City of Ventura Transportation Engineering

Final Draft of Bicycle Master Plan

2011-03-16T16:05:00.001-07:00

Final draft of the Bicycle Master Plan and Bikeway Map is available online for review at cityofventura.net/pw/transportation. The City Council will be considering adoption of the plan on Monday night, March 21, 2011 at their regular meeting.

Please review the plan and provide comments.

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Bike Master Plan Review

2011-02-21T13:59:00.001-08:00

There is one more week to submit comments on the City's new Bicycle Master Plan. The draft plan is available for review on the City's website at: http://www.cityofventura.net/pw/transportation

Comments submitted prior to, orMarch 2, 2011 will be considered for incorporation into the final plan. The final plan will be presented for approval consideration by the City Council on March 21, 2011.

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Draft Bike Master Plan Available for Review and Comment

2011-01-13T14:49:00.001-08:00

The City's Bicycle Master Plan is now ready for review and comment on the City's website at: http://www.cityofventura.net/pw/transportation

Free 1-hr Coupons Available

2010-12-02T15:32:00.001-08:00

Don't forget to get your free 1-hr parking coupon from any Downtown business.

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City Council Parking Update

2010-11-19T08:12:00.001-08:00

The City Council will be receiving an update on the Downtown Parking Management Program this coming Monday night (11/22/10). Staff will be focusing on the recent actions of the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee and the coordination of a parking coupon program and the DVO/DVP and City shop local holiday marketing efforts. The agenda is available on the City's website at www.cityofventura.net.

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Young People on Car Ownership: Meh

2010-11-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

Saw this on Streetsblog.net and thought it was interesting. This type of behavior change will affect future transportation policies. However, it will also be interesting to follow this trend and see if the ownership rises as this generation moves into their late 20's and 30's and their travel choices (and living choices) are impacted by kids.

Young People on Car Ownership: Meh: "

Owning a car was once a rite of passage for young Americans on par with algebra and the prom. But, according to a recent report from MSNBC, more young people are sitting out the ritual driver’s tests and the time-honored privilege of getting the keys to a hand-me-down clunker.

The number of young adults between 20 and 24 who are licensed to drive dropped by five percent between 1994 and 2008, down to 82 percent, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Among 16-year-olds, just 31 percent held a driver’s license in 2008, compared to about 42 percent in 1994. Experts attribute the decline not only to a sour economy, but also to a growing ambivalence among younger generations about driving and car ownership more generally.

Network blog NEOHouston says younger generations’ hesitancy to invest in personal automobiles makes sense on a number of levels. It’s unfortunate, however, that they’ve inherited a landscape poorly equipped to accommodate them.

When compared to earlier generations, this generation of 18-35 year-olds seems to be less and less interested in cars. Younger people these days are more interested in spending their money on socializing with friends or the latest technology. They are more and more likely to put off buying a car and take public transit. Some young people are making the decision to forgo driving altogether.

This is not surprising. The downturn in the economy has been especially rough for younger people. There’s still a lot of uncertainty about the future out there and purchasing a car is often a long-term financial decision. People are unlikely to make such a long-term commitment in a car when they are worried about losing their job.

David Cole, the chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, said that as younger people age, they will eventually be forced to buy an automobile of some kind. I don’t argue with that assertion though I do find it interesting that we, as a society, have made the collective decision to design our cities in such a way as to essentially force citizens to make a substantial private purchase in order to function. Actually I think it’s more accurate to say that several generations ago people made that collective decision and we are now all living with it to this day.

It will be exciting to see what kind of stamp a new, auto eschewing generation puts on the built transportation environment.

May be more changes to parking for the holidays

2010-11-11T19:37:00.001-08:00

The Downtown Parking Advisory Committee will be considering making more tweaks to Downtown parking program next week. The recommendations and agenda will be posted at www.cityofventura.net Monday afternoon.

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Changes to Downtown Parking

2010-10-24T14:27:00.001-07:00

First changes to downtown parking made on Friday. Changed to a single incremental rate of $1 per hour, opened up the 200 block lot to all day parking, and changed 24 min zones to be free. We added a few 24 min zones too (at Starbucks and Paradise Pantry/Rosie Lee Imports). Had some positive comments on the changes already.

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Our Car-Based Environments Are Making Us Sick

2010-09-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Our Car-Based Environments Are Making Us Sick: "
Behind some of America’s most pressing health problems — obesity, diabetes, depression — there’s an often ignored culprit: a built environment that is hostile to active lifestyles.

As the U.S. medical industry pours billions into treating epidemic diseases, it is merely addressing the symptoms of “deep-rooted structural issues” while neglecting the underlying causes, says Dr. Richard Jackson, chair of the School of Health at UCLA and former head of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control. Dr. Jackson — one of the leading voices on the role of the built environment in America’s public health crises — confronted car dependence this weekend at the annual meeting of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

As reported by ASLA’s The Dirt blog, Dr. Jackson outlined the problem like so:

Car dependence is fueling the obesity epidemic, says UCLA's Dr. Richard Jackson. Photo: AOL News

Obesity is a “common cause epidemic,” and a related health impact, diabetes, is now a “crushing health crisis,” driven in large part by the sedentary, car-based lives we are leading. Sprawl, in effect, kills.

