Commuter rail plan wins favor

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara city leaders voiced their support of a commuter rail plan for Santa Barbara and Ventura counties at yesterday’s City Council meeting.
The Council unanimously approved On-TRAC, a plan developed by the Council’s Rail Subcommittee outlining the challenges and initial steps necessary to implement a commuter rail in the Santa Barbara corridor.

“The city of Santa Barbara believes that commuter rail is a very important component of our regional transit options,” Councilmember Helene Schneider said. She called the policy document a “foundation” for the city to build upon.
City staff described the current rail system through Santa Barbara County as archaic, with manual switching, large stretches of single track and short sidings. Only 12 passenger trains run daily on those rails, staff said, and they are commonly delayed, slower than driving and don’t run at commuter-convenient times.
“A lot of this depends on modifying service that already exists,” Councilmember Roger Horton said.
Horton called long-term projects that will expand sections of Highway 101 between Milpas and Cabrillo streets and from the county line to Mussel Shoals “extremely necessary,” but warned that if something else isn’t done, congestion on local roadways will turn into a nightmare.
“If we don’t give people other options at this time, I think it’s going to impact the way the city operates,” Horton said.
The On-TRAC plan outlines key steps as the city moves forward on the commuter rail issue, including gaining the support of the Ventura County Transportation Commission and other regional interests, developing a single transit pass for buses, Amtrak and any long-term commuter rail service, and supporting Union Pacific Railroad’s investment in better freight movement in the region.
“This is not something the city can do unilaterally,” Councilmember Grant House said, encouraging the Council to work with groups such as the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District and Amtrak.
City leaders also recommended rescheduling current Amtrak running times to coincide with commuting times and developing funding sources for limited rail upgrades. Renewal of Measure D is a key factor to funding long-term projects, city staff said, along with federal grants.
“As long as we are moving forward,” Mayor Marty Blum said, “I think it’s wonderful.”