Valley Express: Free ride, extended
hours for July 4th festivities
July 03, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
There will be free rides for the 4th of July festivities in the Santa Clara River Valley thanks to Valley Express that will offer special bus services Saturday in addition to its regular routes.
Valley Express, which serves the communities of Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru, is also offering extended service on Independence Day to help residents and travelers celebrate the holiday.
Valley Express will run from 10 a.m. to approximately10 p.m. in all service areas and bus rides will be free all day.
The special holiday service will allow residents to travel to and from Piru to Fillmore for Sespe Creek Car Show, the City of Fillmore fireworks show, and also to Harding Park from designated parking lots for the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular event, in Santa Paula.
“We’re happy to provide this safe, reliable transportation option so people can focus on enjoying themselves during the holiday,” said Santa Paula City Councilwoman Ginger Gherardi, who also serves as a director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, which operates the Valley Express.
Gherardi said, “Saturday’s buses are free and timed to get people home after the big fireworks show.”
According to Veronica Hurtado, Valley Express operations manager, the free service is a first for the company, which was implemented earlier this year.
In Santa Paula special park and ride locations for the Harding Park Fireworks Spectacular will be located at the Community Center, Teague Park, Railroad Avenue near the garden and the stop just west of the Depot and Gazebo at Mill and Santa Barbara streets.
The stops for the fireworks show will be in addition to the fixed-route service.
Said Hurtado, “Santa Paula’s fireworks’ show service will be in half-hour increments beginning at 7 p.m., then the drivers’ will knock off at about 9 p.m. and resume service again at 9:30 p.m.”
There will be three buses, not the usual two, to ensure everyone has a ride to and from the celebration and service will continue until all are home.
The park and ride service is a convenient way for people to attend the holiday fireworks celebration at Harding Park, “even if they decide at the last minute to walk to the park and then decide to take the bus home. We won’t let anyone be stranded,” although Hurtado said 11 p.m. “would be the absolute cutoff point,” when the drivers themselves can go home.
She noted that the one deviated route that will be skipped completely on the evening of July 4th is the stop at Santa Paula Hospital.
Also known as Hospital Hill, Hurtado said so many fireworks’ watchers are already drawn to the area that bus service would not be practical due to heavy traffic conditions.
“We don’t want to cause any additional congestion up there,” as well as cause any delays for those riding the Valley Express.
The special service schedules will be available online, onboard the buses, and at pass sales outlets, including Santa Paula and Fillmore City Halls, MV Transportation Office (810 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula), and the VCTC office (950 County Square Dr. #108, Ventura).
If there are any further questions regarding this service call (800) 438-1112 or visit www.valleyexpressbus.org.