Less density equals more driving. “We are engineering exercise out of people’s lives” by creating suburban cul-de-sacs and putting places of work and living far from each other.

Instead of addressing the public health impacts of the absence of trees, low-albedo streets (which contribute to the urban heat island effect), as well as a lack of planning, public transit, or safe streets, we are instead “looking at the end of the pipeline,” the medical effects. Our environment is sending us a message: “We are appendages to our cars.”

Dr. Jackson is a proponent of “designing for well being.” On a local level, that might entail developing organic food gardens at schools and hospitals. At the national level, he argues for investment in public transit, bicycle infrastructure and safe routes to school.

Also on the Network today: Sprawled Out takes a look at a study which found that light-rail riders in Charlotte, North Carolina were 6.5 pounds lighter than their car-dependent counterparts. Greater Greater Washington uses Arlington, Virginia as an example of the importance of political will and public education in smart growth efforts. M-Bike.org encourages Michigan residents to lobby in favor of median-running light rail for Detroit, as opposed to curb-running rail, which could be off-putting to cyclists.
"

Final weekend of free on-street parking in Downtown

2010-09-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has finally come. After almost seven years of planning, the nature of parking in downtown Ventura is dramatically changing. Beginning Tuesday morning the 14th of September it will no longer be free to park on Main Street (and a few side streets). The new pay stations will be one tool to helping the City better manage the supply of public parking.

Go to www.cityofventura.net/parking or come visit us this morning at farmer's market for more details.

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On The Brink of Managed Parking in Downtown

2010-09-03T16:06:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed the new pay stations going in around downtown. 62 of them to be exact. The long awaited and much discussed pay stations will be operational beginning September 14, 2010.

VCCool’s Fourth Annual - KIDS’ BICYCLE SAFETY RODEO

2010-05-18T08:15:00.001-07:00

Although this is not a City Sponsored event, we do endorse the work that VCCool has done and continues to do to educate local cyclists.

WHAT: VCCool’s Fourth Annual - KIDS’ BICYCLE SAFETY RODEO(This event is part of Ventura Unified School District’s SummerFest)

It’s the biggest kids bicycle event of the year! A fun-filled bicycle event for kids and their families. Kids learn and practice rules of the road and then try our exciting skill course. If kids bring their bicycle, mechanics will be on the ready to do a safety check and any minor repairs. We check kids’ helmets and even provide one for free if needed. We teach how to use arm signals properly, offer hands-on exploration of bike parts, and do on-site personalized helmet art. There is also a free bicycle raffle! – the kids just need to answer the question of the day. A special treat this year is an art mural for the kids to share why they love to ride their bikes, that VCCool and the Ventura Bicycle Union will present to the Ventura City Council.

WHEN: Saturday, June 5th, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – followed by Bicycle raffle (for participants only)

WHERE: 255 West Stanley Ave., Ventura, CA 93001 - in the parking lot of the Ventura Unified School District.

WHO: Kids from 4 to 17 are invited to participate. Spanish/English interpreters on-site. Free to the public. Kids - be sure to bring your bicycle and helmet if you have one!

WHO ELSE: Parents and family members are so important in this effort! We encourage parents to come and learn and have fun too. While the free bicycle accessories and safety checks are available to people 17 and younger, older family members can help encourage and support our youth.

ABOUT US: VCCool is a Ventura County global warming action group. Our mission is to engage all people of Ventura County in promoting a healthy climate.

LOCAL SPONSORS: Without whom VCCool could not put on this important event. Special thank you to the Channel Islands Bicycle Club for providing hundreds of bicycle helmets for Ventura’s youth.

· Channel Islands Bicycle Club

· Ventura Educational Partners

· Pacific Coast Bike Craft

· Ventura Bicycle Union

· Channel Islands High School Mountain Bike Club

Other generous contributions from: the Ventura and Oxnard Police Department

BACKGROUND:

VCCool celebrates our young cyclists, their families, and the importance of biking in support of healthier life styles and a healthier climate. Families save energy and money when using bikes as a form of transportation to school, work, and around the community. VCCool recognizes that in order to enjoy these benefits, cyclists must be safe on the road. Understanding the traffic laws and demonstrating bicycle control are top of the list for safe cycling. Providing properly fitted helmets and helping to ensure safe bicycles are also ways VCCool supports our young riders. Like last year, we are expecting over 1,000 participants to be inspired, and to become part of Ventura’s growing bicycle culture.

