Metrolink will likely be making a northern expansion in the coming months, adding a morning commuter train between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
The morning Metrolink service would begin later this year, adding a new route between Moorpark and Santa Barbara, with a last stop in Goleta near the UC Santa Barbara campus.
Initial plans would have the train depart Moorpark just after 6:30 a.m. and arrive at a new station in Goleta around 8 a.m.; a return trip would depart the Goleta station around 10:30 a.m.
Additional afternoon train trips would be offered through the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, officials said.
Currently, Metrolink travels no further than the Ventura East station in downtown Ventura.
A Moorpark to Goleta service would be uncharted territory for the system, one that some local leaders have said is much needed and has been promised for years.
A meeting of Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, a regional planning committee comprised of Santa Barbara County and its eight incorporated cities, was held last week to discuss the proposed service, including how much it may cost and when trains could begin running.
The initial startup cost of the new service is estimated at around $450,000 with a 50/50 proposed split between the Ventura County Transportation Commission and the SBCAG, which would be utilizing reserve funds from a sales tax initiative passed over a decade ago.
Measure A was passed in November 2008 by nearly 80% of voters in an effort to relieve congestion on the 101 Freeway through widening and adding a carpool lane and by improving commuter train options. The transportation initiative was given the slogan, “a lane and a train.”
Santa Barbara is one of the most expensive cities in Southern California and many workers commute to the area daily via the 101. While the freeway widening is largely done, the latter half of the promise has not materialized.
“That was part of the trade off to get all the money to go into the 101 widening was we had to do this,” said Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joan Hartmann. “I mean, that was a commitment to the public.”
Hartmann added that, in the future, if legislators wanted to go back to the public for additional sales tax revenue, they would need to show a good faith effort to follow through with their promises.
Previous efforts to kickstart more train service happened prior to the COVID-19 pandemic with a Pacific Surfliner service departing from Los Angeles, but frequent delays and late arrivals left people to “not have faith in the service,” according to SBCAG Executive Director Marjie Kim.
Kim said she doesn’t predict similar problems this time because the Metrolink train will only be coming from Moorpark.
“There are fewer obstacles of trains going south from that location that would interfere with this train going north,” Kim said. “So once we start in Moorpark, it’s going to be on time.”
Ultimately though, the decision to move forward with the plan was left up to the SBCAG Board.
“It is a big decision for this board to make. It is an investment in the future of transportation coming to and from Ventura, and I’m following your lead in making this happen,” Kim said. “If you want to see and you want to try it, this is the time to say, ‘let’s try it and see what happens,’ and we’ll be back a year from now to tell you how it’s going.”
After public comment, the Board voted unanimously to fund the service, which would begin as a one-year pilot program with the option of extending for up to three years.
The total cost to operate the service is estimated to be around $4.4 million for the first year, including the initial startup costs, according to Aaron Bonfilio, Director of Multimodal Programs for SBCAG.
Negotiations will still need to be completed between Metrolink, freight company Union Pacific, and LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, which operates the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner.
If all goes according to plan, service could begin as soon as October, Bonfilio said.
The estimated ticket price per trip has yet to be decided, but officials expect the service to generate about $500,000 yearly through fares.
Scott Johnson, communications director for Metrolink, told KTLA that Metrolink anticipates being able to release additional details for customers and community members “in the coming months as Metrolink continues to expand service throughout the Southern California region.”
