme! 

Calendars will be distributed around the county next week, and will be available to county residents on request while supplies last.  Priority will be given to county schools and other locations for public display in the county.  To request a calendar, call Traffic Solutions at 963-SAVE.

PROGRAM UPDATES

VANPOOL OPPORTUNITIES

There is a part-time vacancy on a vanpool commuting between Ventura and the Cottage Hospital area of Santa Barbara.  For more information email Ron Lafrican.

GET A MAP

Send an email with your name and address to info@trafficsolutions.info to get a Santa Barbara County Bike map or Transit map mailed to you, please specify how many you would like.

FORMS

VANPOOL RIDER REBATE

EMERGENCY RIDE HOME