Agoura Hills shuttle idea runs out of gas
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

The city of Agoura Hills is served well by its Dial-A-Ride taxicabs and doesn’t need a shuttle bus system, a consultant told the city council last week.

But several members of the council said they’ve heard complaints about the low-cost cab service and that a shuttle could be a viable alternative.

Mayor Ed Corridori and councilmen Jeff Reinhardt and Dan Kuperberg said they were "disappointed" the consultant’s study found little interest in a fixed-route shuttle. The council had hoped a shuttle could make regular runs to popular places such as the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center, but the study indicated there isn’t sufficient ridership to justify the cost.

"I can’t help but wonder if people aren’t asking for this," Corridori said. "There’s a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that there’s more to this than we’re currently seeing."

Patti Post, the consultant, said she observed Dial-a-Ride operations over several months and studied passenger habits. The Thousand Oaks Cab Company service only carried between two and 36 passengers a month to the Community Center, the study said.

Because the facility is far from most parts of the city, the shuttle service would be too expensive. Shuttles would run every 15 minutes or half-hour, whether they had passengers or not.

Dial-A-Ride, on the other hand, comes only when called and costs but a dollar for rides in Agoura Hills and $1.50 for rides to Oak Park. The cab service also runs a van that can take several passengers at once.

"You’re probably at a higher level of service with the Dial-A-Ride than with the shuttle," Post told the city council. "We studied the fixed-route shuttle and that would be successful if there were many people going to the same places."

The council predicts demand for the shuttle might increase when the new Agoura Hills Library opens later this year.

The study said not only is a city shuttle unnecessary, but that a regional shuttle would also have little demand.

While thwarted in its attempt to jump-start the shuttle, the council approved other changes to its transportation system. The city this year will purchase a 25-passenger van to provide better transportation for its recreation programs and other services.

Officials also want to give incentives to Thousand Oaks Cab to improve service. The council said it received complaints about the company’s "professionalism."

Cheryl Duesterhoft, the cab company owner, said she had one problem driver who’s since been fired.

Calabasas offers both a Dial-A-Ride and fixed-route shuttle system.