This section takes a “Complete Streets” approach to transportation planning to provide a regional multimodal system. Purposeful planning and coordinated development of complete streets infrastructure can provide long-term cost savings for the County by reducing future road construction (and associated repair, and maintenance costs) and expanding the tax base and businesses within the county. It can also improve public health by encouraging active lifestyles, increase roadway safety, provide economic benefits to property owners and businesses, and decrease air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Policies in this section focus on connecting, balancing, and prioritizing transportation modes based on surrounding uses, activities, and right-of-way allowances; integrating different types of facilities into existing streets to make them more complete; and planning and designing new streets to create complete streets.
Goal: CTM-2
To facilitate the safe, efficient, and cost-effective movement of all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, public transportation riders, children, older people, and disabled people, as well as motorists through the provision of an integrated multimodal system.
The County shall rely on the guidelines and design standards for bicycle and pedestrian facilities established by the California MAnnual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD) and supporting guidelines provided the Federal Highway Administration, Caltrans, and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
MPSP
PSR
SO
CAP
HC
The County shall require that all new discretionary development is evaluated for potential impacts to existing railroad facilities and operations and identify appropriate mitigation measures, as warranted therein.
RDR
EIR
The County shall ensure that all new discretionary projects are fully evaluated for potential impacts to emergency access. Mitigation of these impacts shall be handled on a project-byproject basis to guarantee continued emergency service operations and service levels.
RDR
EIR
The County shall require that discretionary development be subject to permit conditions of approval, where feasible, to minimize traffic impacts by incorporating pedestrian and bicycle pathways, bicycle racks and lockers, ridesharing programs, transit improvements (bus turnouts, shelters, benches), and/or transit subsidies for employees or residents of the proposed development.
RDR
CAP
When railroad rights-of-way are abandoned, the County shall evaluate the feasibility of acquiring the land for public use as public transportation, bicycle, pedestrian, or equestrian paths.
MPSP
CAP
The County shall support the recommendations of the California State Rail Plan for Amtrak trains, including track and signalization upgrades, increasing service frequencies by adding additional round-trip service to regional destinations north and south of Ventura County, improving passenger information and comfort, and reducing travel time.
IGC
CAP
The County shall work with Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and local public transportation providers to address the needs of non-drivers living in rural areas to provide public transportation and paratransit service.
IGC
CAP
HC
The County shall continue to work with Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC), Naval Base Ventura County, and local public transportation regional bus service providers to promote the expansion of a safe, efficient, convenient, integrated, and cost-effective intercommunity and countywide public transportation and bus service that provides county residents with access to employment, commercial services, health and medical facilities, social services, educational facilities and institutions, and personal business destinations.
IGC
CAP
HC
The County shall seek funding sources first for construction of new sidewalks in low-income areas and then for sidewalk maintenance particularly in low-income areas.
FB
CAP
EJ
HC
Within Existing Communities, the County shall provide/retrofit separated or buffered pedestrian and bicycle paths from the outside travel lane along County Road Network roads that are designated Overweight Vehicle Corridors and STAA designated Terminal Access Routes. Where the application or retrofitting of separated or buffered facilities is not feasible, the County shall prioritize alternative pedestrian and bicycle connections that encourage and attract pedestrian and bicycle traffic off designated Overweight Vehicle Corridors or STAA designated truck routes.
MPSP
CAP
HC
The County shall improve pedestrian safety at intersections and mid-block locations in Existing Communities through approved features consistent with the California MAnnual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD), Highway Design MAnnual, Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 498 (Application of Pedestrian Crossing Treatments for Streets and Highways).
RDR
SO
CAP
HC
The County shall continue to examine and update safety metrics for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) impact analysis as appropriate. Options include but are not limited to: queue spill-back at intersections; mid-block unprotected crossings; and, increased crossing distances.
RDR
CAP
HC
The County shall require discretionary development in designated Existing Communities to construct roadways to urban standards and Complete Streets principles, including curb, gutter, sidewalks, and bike lanes when there is a nexus for improvement. The County shall rely on the guidelines and design standards for Complete Streets design established by the California MAnnual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD), Caltrans in the Highway Design MAnnual, and Complete Streets Guidelines (pursuant to Deputy Directive-64-R2), Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
RDR
CAP
HC
The County shall support efforts to improve regional infrastructure that will make biking more attractive to residents and tourists.
IGC
JP
SO
CAP
HC
The County shall consider the safety and accessibility of pedestrians when preparing transportation plans, studies, and reports.
