POLL: RESIDENTS WANT 118 RE-ROUTED; CITY STAFF RECOMMENDS A FOUR-LANE CORRIDOR THAT CAN BE EXPANDED LATER.

Byline: Paul O'Donoghue Staff Writer

MOORPARK - Reflecting a countywide finding, most of the 31 Moorpark residents polled favor re-routing Highway 118 north of the city, according to a recent survey by the Ventura County Transportation Commission.

Sixty-two percent of the Moorpark residents surveyed, and 64 percent of the 400 surveyed countywide, favored the proposed bypass as way to ease congestion for both residents and communters.

The survey results come as Moorpark city staffers are recommending the planned bypass be built as a four-lane arterial road - an issue that is slated for discussion at a joint meeting of the council and Planning Commission next week.

``There was some vision that it might someday be a freeway, but staff is saying build it now as an arterial for east-west traffic to serve development that is envisioned by the General Plan for that corridor,'' said Community Development Director Wayne Loftus.

The survey by the Ventura County Transportation Commission asked 400 county residents who regularly drive the route - including the 31 Moorpark residents - for their opinions on the 16-mile stretch of highway, including the section known as Los Angeles Avenue that goes through Moorpark.

Between January 1998 and August 1999 there were 145 people injured and three killed in 95 crashes on the highway, according the CHP.

The VCTC phone survey found:

-- While 82 percent of county residents favor widening Highway 118 to two lanes, 51 percent of those in the 93066 zip code near the highway oppose widening.

As for the bypass, in the 93066 zipcode, which is near the highway but excludes Moorpark, 52 percent support the bypass while 36 percent oppose it.

Countywide, 15 percent of the countywide respondents oppose the bypass, 31 percent of the Moorpark residents oppose it.

That zip code includes the community of Somis, where there is strong opposition led by a group called Save Our Somis to plans to expand Highway 118. SOS contends that expansion of the two-lane highway will attract more traffic, destroying the area's rural ambience.

Moorpark Mayor Patrick Hunter said he hadn't seen the VCTC survey and wanted to find out more details about it, including a breakdown of Somis area respondents - whether they were farmers, local business people or commuters - before judging it.

``I think it's a piece of information that will help guide us to make future decisions, but it is very important to analyze the survey and understand exactly what the survey is saying and that the 400 people who were surveyed understand what the needs of the area are,'' said Hunter.

The discussion comes as about 2,000 homes, at various stages in the approval process, are planned by several different developers for the northern portion of the city around the planned bypass. Planning for connector roads and related infrastructure for the developments to the bypass road need to begin soon, said Loftus.

The staff recommends making the bypass a four-lane road and reserving enough space to expand it later, if desired, into a six-lane freeway, said Loftus. The bypass would be funded by fees paid to the city by the developers.

``Our sense is that with all these projects coming on line, it's time for a decision and executing the corridor,'' said Loftus.

The staff recommendations going to the joint meeting next week also include hiring a consultant to determine the best route and related issues.