VENTURA : $100,000 Approved for Bicycle Trail
State lawmakers have approved spending $100,000 to help develop a commuter bicycle trail along the Ventura River from the Ventura coastline to Ojai, officials said.
If approved by Gov. Pete Wilson, the money will be drawn from funds set aside for projects that produce energy savings or reduce fuel use, said Gavin Payne, chief of staff in the office of Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria).
The $2.6-million Ventura River Trail is planned to connect the state’s 3.5-mile Omer Rains Trail along the coast with the county’s 9.5-mile Ojai Valley Trail at Foster Park.
The state money comes from an account established using penalties and refunds stemming from a 1970s court case that found that oil companies had overcharged their customers, officials said.
Ventura officials have committed to spend $500,000 of city money on the project. Officials have said they hope to find the rest of the development money in state and federal grants.
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