Ventura Freeway Cap Project

The City of Ventura is a beautiful coastal city in Ventura County that is developing a plan to make the downtown area more livable and prosperous.

There is a major freeway, highway 101, running through the city center. Because of this freeway, the City has struggled with their ability to foster growth and utilize its natural assets to create a more livable city center. The main problem has been the position of highway 101 as it runs through the center of town, isolating a majority of the downtown area from the waterfront and beaches. The City of Ventura is exploring the idea of a highway cap park that may solve this problem and reinvigerate the downtown area.

Goals:

• Integrate the waterfront area with downtown Ventura
• Develop and increase the use of the downtown area
• Assess ROI
• Plan a new transit center
• Find the best financing solutions to maximize resources
• Understand stakeholders needs

The City of Ventura staff, Compass Blueprint and Caltrans have teamed up to assess the feasibility and long-term effects of building a freeway cap park over the area of highway 101 the runs through downtown. Through public workshops on community needs, analysis of fiscal and physical constraints, Compass Blueprint, Caltrans and the City of Ventura are evaluating ways that a freeway cap park can solve development issues, reunite downtown and help the city execute its vision for the downtown area in a cost effective manor. The public workshop attracted over 125 participants from the community who came to communicate their own vision and needs for Ventura. The team has been looking into how to integrate the cap with a mass transit center and pedestrian and bicycle pathways. They are also evaluating financing options, the effects of cap construction and the alternatives to the cap project itself to maximize the benefits to the community.