Unmet Transit Needs 

VCTC is currently taking comments for the annual Unmet Transit Needs Fiscal Year 2025-2026 period.  You can submit your comment using our online survey or send an email comment using the blue button below.

Dates and locations for FY 25/26 Unmet Transit Needs are TBD.

Each year, VCTC staff facilitates a transit needs assessment to determine if additional areas need to be served by public transit in cities with populations of less than 100,000 (Camarillo, Moorpark, Fillmore and Santa Paula plus Thousand Oaks.) The assessment is done before VCTC allows cities to spend Transportation Development Act funds on streets and roads.

An unmet need can be:

• Public transit services not currently provided to reach employment, medical assistance, food, clothing, education programs, and social services such as health care or county welfare. Service must be needed by and benefit the general public.
• Service expansions including new routes, significant modifications to existing routes and major increases in service hours and frequency.

To be considered an unmet transit need, the request must have “substantial” community support, with a threshold of 15 requests for general public service and/or 10 requests for disabled service, and be “reasonable to meet.”

VCTC analyzes all comments submitted to determine if they meet these qualifications. To be considered reasonable to meet, the proposed service:

• Cannot cause reductions in existing transit services that have an equal or higher priority
• Must be in response to an existing rather than future transit need
• Must be able to be provided with the existing fleet or under contract to a private provider (that has additional fleet capacity)
• Can safely be provided (there are adequate roadways to accommodate transit vehicles)
• Will not unduly affect the operator’s ability to maintain the required passenger fare ratio for its system as a whole
• Will meet the scheduled passenger fare ratio standards
• Does not have fewer estimated passengers per hour than the system-wide average (after three years)

Additionally, unmet transit needs exclude:

• Minor route changes
• Bus stop changes
• Minor changes to schedules
• Service for groups or individuals that will not benefit the general public
• Comments about vehicles or facilities
• Comments about driver performance or organizational structure
• Requests for better coordination
• Requests for reduced fares or changes to fare restrictions
• Improvements funded or scheduled for implementation the following year
• Future transportation needs
• Duplication or replacement of existing service

Though the definition of what constitutes an unmet transit need and is reasonable to meet is admittedly narrow, VCTC strives to use the process to solicit feedback from the public for any transit improvements that could benefit the community. All comments received are provided to the appropriate operator and taken under consideration. A number of transit improvements have been made as a result of comments submitted through the unmet transit needs process.

Over the last five years, comments received have led to the following improvements to the transportation network:

• Metrolink Saturday service
• Extended the Coastal Express route to Camarillo
• Multiple bus stop improvements
• Began planning for service between Fillmore and Moorpark
• Began planning for service to Santa Clarita

The annual unmet transit needs survey and comment period is held from mid-December to mid-February, with community meetings generally held in January and the public hearing the first Friday in February. However, VCTC takes comments year-round and greatly encourages feedback from the public.

To view publications from the latest Unmet Transit Needs assessment please click here.