MPSP
CAP
HC
The County shall prepare and adopt Complete Streets Design Guidelines to be used when constructing new roadways or improving existing roadways where Complete Streets would be appropriate/feasible. The Complete Streets Design Guidelines shall employ a context-sensitive approach to planning and designing the road and street network to reflect the distinct agricultural, rural, or urban character of a particular location.
MPSP
CAP
EJ
HC
When designing new bicycle facilities, or modifying existing roadways with bicycle facilities, the County shall prioritize and install features to improve the safety and visibility of bicyclists.
MPSP
CAP
HC
The County shall strive to eliminate “gaps” in roadways, bikeways, and pedestrian networks by planning for and seeking funding to construct necessary improvements to remove barriers and improve transportation system connectivity as well as connections that support first and last mile accessibility to and from public transportation.
FB
MPSP
PSR
CAP
HC
The County shall coordinate with cities in the county and Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) to plan and implement a system of bicycle lanes and multi-use trails that link the cities, unincorporated communities, schools including colleges and universities, commercial/retail, employment centers, health care service facilities, public transportation, and other points of interest.
IGC
MPSP
CAP
EJ
HC
The County shall establish land use patterns that promote shorter travel distances between residences, employment centers, and retail and service-oriented uses to support the use of public transportation, walking, bicycling, and other forms of transportation that reduce reliance on single-passenger automobile trips.
MPSP
RDR
CAP
HC
The County shall work with public and private schools to identify and expand safe routes to school, where feasible.
IGC
CAP
HC
The County shall work with the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and Caltrans to reprioritize the re-striping of SR 118 from Vineyard Avenue to Darling Road on the Ventura County Congestion Management Plan and the Caltrans list of projects to provide for an additional lane in each direction of travel.
IGC
CAP
For those portions of the County’s Regional Road Network currently not designated as part of the Congestion Management Program (CMP), the County shall coordinate with Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) to formally designate applicable County maintained roadways as part of the CMP.
IGC
MPSP
CAP
The County shall coordinate with Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) to implement and update the Congestion Management Program (CMP). The County shall also encourage consideration of multimodal performance measures as part of future updates to the CMP.
IGC
MPSP
CAP
The County shall work with Caltrans, Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC), and cities in the county to plan, develop, and maintain regional transportation facilities and services, and to identify existing and future transportation corridors that should be linked across jurisdictional boundaries so that sufficient right-of-way may be preserved.
IGC
CAP
The County shall coordinate the development and maintenance of all transportation facilities with emergency service providers to ensure continued emergency service operation and service levels.
IGC
CAP
The County shall strive to provide safe operating conditions for all appropriate modes and uses of County roadways.
MPSP
RDR
SO
CAP
The County shall require discretionary development with access onto a County road to have the access point(s) designed and built to County standards.
RDR
CAP
The County shall plan a roadway system that has adequate capacity and is designed to provide reasonable and safe use by vehicles, public transportation, bicycles and pedestrians with minimum delay pursuant to LOS standards described in Policy CMT-1.2. The road system should follow Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) classification as identified on Figure 4-4.
MPSP
CAP
Goal: CTM-3
To develop an accessible and interconnected bicycle network that addresses resident and visitor needs for commuting, daily activities, and recreation.
The County shall identify and prioritize components of a bicycle network to increase public access and ridership on bicycle routes.
MPSP
SO
CAP
HC
The County shall develop a bicycle network for all user types and routes across the county.
MPSP
PI
SO
CAP
HC
The County shall encourage the development of a bicycle network that connects to regional destinations such as parks, trails, educational institutions, employment centers, transit, park and ride lots, and tourist destinations.
IGC
CAP
HC
The County shall promote bicycle network connectivity between Ventura County communities as well as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles Counties.
IGC
CAP
HC
The County shall plan for bicycle network connectivity in rural, agricultural, and open space areas in a way that supports and complements business and agricultural activities in those areas.
JP
CAP
HC
The County shall support the Complete Streets effort by, when feasible, constructing bicycle lanes on County maintained roads listed in the Ventura County Transportation Commission Bicycle Wayfinding Plan.
IGC
JP
SO
CAP
The County shall encourage the construction of a bicycle trail along the Santa Paula Branch Line Railroad in the unincorporated area between the cities of Ventura and Santa Paula.
IGC
JP
SO
CAP
The County shall use clear and consistent message and placement for on- and off-street regional bikeways and to regional destinations.
PI
SO
CAP
HC
The County shall actively pursue outside funding opportunities for bicycle network improvements.
FB
JP
CAP
HC
The County shall require adequate bicycle storage facilities (e.g., bicycle racks, lockers) for discretionary development as determined by allowable land uses at a given site.
RDR
CAP
HC