Commuter Tribune - Winter 2013

HigHway 101 ConstruCtion tHrougH 2015HOV Lane sLated tO reLieVe cOngestiOn

Construction on the High-way 101 widening project between Carpinteria and La Conchita is moving fast. Granite Construction crews have begun pouring con-crete for the new HOV (car-pool) lanes in the median between Bates Road and Mussel Shoals. Work is also progressing on the Bates Road Bridge widening.

The 101 widening project will construct new peak hour carpool lanes in both directions from the three lane 101 section east of Mus-sel Shoals to the Carpinteria Creek Bridge. In addition to the new freeway lanes, a

new pedestrian undercross-ing that will connect La

Conchita to the beach and a new Class I bike path on the

ocean side of the freeway will also be built. The new bicycle and pedestrian fa-cilities will improve coastal access and safety for both pedestrians and bicyclists.

Scheduled for completion in late 2014, this $100 million transportation improve-ment project is fully funded by California voter approved Proposition 1B revenue. This project is Phase 2 of 4 phas-es that will complete widen-ing of the 101 freeway from the city of Santa Barbara to Ventura County, eliminating the last two lane bottleneck on the 101 freeway between Los Angeles and Goleta.

This fall, SBCAG Traffic Solutions and the Com-munity Environmental Council continued with beta testing of Avego’s Real-Time Rideshare (RTR) technology - with the goal of launching the public beta to South 101 commuters in February. A second tar-geted rollout will launch at Santa Barbara City Col-lege at the beginning of the Spring semester. The pro-gram will focus on students commuting in the 101 corri-dor between Isla Vista and SBCC.

Prior to the public beta, the SmartRide partnership will join forces with Deckers Corporation and Yardi Systems to test the app in a real world environment - with employees of both organizations putting the technology through its pac-es as they use the smart-phone app to coordinate ridesharing in their daily commute.

SmartRide RTR is a federally funded 12-month pilot program in the San-ta Barbara South Coast that offers instant car-

pool matching using your smartphone or cell phone. The system matches riders with other SmartRide users going in the same direction - providing an immediate, real-time carpool ride.

Using SmartRide saves money and time, and reduc-es your carbon footprint. Drivers can also earn some great rewards as they car-pool. For example, a driver carpooling using Smart-Ride in the South 101 cor-ridor, can earn as much as $40 for a round trip from Ventura to Goleta.

This pilot was introduced as part of a national ef-fort to deploy the technol-ogy in other counties across the US and was specifically timed to launch in the south and central regions as part of an effort to mitigate traffic congestion resulting from the improvments be-ing made along parts of the highway 101 corridor.

smartridereaL-time ridesHaring in tHe sOutH Hwy 101 cOrridOr

beta testing cOntinues - LauncHes in 2013

Commuter TribuneNEWS FOR THE SOUTH HIGHWAY 101 CORRIDOR - WINTER 2012

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

acrOss

1. Carpool Lane2. Fewer stops8. Mimic10. Taj Majal12. Real time15. Afternoon direction16. Your impact19. Rider22. Deckers sandals23. Rideshare24. Blondie cartoon carpooler

dOwn

2. Traffic3. Nice looking4. Tech trial6. 9637. Slow down9. Reclining seats11. Actor Young Frankenstein13. Weight14. Tool for ridesharing17. Get ready18. Resurfaced20. SmartRide21. No seats

Curb your Commute Crossword puzzle

Linda made a killing during slow-moving commuter traffic.

Vista serViCe expandsThe VISTA commuter bus service that operates be-tween Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties expanded service with four new trips that began on October 15. With this expansion, there are now 62 one-way trips ev-ery weekday for inter-county commuters. Trips run north-bound and southbound be-tween Ventura County (Ox-nard and Ventura) and Santa Barbara County (Carpinteria,

Santa Barbara, and Goleta). One of the new northbound trips, picking up commut-ers at the Ventura County Government Center at 5:05 PM and downtown Ventura shortly thereafter, has al-ready proved to be popular with customers. “Thank you for adding the new 5:05 PM trip − it makes a huge differ-ence in my day! It’s the per-fect time for where I work,” said Kara Powis, who com-

mutes to the Ventura County Courthouse from Santa Bar-bara.

Other new trips include an early morning northbound and an early evening south-bound trip, which were added to meet existing demand. The VISTA service also add-ed a new late evening south-bound trip, departing down-town Santa Barbara at 8:50 PM to allow commuters to

enjoy dinner downtown after work before they head back home. The expanded VISTA service is being funded this year by a federal grant se-cured by the Ventura County Transportation Commission. For more information and full schedule details for the VISTA commuter bus ser-vice, call (800) 438-1112 or visit www.VISTAbus.org.

NEWS FOR THE SOUTH HIGHWAY 101 CORRIDOR - WINTER 2012

*AAA estimates $0.45 per mile cost for average economy sized car. Cost includes fuel, tires, insurance, maintenance and depreciation. **Each SmarRide rider pays driver $1.00 for first mile, 20 cents per mile for the next 14 miles and 8 cents per mile thereafter. Driver earns the same minus a 15% Avego transaction fee.

mode monthly cost monthly savings

drive alone (economy car)*

$772 $0

smartride driver (3 passengers)**

$156 $616

smartride driver (1 passenger)

$567 $205

smartride rider $260 $512

Vista $105 $667

coastal express Limited $120 $652

calVans (15 pass. van with 50% discount)

$49 $724

HOw mucH can yOu saVe?cost savings for commuter traveling from Ventura government center to goleta

work in sb County and need Commuter

assistanCe? cOntact traffic sOLutiOns

work in Ventura County and

need Commuter assistanCe?

cOntact Vctc

Contact Traffic Solutions at (805) 963-SAVE or [email protected] and a commute consultant will assist you with transit schedules, carpool or van-pool assistance, and a host of other services for work-ers who commute to Santa Barbara County. Traffic So-lutions also provides van-pool incentives, an Emer-gency Ride Home program and employer commuter program consulting, and holds rideshare promotions such as SmartRide and the Commuter Challenge.

