Trolley Services in Ventura County and Surrounding Areas

Trolley seen around town in Westlake Village

The term "trolley" is derived from a grooved conductive wheel attached to a pole that "trolls," or pulls along, an overhead wire to transfer electricity to a streetcar. The first large-scale trolley line in the world, the Richmond Union Passenger Railway, was a 12 mile system that opened on February 12, 1888 in Richmond, Virginia. This trolley service operated until November 25, 1949. 

You don't see many trolley buses anymore (San Francisco's historic streetcars are a well known exception), but here in Ventura County and adjacent areas we do have some electric trolleys in operation!

Camarillo: The City of Camarillo provides trolley service seven days a week, with 10 stops at various shopping centers in town in a 30 minute cycle. Fare price is $1 for adults and students, $.50 for seniors and ADA riders.

Ojai: The City of Ojai's Ojai Trolley Service has operated since 1989, providing low cost fixed route service with 45 stops over roughly five miles in Ojai, Meiners Oaks and Mira Monte.

Calabasas: Just east of us, City of Calabasas offers free trolley service on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 24 stops at various shopping and other venues.

Santa Barbara: The Santa Barbara Trolley Company is a commercial service that provides trolley tours to some of the area's great tourist venues Thursday to Monday.

Trolleys No More:

Ventura:  The Downtown Ventura-Harbor Trolley provided year-round free service to local shopping, tourist and hotel locations over an hour-long route, Wednesday through Sunday…until it closed operations at the end of March 2019.

Westlake Village: Previously provided a free trolley service on Fr/Sat nights during certain seasonal time frames in 2019. Program has been on hiatus since then but has been under consideration. Could be reinstated at some point; visit www.wlv.org for updates.

Thousand Oaks Transit Provides Low Cost Transportation in the Conejo Valley

Thousand Oaks Transit (TOT) offers five local bus routes serving the Conejo Valley. One way fares as of May 2023 are $2.00 per ride; 65+ seniors/disabled are $.50 and children 5 and under are free. Transfers from one bus to another are free and must be requested when you purchase your fare.

(NOTE: As of September 2022, all students in grades 1-12 as well as college students ride for free anywhere in Ventura County, with student ID.)

Buses are equipped with free Wi-Fi, security cameras and bike racks. Operating hours are Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

TOT buses are equipped with destination signs on the front, side and rear of the bus. Here are the current bus routes:

• Route 40 Newbury Park - Stops include Newbury Park High School, Borchard Park, Dos Vientos Community Center, The Oaks. 25 total stops.

• Route 41 Midtown A - Stops include The Oaks, Los Robles Hospital, Cal Lutheran, Thousand Oaks High School, Teen and Senior Centers/T.O. Library, Transportation Center. 18 total stops.

• Route 42 Midtown B - Stops include The Oaks, Conejo Valley High School, Thousand Oaks High School, Cal Lutheran, Los Robles Hospital, Conejo Valley Plaza, Janss Marketplace. 22 total stops.

• Route 43 TOB Express - Stops include The Oaks, Transportation Center, City Hall, Westlake High School. 25 total stops.

• Route 44 Crosstown - Stops include Westlake High School, The Oaks, Amgen. 35 total stops.

Exact fares are required on TOT buses in the form of cash, pass or transfer. Passes can be purchased on buses. Multi-day bus passes are available. Where's the bus? You can track them at www.nextbus.com.

Perhaps the most useful feature is the trip planner at www.toaks.org/departments/public-works/transit/plan-your-trip where you can type your location and destination and you’ll receive a step by step itinerary showing where to catch the bus and how long it takes to get to your destination.

The Thousand Oaks Transportation Center located at 265 South Rancho Road (just south of the 101) is a transportation hub for eastern Ventura County.  The Center provides parking for transit users and rideshare participants and connects riders with the four routes described above as well as the following:

• Several VCTC Intercity bus lines

• Metro Line 161, which takes riders east with stops in Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Woodland Hills and Warner Center.

• LADOT Commuter Express 422 and 423 bus lines operating Monday to Friday as far as Downtown Los Angeles.

To learn more, visit www.TOTransit.org or call 805.375.5473. There are bus schedules online, as well as at the Civic Arts Plaza (Public Works Counter on the 1st floor), Thousand Oaks/Newbury Park Libraries, Senior Center, Oaks Mall 2nd Floor Information Desk and at the Transportation Center.

VCTC Intercity Provides Bus Service Throughout Ventura County and Adjacent Areas

The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) operates VCTC Intercity (formerly called VISTA) bus service throughout Ventura County as well as to Santa Barbara and Warner Center.

Routes and links to associated schedules:

• Highway 101/Conejo (Routes 50-52) - Covers Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks.

• Highway 126 (Routes 60-62) - Covers Fillmore, Santa Paula, Saticoy, Ventura.

• East County (Routes 70-73) - Covers Simi Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks.

• Cross County Limited (Route 77 - Mon-Fri Only) - Covers Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Somis, Moorpark, Simi Valley

• Coastal Express (Routes 80-89) - Covers Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta and UCSB.

• Channel Islands (Routes 90-99) - Covers Oxnard, CSU Channel Islands, Camarillo

Service hours vary by route, but overall VCTC Intercity operates between 4:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays/Sundays, depending on the route. VCTC Intercity does not operate on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

As of July 2022 one way fares are as follows:

• Zone 1 - In Ventura County (Highway 101, Highway 126, East County, Channel Islands, Cross County Limited Routes) - $1.75 per fare

• Zone 2 - Out of Ventura County (Coastal Express Route) - $4 per fare.

• Children under 5 are free with a paying customer.

More fare information at www.goventura.org/vctc-transit/fares-passes.

Visit www.goventura.org to learn more and to map out your route.