Our motto this year is “BIKE POWER.” We firmly believe that kids do have the power to be the change they want to see. And young bicyclists inspire the rest of the community. VCCool has also formed the Ventura Bicycle Union, a bicycle advocacy group that is working to make our streets safer for bicyclists. The Bicycle Union is planning to open a bicycle co-op in Ventura. Stay tuned for more news by visiting www.vccool.org. - End -

May 19 Town Hall Meeting

2010-05-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

MAY19 6PMTownHall-BELL ARTS FACTORY discuss changes in Gold Coast schedule starting in July, including the elimination of 6B to focus on 6A.

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U.S. Secretary of Transportation gets it!

2010-04-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this from this blog posting from the US Secretary of Transportation. It is really nice to see and hear that transportation officials are finially beginning to get how transportation is inherently multi-modal and that we can no longer ignore, at best, bicyclists and pedestrians that use the public roadways for their mobility needs.

My view from atop the table at the National Bike Summit - Welcome to the FastLane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

City Hosts Transit Town Hall Meeting

2010-04-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

The entire community is invited to attend a Town Hall Meeting on public transit Wednesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Topping Room of the EP Foster Library, 651 E. Main Street. The meeting will give West County residents a chance to learn about budget challenges facing bus and rail transit service in the West County and discuss the community’s public transit priorities.

For more information, contact Krystal-Rose Ramos at kramos@cityofventura.net .

Metrolink may alter local routes, raise fees - Ventura County Star

2010-03-10T08:10:00.000-08:00

Metrolink may alter local routes, raise fees � Ventura County Star

This local article in the Star does not quite show the entire picture. Because of budget cuts at the State and Federal level, there is very limited funding available in Ventura County for public transit. The only source of funding is now Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds which is derived from a 1/4 cent sales tax across the state.

The basic question that needs to be discussed is what is the importance of use of this funding in the City of Ventura, and Ventura County in general. Should Metrolink be funded at the expense of major cuts to local bus service or should local bus service have only minor cuts in service with major cuts to Metrolink service? There are pros and cons to each part. Take the time to look at the facts such as cost per rider and the type of rider affected such as transit Dependant or transit choice riders. Then, weigh in with your opinion at the VCTC meeting next month.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to highlight a few of this year's accomplishments:

1. Received Stimulus funding for two projects (paving of Olive Street and traffic signal at (Foothill/Kimball)

2. Made significant progress on implementation of Downtown Parking Management - New parking meters will be installed by Spring 2010.

3. Worked with the Ventura Unified School District on a successful pilot program for Walk to School Day.

4. Installed new sidewalk and other pedestrian improvements at Sheridan Way Elementary School.

5. Installed numerous bike parking bollards and bike lockers.

6. Completed design of several small pedestrian safety projects around town.

Have a Happy Holiday Season and a safe New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

Everyone drive safe out there while visiting family.

Yellow Timing and the Grand Jury Report

2009-06-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

On Monday June 16th, the Ventura County Grand Jury released a report about the City of Ventura’s and the City of Oxnard’s red light camera enforcement programs. Overall, the Grand Jury concluded that red light cameras programs are effective in enforcing traffic law and reducing collisions and that the City should continue to use red light cameras as an enhancement to traditional enforcement.

The report also found that all of the intersections they reviewed in the City of Ventura met or exceeded the State of California required yellow interval clearance times. However, the report did question the yellow timing at the intersection of Thompson Boulevard and California Street. The issue raised is that the yellow time for California Street at Thompson Boulevard is not the same as the other yellow lights along California Street. There are specific engineering reasons this is the case such as a different pedestrian environment and unique traffic conditions within the intersections in the downtown core area.

The yellow time is calculated so that there is enough time for a vehicle to travel the safe stopping distance needed by a reasonable driver and enter the intersection before it turns red. The yellow intervals are based on the speed limit. In this case the speed limit of 25 mph (speed limit on California Street) calculates to a yellow time of 3.0 seconds; that is what the City provides.

Increasing beyond the recommended yellow change intervals decrease the efficiency of the intersection. We are reviewing the yellow times for all of the intersections in the vicinity and determine if any appropriate changes will be made. If a change is made to the California Street at Thompson Boulevard intersection we will need to consult with Caltrans since a decrease in efficiency of the signal timing would affect the freeway offramp.

Bike to Work Week

2009-05-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

Bike to Work Day on May 14 offers pit stop for free snacks, raffle & tune up

Bicyclists are invited to a “Pit Stop/Energy Station” on Thursday, May 14 from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Santa Clara and California Streets in celebration of Bike to Work Day. The energy station offers new and regular riders a stop on the way to their destination for morning refreshments and a chance to celebrate together. Cyclo-commuters may also receive a free mini-tune-up on their bicycle and enter a raffle for great prizes.

City staff will be at the event Thursday morning to greet cyclists and distribute information on bike lockers available at the city’s downtown parking structure on Santa Clara Street. In addition, bicyclists will have an opportunity to provide input on the placement of over 100 bike racks and bollards be installed throughout the city. “The bike racks are a way to promote cycling and contribute to the general bike-friendliness of Ventura”, said City Transportation Manager Tom Mericle. If there is a specific location that you would like to see a bike rack installed, you may suggest a location at our bicycle link at www.cityofventura.net or by e-mailing biking@cityofventura.net.

