Union Pacific runs 12 trains a day through Ventura, providing freight service out of Los Angeles. Metrolink, the commuter train that connects Ventura with Los Angeles and other areas in Southern California, has a lay-over facility in Montalvo to serve the west county. At present, there are two Metrolink runs daily with additional runs funded and anticipated to begin in the future. The Seize the Future process identified its central transportation goal as moving the city away from automobile dependence towards an integrated and multi-modal transportation system including bus, rail, bicycle and pedestrian modes. This system is to be structured with routes that connect key use areas and destinations.
Parking is to be improved primarily through enhancement of existing facilities.
The city government should update its Circulation Element to reflect current land use, traffic, and demand conditions and to take full advantage of bus, rail, pedestrian, bicycle and other modes of transportation. The city government should develop, adopt, and act upon mixed-use zoning to bring housing, jobs, commercial, and other uses in closer proximity to each other. The city government should develop and adopt land use guidelines that provide better access and connections to residential and commercial areas for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users. The city government should work with the VCTC, area employers, and local environmental organizations to develop and implement a public outreach campaign to encourage carpooling, transit, and bicycle use as a means of reducing trips. Ensure that Ventura has accessible, convenient, and interconnected transit systems.