The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) is temporarily expanding Intercity bus service and its roadside assistance service to help visitors enjoy a smooth and easy trip to the X Games California 2023 on July 21-23 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.

VCTC strongly encourages people heading to the X Games to take advantage of public transit, to carpool or to walk or bike to the event. Public transit options during the X Games include VCTC Intercity and Gold Coast Transit District bus service, as well as Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink rail services. For people who must drive, VCTC will offer roadside assistance through its Freeway Service Patrol along a segment of Highway 101 in Ventura.

“X Games California 2023 is an exciting event for Ventura and Ventura County,” said VCTC Chair and Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem Bryan MacDonald. “VCTC is happy to provide safe, affordable transportation options to help visitors get to the X Games without the hassle and expense of driving and parking.”

VCTC Vice Chair and District 1 Ventura County Supervisor Matt LaVere said X Games visitors are supporting sustainability and helping to ease traffic congestion when they use public transit, bike or walk to the events.
“People going to the X Games can help the environment by taking the bus or train, carpooling, or using active transportation,” LaVere said. “Fewer vehicles will be on the road, which in turn reduces greenhouse-gas emissions.”
VCTC Executive Director Martin Erickson said the X Games and similar community events are a good opportunity for people to explore public transit options in Ventura County.

“Visitors can take the bus or train, or a combination of both, to travel to the X Games and see how public transit can become a part of their everyday travel plans,” Erickson said.

ADDITIONAL INTERCITY BUS SERVICE

VCTC will provide boosted service on three routes during the X Games:
• Highway 101, which serves Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks;
• Highway 126, which serves Fillmore, Santa Paula, Saticoy and Ventura;
• Coastal Express, which serves Oxnard, Ventura, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta and UC Santa Barbara.
The Highway 101 and 126 routes will be extended to Thompson Boulevard and Figueroa Street in Ventura. The Coastal Express route will also stop at Thompson and Figueroa instead of Santa Clara and Oak streets. The Highway 101 route, which normally operates Monday to Saturday, will be extended to Sunday for the X Games.

Riders can get more information at goventura.org/xgames. Riders are also encouraged to use VCbuspass, a contactless regional transit pass that can be used on any bus operator in Ventura County. To get a pass, download the Umo Mobility app on an Apple or Android phone. VCbuspass cards can also be purchased at goventura.org/vcbuspass or by calling VCTC’s Regional Transit Information Center in advance of the X Games at 800-438-1112.

Visitors to the X Games are encouraged to take advantage of the Youth Ride Free and College Ride programs, which allow youths 18 and younger and students enrolled at participating colleges to ride any bus in Ventura County for free. For more information, including participating colleges, visit https://www.goventura.org/vctc-transit/free-fare-programs/.

VCTC buses are specially equipped with spaces to store bicycles. Most buses have either front-mounted bicycle racks and undercarriage compartments. E-bikes are allowed if they do not have lithium batteries.
VCTC buses are also equipped with lifts to assist riders who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility.

ADDITIONAL METROLINK RAIL SERVICE
As part of its new weekend service, Metrolink will operate two round trips Saturday and Sunday between L.A. Union Station and the Ventura County Fairgrounds on the Ventura County Line. Ventura County residents can board in Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo, Oxnard, East Ventura and the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The expanded weekend service, which began July 1, will continue after the X Games.

The service is made possible through funding from VCTC.
For train schedules and rider information, visit https://metrolinktrains.com/x-games
EXTENDED FREEWAY SERVICE PATROL
To assist motorists, VCTC will temporarily extend its Freeway Service Patrol to a segment of U.S. 101 through Ventura during the X Games.

One FSP tow truck will patrol U.S. 101 from Johnson Drive to California Street from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily July 21-23.

The FSP program places roaming tow trucks along freeways with the goal of quickly getting disabled vehicles moving again at no cost to the motorists. Drivers provide such services as changing flat tires, providing a gallon of fuel and taping leaky hoses.

The program aims to reduce congestion and prevent secondary accidents. FSP trucks currently operate along three segments of Ventura County highways during peak traffic periods Monday through Friday. In 2022, FSP drivers provided direct assistance to 3,387 motorists.

For more information, visit https://www.goventura.org/getting-around/fsp/.

About the Ventura County Transportation Commission
The Ventura County Transportation Commission is the regional transportation planning agency committed to keeping Ventura County moving. Program information is available at goventura.org and in Spanish at goventura/org/buenas.
About Metrolink
Metrolink is Southern California’s regional passenger rail, operating seven lines along a 538- mile network that travels across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. More information is available at metrolinktrains.com.
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