California Bike Commute Week is a project of the California Bicycle Coalition, a non-profit bicycle advocacy organization and sponsored by the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS). May is National Bike to Work Month and May 11- 15 is Bike to Work Week. Ride share agencies, employers, bicycle advocacy groups, bike shops and others who support bicycle transportation in our community have organized other special activities locally.

Ventura’s event supports the city’s 2005 General Plan goal to improve mobility by accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians. Opportunities to bike, walk, and use public transit instead of automobiles also help keep the air clean and reduce greehouse gas emissions. The City reminds bicyclists to follow traffic rules and always wear a helmet. Have your bicycle checked out by a local bike shop to ensure safety when you ride and look for a safe bike route with wide travel lanes and low traffic. You can follow City bicycling activities on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VenturaBike.

Reductions in Transportation Funding

2009-04-02T09:05:00.001-07:00

Gold Coast Transit (GCT) and the City are working on solving some serious budget issues with transportation funding. The adoption of the State budget cut a little more than $1.5M in transit funding for the County. These State Transit Assistance funds are mostly used for funding Metrolink services. The Ventura County Transportation Commission will be considering the potential to cut Metrolink and other countywide services to make up this difference. Those cuts would also affect GCT service in Ventura.

In addition, since sales tax revenue is down because of the economy, there is a large reduction in transit funding (which is funded from a portion of the sales tax in California). The City will be receiving about $700k less for next year than this current year. All of this adds up to an approximately $1.2 million shortfall in transit funding for the City if we were to maintain the current transit service levels.

To make up the difference, the City is working with GCT at potential service modifications. These modifications include cutting Route 12 (Downtown harbor Shuttle), and cutting back on service to Routes 6, 10/11, and 16.

This issue will be discussed with the City Council and GCT Board sometime in the next few months to see where we will go. Stay tuned....

The State of Transportation Funding

2009-03-06T08:26:00.001-08:00

The recent passage of a budget in California coupled with the economic downturn marks a big reduction in funding for local transit services.

The state's budget eliminates as major source of funding for transit operations for a period of 5 years beginning with the second half of this fiscal year. These State Transit Assistance (STA) funds are designated for use by regional and local agencies to fund transit services. Currently the county uses the majority of STA funds allocated in the county for operation of the Metrolink commuter rail service (approximately $3.2 Million). With the elimination of the state funding the burden to fund Metrolink falls on local agencies.

A statewide sales tax of 1/4% (TDA funds) currently provides much of the funding for local transit service. This funding source will now have to also be used to fund Metrolink service. Unfortunately the local agencies have no say in the funding of Metrolink because this service is funded by the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and they have the legal authority to take funding from the TDA fund pot "off the top" prior to distributing any of it to the local agencies. This is occurring at a time when the TDA funds are also decreasing because of the economy.

In the City of Ventura we fund local transit by paying for service through Gold Coast Transit using our local share of TDA funds. If VCTC pulls $3.2 M of TDA funding off the top and with the reduced funding due to the economy, we will have %700,000 less in available funds for next year. This will surely result in reduces transit service. Stay tuned.....

NEW Bus Service on Thompson Boulevard

2009-01-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

Beginning next week the Gold Coast Transit Route 16 service will be moving to Thompson Boulevard from Main Street. The Route 6a and 6b service will remain on Main Street. There is also a move of the VISTA Coastal Express bus service to a new combined stop at Thompson/Oak to improve service connections.

The VISTA stop was also needed because of the following things:

The VISTA buses don’t fit in the existing stop location and it is difficult for them to maneuver through the narrow streets.
Reduce commuter parking impacts on downtown businesses
Reduce impact of paid parking implementation on VISTA commuters

The City is moving the existing shelter as well as adding an additional shelter with the next shelter project that is funded for later this year. The existing lighting on Thompson Boulevard is being evaluated and any suggested changes will be forwarded to SCE.

There are two parking lots on Oak Street that can be used; one allows all day parking and lightly used. The other lot is currently 4-hour parking. The City will be evaluating the impact and adjusting time restrictions as needed.

2008-09-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood Traffic Management Program Closeout

2008-08-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

As a part of this fiscal year budget the City Council eliminated the City's Neighborhood Traffic Management Program. There were several projects in process that are in the final stages of being completed. The status is as follows:

Anacapa Estates - A letter and final postcard survey was sent out and we are awaiting the response from the community to determine if the speed cushions should remain permanent or be removed. As of this morning, we have received 24% of the surveys back with almost 88% stating they want the cushions to become permanent. The final determination will be made by the City Council on October 6, 2008.

