City Bypasses Transportation Center Site

THOUSAND OAKS —  Responding to criticism that a transportation hub did not belong on the outskirts of town--and may not be needed at all--the City Council has decided not to build the facility near Rancho Road south of the Ventura Freeway.

Council members voted unanimously early Wednesday to drop the 20-acre site from consideration and reconsider the necessity of a center designed to easily allow people to transfer from one mode of transportation to another.

They also agreed that if a transportation hub is built at all, every effort should be made to place it closer to the city’s commercial center, Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Moorpark Road.

“I’d rather take an area that already has a light, has a convenience store,” said Councilwoman Linda Parks, who said the entire transportation center concept seemed misplaced. “It should be in the center of town, not in a residential area.”

With the assistance of U. S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Thousand Oaks secured $1.2 million in federal grants last year to help pay for the center, which would cost about $3.5 million. It would possibly include stops for public and private bus services, a taxi station, ticket counters, bicycle lockers and a park-and-ride lot.

Council members now want to examine whether the grant can be used for other transportation purposes, such as buying the site and turning it into a permanent park-and-ride lot.

Boxer said during a visit to Thousand Oaks last month that the money was strictly for a transportation center and could not be used for anything else.

Residents of the Rolling Oaks neighborhood, an unincorporated community surrounded by Thousand Oaks, strongly criticized the proposal in the latest of many battles they have fought with the city over the years.

A transportation center, they said, should be in a commercial district, not next to a residential area such as Rolling Oaks. Residents also complained that building a transportation center would increase pressure to link the two adjacent sections of Rolling Oaks Drive--something they have successfully fought for years.

“I don’t think that the homeowners who fought [linking of the roads] five years ago would appreciate hearing that it’s back now,” said resident Charles Miranda, adding that the land between the two roads is a popular trail head for hikers and mountain bikers.

Councilman Andy Fox agreed that the area seemed unfit for a transportation center, adding that he doubted most Thousand Oaks residents were even aware that the city was considering such a facility.

He asked city officials to consider ways to let the public learn more about the proposal, so city leaders could determine what kind of transportation uses residents were interested in.

“I’m not comfortable with this site,” Fox said. “In my view, the comments made tonight about this being [suited for] a commercial area make a whole lot of sense.”

Councilwoman Elois Zeanah took the issue one step further, saying: “I want this site off the board tonight,” and her council peers agreed.

Mayor Judy Lazar conceded that the concept of a transportation center needs more fine-tuning. She said it was an example of Thousand Oaks thinking ahead--perhaps too far ahead for its own good.

“Perhaps the point is that we have not evolved enough for a full-fledged transportation center,” she said. “We may be visionary but, like many teenagers, not quite ready for college yet.”