VCTC’s Commuter Services program is a one-stop shop for rideshare information for commuters traveling to Ventura County. Regis-ter with VCTC Commuter Services and a commute specialist will prepare a free customized RideGuide tailored to your individual situation. Your RideGuide will include a list of poten-tial carpools and vanpools, bus information, Park & Ride locations, and bike commute partners. Contact VCTC at (805) 642-1591 for more information.

Commuter of tHe montH - fall issuetraci barnett

administratiVe assistant at tHe city Of santa barbara

“I wouldn’t ‘not carpool’ - it’s good for the environment, it’s good for my own personal car and I like having someone to share the drive with.” Traci Barnett signed up for the City of Santa Barbara’s carpool program five years ago when it was

first introduced - one more milestone in her commuting history given that Traci has been carpooling for 30 years.

Traci considers herself a cheerleader for the City’s carpooling program - not just touting its benefits to other city employees - but to anyone with whom the topic of commuting arises. She readily lists the benefits such as saving money, sharing driving duties, wear and tear on personal cars, guaranteed rides home for drivers and riders, and of course, the

social benefit of having companionship on the ride.

Traci has found that after quickly determining the right group of people for her carpool and taking advantage of what she considers a truly valuable benefit supported by the city, it has run smoothly - with little variance - since its inception as one of the city’s first applicants to the well-established program. Traci shows us that commuting via carpool is not just a great idea but an enjoyable way to get to work.

Coastal express limited ridersHip doubles

Ridership on the Coastal Ex-press Limited commuter bus service continues to grow rapidly following schedule revisions and a fare reduction i m p l e m e n t e d in August. The Coastal Express Limited features ch a r t e r- s t y l e coaches, free wireless internet access, reclining seats, and ex-press service to Goleta and Santa Barbara from the Ventura County Government Center. It is operating as a three-year pilot project funded as part of the Hwy 101 carpool lane expansion, currently underway between Mussel Shoals and Carpinteria. The Limited carried 149 passen-gers each weekday in Sep-tember, a 136% increase over

the passenger load carried in May. “The Limited offers a very attractive option for commuters,” said Supervi-

sor Doreen Farr, the chair-woman of the SBCAG South Coast Planning Committee, which oversees the service. “Our goal with the Limited is to encourage commuters to choose bus service over their cars, and with com-fortable, express service and historically high gas prices, we’re seeing commuters do

the math and learn that they can save hundreds of dollars a month commuting on the Limited. Fewer cars on the

freeway benefit everyone.”

Each weekday, the Limited offers two express trips to downtown Santa Barbara and two to Goleta along the Hollister corri-dor. All four trips leave from the Ventura County Government Cen-

ter Park and Ride lot. Cash fare is $4, a 10-Ride pass is $35, a 30 Day pass is $120, and many employers offer a commuter benefit program that offsets part of the cost. More information about the Limited is available by call-ing (805) 883-4276 or visiting www.sbmtd.gov/coastal.

NEWS FOR THE SOUTH HIGHWAY 101 CORRIDOR - WINTER 2012

to plaCe your ad Here, ContaCt

traffiC solutions at

963-saVe

new Vanpool grant saVes CalVans Vanpoolers

up to $75 a montH starting february 2013

CalVans, a newly formed public vanpool organiza-tion that provides affordable and flexible vanpool service in Ventura and Santa Bar-bara Counties recently were awarded a total of $150,000 in Federal grant funds that

will flow into the pockets of some lucky vanpool commut-ers. Passengers riding in any new CalVans vanpool that operates within either of the two counties will be eligible for a 50% monthly discount on vanpool fees up to $75

per month for as long as the incentives last. The monthly discount program is expect-ed to start in February 2013. Ventura to Santa Barbara commuters that switch from driving alone to a 15 passen-ger CalVans vanpool can save over $8,500 a year on com-muting costs.

CalVans provides affordable and flexible vanpool options including:

• Minivans & 15 passenger vans

• A gas card so there is no need to spend your own money and wait for reimbursement

• Regular maintenance per-formed by mechanics who come to your location

• $10 million liability insurance

• 24/7 roadside assistance and loaner vans

• Easy terms: no long-term contracts and no credit checks

• Emergency ride home if you fall ill or have a family emergency

For more information about CalVans, the 50% off subsidy program or to obtain a quote for a vanpool call (866) 655-5444.

masters donuts

1725 Victoria avenue Ventura

(805) 642-8398Open 24 - 7

pass sales outlet

Buy a dozen donuts and get two donuts

FREEwith the purchase

of a bus pass

NEWS FOR THE SOUTH HIGHWAY 101 CORRIDOR - WINTER 2012

this quarterly publication is produced by traffic solutions. for an online version go to trafficsolutions.info.