N. Saticoy Avenue - A letter and final postcard survey was sent out and we are awaiting the response from the community to determine if the speed cushions should remain permanent or be removed. As of this morning, we have received 50% of the surveys back with almost 81% stating they want the cushions to become permanent.The final determination will be made by the City Council on October 6, 2008

Ocean Avenue - The 6 month trial period is underway. Once the trial period is complete a before-after analysis will be completed and surveys will be sent to the property owners to ask their opinion on the cushions.

Halifax Street - The 6 month trial period is underway. Once the trial period is complete a before-after analysis will be completed and surveys will be sent to the property owners to ask their opinion on the cushions.

All other NTMP projects have been eliminated.

Mobility Plan and the Budget Crisis

2008-04-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

The City Council is considering a whole lot of budget measures over the next few months. The City is projected to have about $95M in revenue next year and is looking at how and where to spend that revenue on what matters most to the community based on our adopted General Plan.

One item that the Council has already decided on is cutting back the scope of the Mobility Plan. For an explanation of what a Mobility Plan is see my blog titled "Citywide Mobility Plan - What and Why." We are working with City staff and the consultant team to redefine what we can do to reduce the scope (and thereby fee) yet still produce a meaningful plan. More details to follow.....

Neighborhood Traffic Management Program Suspended

2008-03-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Due to Citywide budget constraints the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) is likely being suspended.

Over the next few months the City Council will be reviewing and approving a new budget for next year. Currently, the proposed budget includes eliminating the staff position in the Traffic Engineering and Operations Section. If approved, the NTMP program along with the neighborhood parking permit program and school safety programs will not be able to be continued with decreased staffing levels.

All existing projects will be suspended unless they have submitted a completed petition which has been verified the City.

All neighborhood traffic safety concerns will need to be addressed through traffic enforcement at the Ventura Police Department.

Transit - What's in it for you?

2008-03-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

The third in a series of speakers on transportation issues is coming. Charlie Hales, National Expert on Livable Communities & Transportation, Comes to the City of Ventura as Keynote Speaker Thursday, March 27 at 7 p.m.

Members of the public are invited to attend Charlie Hales’ keynote address about public transportation systems Thursday, March 27 at 7 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room at City Hall (Room 202 at 501 Poli Street). Hales will discuss the purpose and types of transit systems, as well as the requirements for creating a successful public transit system. The presentation is free to the public, and will also be broadcast live on CAPS (Community Access Partners of San Buenaventura), local cable access Channel 15.

Charlie Hales, former Commissioner of Planning and Transportation for the City of Portland, was largely responsible for Portland’s streetcar renaissance, and is widely credited with sparking the modern streetcar revival. Hales co-authored the book “Street Smart: Streetcars and Cities in the 21st Century,” which won the 2007 Award of Excellence from the Congress of New Urbanism.

In Portland, Hales helped raise $58 million in bonds to improve 114 parks, was instrumental in creating the Portland Streetcar and worked on citywide light-rail projects. Known as an avid advocate for transportation projects, Hales says "you have to look at a place and approach it as a living community rather than just an engineering challenge," which is why he believes it’s important for transportation planners to be in touch with the communities where they are working.

Charlie Hales’ presentation is part of a City-sponsored initiative called “Ventura on the MOVE: Mobility Options for Ventura’s Environment” – aimed at helping the City achieve its General Plan goal of providing more transportation choices by strengthening and balancing alternative mobility opportunities in the City and surrounding region.

NTMP - February Update

2008-02-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

This is an update of the status of various Neighborhood Traffic Management projects we are working on. The following are in progress and have had devices installed:

Beachmont St - (curb extensions, traffic circles, and a neckdown) The property owners along Beachmont, Seafarer, and Outrigger have received a postcard survey form from the City to let us know their opinion on what has been installed. As of February 22 we have received 44 surveys with 66% wanting to keep the speed humps and almost 80% wanting to removed the traffic circles. 20% want the City to remove all traffic calming and return the street to normal operations. Several residents on Seafarer want the City to look at installation of speed humps on their street also.

The surveys are due by March 5 at which time the City will coordinate with the Ventura Keys Association on a final decision about the next steps.

Seaview Av - The City is working with the Ventura Keys Association to determine how to move forward with a discussion for possible traffic calming on Seaview Av. A meeting date and time is pending.

Anacapa Estates - (speed cushions) Anacapa Estates had speed cushions installed last year. We are finalizing the before-after study and will be going out to the property owners with a survey in the next few weeks.

Saticoy Av - (speed cushions) Speed cushions were install on Saticoy Av between Telegraph Rd and Foothill Rd last year. Before-after survey is being started and a survey will be going out to the property owners in March.

Halifax - (Speed cushions) Petition has been received for speed cushions. Neighborhood gathering matching funds.

Ocean Av - (traffic circles or speed cushions) Change from traffic circles to speed cushions. Letter going out to residents to confirm change in next few weeks.

