Heritage Valley Transit’s Valley Express will have a community meeting March 15 about transportation needs and priorities as part of its current service evaluation. The fixed route service started March 2015 in the cities of Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru.
The Ventura County Transportation Commission, a partner in Valley Express, is also holding a unmet needs assessment hearing during the March 20 Santa Paula City Council meeting.
The hearing at the council meeting will be an opportunity for community members to tell VCTC what can be done to improve Heritage Valley Transit (Valley Express) and VCTC Intercity Transit — known as the Freeway Flyer that takes river valley residents to Ventura and beyond — and to help get local residents where they need to go.
Valley Express offers fixed route scheduled bus service traveling through the communities of Piru, Fillmore, and Santa Paula. Riders on Valley Express can also connect to the VCTC 126 route.
Valley Express is conducting the community survey and holding the free public workshops as part of its current system evaluation to prioritize service changes and improvements for the communities the transit system serves.
According to Aaron Bonfilio, VCTC Project Manager–Transit Services, “Input from riders and non-riders alike will help ensure the service continues to meet the needs of the community. In addition, the Ventura County Transportation Commission, as part of its annual effort to collect public feedback about unmet transit needs, will hold two public hearings at Fillmore City Hall and Santa Paula City Hall.”
The free Santa Paula Valley Express Community Workshop will be held Wednesday, March 15, 7 p.m. at the ?Santa Paula Senior Center (Westside Room of the Community Center), 530 W. Main St.?
All workshops will be conducted in English and Spanish. During each workshop, participants will be invited to learn more about Valley Express and take part in a candid discussion about local public transportation. Participants will also be entered into a random drawing for VISA gift cards and other prizes.
If someone living or working in the Heritage Valley is unable to attend the workshop they are invited to take a community survey online at www.HVCommunitySurvey.com
Responses are requested by March 17. All those who complete the survey will be entered into a random drawing for one of two $25 VISA gift cards.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations to participate in the public hearings should contact VCTC at least three working days prior to the meeting at (805) 642-1591 x111.
Valley Express operates fixed-route, Americans with Disabilities (ADA) para-transit, and general public dial-a-ride throughout the Heritage Valley. Valley Express service is provided by a cooperative agreement between the cities of Fillmore and Santa Paula, the County of Ventura, and the Ventura County Transportation Commission.
For more information, visit www.valleyexpressbus.com or call (805) 933-2267.
Those unable to attend the March 20 City Council meeting where the hearing on Unmet Transit Needs will be held can share input via email, etalbo@goventura.org an online survey in English www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z6TFWTT or Spanish
www.surveymonkey.com/r/6JDJBVS
Or, by phoning 805-642-1591 x105
Written comments can be sent to: Ventura County Transportation Commission, Attn: Ellen Talbo, 950 County Square Drive, #207
Ventura, CA 93003.
Written public comments on Unmet Transit Needs will be collected until March 21.
