May 1, 2020

The City of Goleta’s – Goleta Train Depot Master Plan has received an Award of Merit from the APA Central Coast Section in the Economic and Development Planning Award category. Rincon, with assistance from Steer, assisted the City of Goleta with preparation of a Master Plan focused on the identification of mobility and station improvements to develop the project site into a successful, attractive, user-friendly, multi-modal transportation hub.

The Goleta Train Depot opened in 1998 and is served by Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, which provides rail service between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. Although the Pacific Surfliner service is one of the nation’s busiest rail routes, the Goleta Train Depot is not heavily utilized. Plans are in place for increased train service along the corridor, as reflected in the Caltrans 2018 Rail Plan, but the current Train Depot is inadequate for this level of service and the current configuration of the depot does not provide the conveniences desired by today’s train passengers. The depot also lacks connectivity to station users’ final destinations. There is no transit service directly to/from the station, the closest bus stop is approximately 0.5 mile away, and the lack of sidewalks along South La Patera Lane force riders to wheel luggage down the street.

The development of the Master Plan involved examining the aesthetics of the station, and considered amenities, ease of use, safety, accessibility, and transportation connections between the train depot and key local destinations. The document also includes policy support for the existing and planned mobility network improvements that will complement improvements at the train depot, pinpoints multi-modal shifts to increase train station connectivity, identifies gaps in the transportation network, helps attain community GHG reduction goals, and develops potential solutions to identified obstacles. Rincon developed and implemented a large-scale public outreach program to solicit input from community stakeholders and the general public.

A greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction analysis prepared by SBCAG found that the project could reduce GHG emissions in the region by 525,119 metric tons of CO2e. Much of this reduction would come from a decrease in automobile emissions as more riders utilize the train instead of driving. As a result of the project, SBCAG has SBCAG estimates that additional train ridership will result in a reduction of 5.8 million vehicle miles travelled (VMT) in the region.

We would like to thank the APA Central Coast award jury for this recognition and congratulate all the other deserving winners.