Other streets in process (not necessarily a complete list):

Catalina St (Residents not sure where they want to go, street currently being repaved)
Joanne St/Martha (possible speed cushions)
Dos Caminos (possible speed cushions)

______________________________________________

In 1997 the City Council adopted the Neighborhood Traffic Management and Calming Policy. In December 2000 and again in 2004 the policy was updated and renamed the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP). The NTMP purpose is to lay out a programmatic approach for neighborhoods to address traffic speed or traffic volume impacts. A copy of the program is available for download at the City's website at:

http://www.ci.ventura.ca.us/depts/pub_works/engineering/traffic_transp.asp

Walkability Presentation

2008-02-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

On Thursday February 28th at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room at City Hall, Dan Burden, a the Senior Urban Designer at Glatting Jackson and founder of Walkable Communities, will be in Ventura to talk about Walkability, why it is important and how it can be achieved.

Dan has been on the road for eleven years helping villages, towns, cities and regions get their feet back on the ground. Since 1996 Dan has served 1,800 communities in all parts of North America. He photographs and learns from each community he visits. A number of towns now bring Dan back for validation and grade cards, guiding their road to economic and community health. Time Magazine listed Dan as one of the six most important civic innovators in the world. The Transportation Research Board (National Academy of Sciences) selected Dan as its Distinguished Lecturer in 2001. Before starting Walkable Communities, Dan served as the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for Florida DOT (1980-1996). In 2005 Dan Burden joined with other specialists at Glatting Jackson, a firm recognized for its excellence in livable communities design and innovative urban transportation planning and design services.

During the day on Thursday and Friday Dan will be visiting various areas of the community to walk with local residents and provide feedback to the City on how to improve walkability.

Walking To School

2008-02-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

In early February a couple of us from the City attended a Pedestrian Safety Design class. The group discussed recent research as well as designs for improving pedestrian safety in urban and rural environments. The instructors had vast implementation experience from across the country with great examples of projects that have been successful.

One issue that the class raised to my awareness is the need to better coordinate with the school district on improving Walk to School programs. Every October there is a formal "Walk to School Day", but not much is done here in Ventura to take advantage of that event a daily awareness on the benefits of kids walking and riding their bike to school. Because of that, I pledged to take this issue on and work with the Ventura Unified School District. We are setting up a series of meetings to try and get VUSD cooperation and assistance, we applied for a State grant for an elementary school / middle school education program, we will be updating our suggested route to school safety program, and we have two sidewalk projects at Pierpont and E.P. Foster elementary schools that will be completed this year.

Now if we could just have funding to help implement a long term program and more capital improvements.......

Moving Away From Free Parking

2008-01-29T07:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to purchase and install a new parking meter system in Downtown. We are going to the City Council in early April of this year for final approval of Phase I of the Downtown Parking Management Plan and will be presenting the following for approval:

Creation of a Commercial Parking District
Creation of a Residential Parking District
Purchase and installation of Parking Meters on Main Street, California Street and several side streets.
Approval of a site for Parking Structure #2

If approved, it is anticipated that the meters will be installed this summer.

The meters will be a multi-space meter rather than a meter in front of each parking space. The meter will control up to seven spaces with two meters per block face.

Bicycle Master Plan Update #3

2007-11-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

We finished the last of the initial public outreach meetings on Thursday September 20. There was a good showing by the folks in Midtown with some individual representative from other areas of the community. We are now ready to meet with the community focus group to go over the mapped comments and questionnaires. The focus group is meeting this week.

In all, we had almost 100 attendees at the three meetings and received many written and verbal comments in both English and Spanish. The comments generally recommended improvements not only to the bikeway system, but many things the City could do to educate, enforce and encourage bicycle riding. One thing that we will be working on in the next few weeks is a meeting with the Police Department to figure out how to handle bicyclists being attacked by motor vehicles. If you would like to assist in this effort please contact me.

We are expecting that the Bike Master Plan will be in a draft form for additional public review in March 2008 after we work with the focus group. At that time we will be conducting another series of public workshops to present the draft plan and see if we addressed as many concerns as possible. The draft plan would then go to the Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission and City Council for review and comments. The final draft plan would then be used with the existing plan as a blueprint for bicycling in the City until the final plan is adopted as a part of the Mobility Plan in 2009.

Pay to park?

2007-11-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

This is a reprint of the City Manager's Blog dated 11/16/2007

It's been tried before. Has the time come again for parking meters in Downtown Ventura?

That's the plan adopted by the City Council when it approved the Downtown Specific Plan earlier this year. Last night, UCLA Professor Don Shoup presented his findings on the advantages of paid parking at Ventura City Hall.

Shoup, the author of "The High Cost of Free Parking," has earned renown as "a parking rock star," according to the Wall Street Journal. "Cars are parked 95% of the time, but 95% of the academic research studies when they are moving," he told the Ventura audience last night. As a result of his research into this neglected realm of transportation policy, Shoup says charging for street parking will:

Reduce wasted vehicle travel, cutting congestion, air pollution, gas consumption and greenhouse gase emissions
Improve public services by providing new funding for added police protection, streetscape amenities and routine cleaning and maintenance of our Downtown

Shoup advocates pricing at a price high enough to ensure that there is always at least one space open on each side of a block. That eliminates the circling of the block that research shows averages about three minutes per car over the course of the day (eight minutes during peak parking usage.) While that may seem like a small improvement, Shoup's study of Westwood showed that 45% of the cars during peak hour traffic had already arrived and were looking for a convenient place to park. Over the course of a year, that consumed a million miles of excess vehicle travel, which is the distance of four trips to the moon.

Shoup detailed case studies in Redwood City and Pasadena where paid parking strategies have been successfully implemented. Pasadena, for example, now generates more than a million dollars of paid parking revenue per year to fund added public services in their downtown.

Shoup concluded that cities face a choice. Which would you rather have -- a million miles a year of wasted travel or a million dollars a year to improve Downtown?

Rick Cole, City Manager

Bicycle Master Plan - Public Outreach

2007-08-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Bicycle Master Plan Workshops

The Bicycle Master Plan is entering its next phase of work. The field work and bike rides are completed. We are holding three outreach meeting at this time and will be holding three additional meetings when we have a draft plan to present. The workshops will be held in August and early September at various locations throughout the city as listed below. The workshops provide an opportunity for residents and other interested parties to meet with our staff and the consultants developing the plan so that you can provide us with your comments/input about bicycling in Ventura. The meetings are:

Thursday, August 9, 2007, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Being held in conjunction with the Midtown Community Council

Cooper Hall - Grace Baptist Church, 65 MacMillan Street

South of Main Street at MacMillan (1 block east of Santa Clara/Main intersection)

Wednesday, August 29, 2007, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Central Ventura - East End

Barranca Vista Park on Ralston St. 1 block east of Johnson Dr.

Saturday, September 8, 2007, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Westside - Downtown

As a part of the Ventura Bicycle Summit

Bell Arts Factory - 432 N. Ventura Ave. (corner of Ventura Ave. and Prospect St.)

If you cannot attend one of the workshops, but are interested in providing input, please e-mail your comments to biking@cityofventura.net

Citywide Mobility Plan - What and Why

2007-08-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight I will be asking the City Council for approval to hire a consulting team for the preparation of a Mobility Plan. The cost for Phase I of the plan will be about $640,000 plus some contingency funds. That is a lot of money and several people have asked me "what is a Mobility Plan for, why do we need one, and why does it cost so much." Good questions. I will try and answer them with this blog.

The City has never made a holistic effort to plan transportation of all mode types integrated. There have been many vehicular circulation analyses done as a part of the Comprehensive Plan, the General Plan etc., some transit studies done, and bike plans prepared, but each effort did not include the other modes in the analysis of impacts or mitigation. A Mobility Plan does just that. It provides a proactive framework for improving transportation options and travel quality for all residents of the community.

When preparing and adopting the 2005 General Plan, City staff, City Council members and commission members believed that the City needed a more holistic comprehensive approach to planning our transportation system. The Goal of the City's transportation system as stated in the General Plan is:

"Provide residents with more transportation choices by strengthening and balancing bicycle, pedestrian, and transit opportunities in the City and surrounding region."

The General Plan also set forth the following policy's and action items:

Policy - Ensure that the transportation system is safe and easily accessible to all travelers
Policy - Help reduce dependence on the automobile
Policy - Increase transit efficiency and options
Action - Refine LOS standards to encourage use of alternative transportation
Action - Prepare a Mobility Plan
Action - Establish vehicle trip reduction requirements
Action - Develop demand management program to shift travel behavior toward alternative modes
Action - Update General Bikeway Plan
Action - Establish parking managment program
Action - Enhance transit service
Action - Provide additional transit routes as demand and funding allow
Action - Integrate and coordinate passenger rail service with other modes
Action - Pursue funding and site location for a multi-modal transit facility

All of these items can and will be part of the Mobility Plan. The general scope of work for Phase I is:

Mobility objectives
Public outreach program
Individual mobility elements
Corridor plans
Draft Mobilty Plan

Phase II of the project will proceed if the draft plan and direction is supported by the City Council. The general scope of work for Phase II is:

Street typologies and design guidelines
Prepare intelligent transportation systems plan
Implementation plan
Environmental review
Final Mobility Plan
Adoption and General Plan amendment process

The project will take approximately 2 years to complete.

Neighborhood Traffic Management Program

2007-07-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

In 1997 the City Council adopted the Neighborhood Traffic Management and Calming Policy. In December 2000 and again in 2004 the policy was updated and renamed the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP). The NTMP purpose is to lay out a programatic approach for neighborhoods to address traffic speed or traffic volume impacts. A copy of the program is available for download at the City's website at:

http://www.ci.ventura.ca.us/depts/pub_works/engineering/traffic_transp.asp

Over the past several years the City has completed the following projects:

Agnus St (curb extensions)
Lang St (speed cusions)
Seahawk St - Grand Av (speed cusions)

The City is currently working on several neighborhood projects:

Beachmont St (curb extensions, traffic circles, and a chicane)
Seaview Av
Anacapa Estates (speed cusions)
Saticoy Av (speed cusions)
Ocean Av (traffic circles or speed cusions)
Poli Street
Catalina St
Joanne St
Dos Caminos

The City will continue to work with resedents to solve their traffic speed and volumes issues through this program.

Downtown Parking - Where should the structure go?

2007-06-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

The question of the hour is "Where is the City Building the New Parking Structure?" Well it is a very interesting question indeed. To help answer that and many other parking questions, the City recently hired a part time parking manager.

The first effort of work is updating the City's information regarding public and private parking supply and its utilization. The City is working with the Downtown Ventura Organization to help identify the existing supply. The inventory of existing public and private spaces is almost complete and the utilization study will be done in July. The supply and utilization study will allow the City to have a complete profile of existing parking that will inform the decision making process for where new supply needs to be added.

California Street Bridge

2007-05-04T09:46:00.001-07:00

The City is getting ready to hire a consultant team for upgrading the walkability of the California Street bridge over the 101 freeway. This bridge currently presents a very poor pedestrian experience. The City has grant and local funds to improve this.

The first part of the work effort was completed as a part of the Downtown Specific Plan which was recently approved by the City Council. This effort provided a conceptual idea of what could be done with improving the pedestrian experience. The ideas we will be moving forward to the design phase are:

Widening of the sidewalk
Replacement of the outside railing
Placement of vertical architectural elements on the ends of the bridge
Placement of a trellis
Public art

The project will have several public design related meetings to gather input from the public.

I will give more information in further postings.

Bicycle Master Plan Weekly Bike Rides

2007-04-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

So far we are a couple of weeks into our bike master plan bike ride effort. We have taken five rides in three areas of the City so far and have received many good comments, suggestions, and opinions on what works and doesn't work right now for bicyclists. Here is a breakdown of what we have looked at so far:

Westside (one ride):
Pros and cons of a bike /pedestrian path extension of Cedar Street
Looked at a contiguous bike / pedestrian path extension through Cameron Street
Opportunities to provide additional community connections to the Ventura River Trail
Alternatives to better connect the Ventura River Trail to the Omer Reins Trail (beach path)

Downtown (one ride):
Connection from the promenade to Harbor Boulevard and the freeway crossing bridge
Access through and adjacent to the Fairgrounds (Seaside Park)
Potential for bike lanes on Thompson Boulevard
Potential for bike lanes on Poli Street

Midtown(three rides so far):
Bike lanes on Arundell near Lemon Grove
Bike lanes on Poli Street and Foothill Road
Bike lanes on Main Street (near high school and near the mall)
Improving bike safety on Main Street near Mills
Bike lanes on Telegraph Road
Getting through "Five Points" intersection
San Nicholas bicycle boulevard conversion
Bridge connection of Channel Drive to Channel Drive over Seaward Avenue

We will be having eight more rides to cover the rest of midtown, Ventura Harbor/Keys, and east end areas of town. If you are interested in joining the rides please contact me.

Downtown Parking Management

2007-03-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Finding a convenient parking space in Ventura’s Downtown is getting harder and harder. Increasing the availability and efficiency of on-street parking is good for local business, their customers, and roadway users that driving through the Downtown.

Parking Management is a key element of the new Downtown Specific Plan recently approved by the City Council. The plan lays out improvements for the Downtown area over the next 7 to 10 years. A well-managed parking program is essential for the future of downtown. Such a program can provide far more efficient use of the available parking supply, an improved pedestrian realm, reduced congestion, increased alternative transportation use, and an overall better urban design.

In order to effectively manage parking, available supply must balance with actual demand. Many options are being considered to improve this situation including transit improvements and increasing the supply of parking spaces. One of the tools under consideration is paid parking, which has been proven to be effective in many other communities.

The ideal price for on-street parking is the lowest price that can be charged that leads to a few parking spaces being available in each block. Charging for a parking space will create a higher turnover and use of the space will be more efficient. When parking is under-priced (or free) more or our Downtown customers are forced to drive around the block to find an open space. You have likely had this experience yourself. That leads to more congestion, increased pollution, wasted fuel, and interfering more with pedestrians trying to cross the street (most cars cruising for a space make a series of right turns). People who need to park for longer periods of time will choose to use an off-street lot or structure.

If paid parking is implemented, the revenue generated from parking will be used to improve the streetscapes in Downtown, provide improved alternative transportation choices, and fund additional maintenance and enforcement activities.

Bicycle Master Plan

2007-03-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

We have kicked off the preparation of a new Bicycle Master Plan! A few weeks ago a community focus group of bicyclists from across the City with varying skills started meeting. Our first task was to comment on the County's draft Bike Plan being prepared by the Ventura County Transportation Commission. We have done that and now are focusing on identifying opportunities and constraints in the City's bicycle network with a series of meetings and bike rides.

I will keep updates on the progress of this and other City Transportation Projects on this blog.