Construction crews arrived at Camarillo Station on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to begin an accessibility overhaul that will upgrade the transit hub through mid-2027.
Pre-construction work on the Camarillo Station ADA Improvement Project launched that day, according to a Ventura County Transportation Commission report presented Friday, Sept. 11. Active construction is scheduled to begin Monday, Sept. 14.
The project will bring the station at 30 Lewis Road into compliance with federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Upgrades include new ADA-compliant ramps and walkways, platform improvements, an accessible boarding platform, accessible parking, updated crosswalks, signage and lighting, according to the VCTC report and Metrolink's station page.
Construction will span six phases from September 2026 through July 2027, according to a VCTC social media post. Metrolink's timeline puts active construction through May 2027, with closeout activities running through July 2027. The schedule is subject to change.
The station will remain open and accessible throughout construction.
VCTC, which owns the station, has conducted outreach to City of Camarillo staff, Camarillo Police Department, Ventura County Fire, nearby businesses and station users through flyers, in-person engagement and social media, according to the report. Camarillo Station serves Metrolink's Ventura County Line, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Camarillo Area Transit, and has about 406 free parking spaces for Metrolink riders.
Tap2Ride goes live on local buses
A new contactless fare system called Tap2Ride launched across all Ventura County bus operators on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Riders on Camarillo Area Transit and Moorpark Transit can now tap a contactless debit or credit card, phone or smartwatch on a yellow reader when boarding. No app, account or paper pass is needed. The City of Moorpark confirmed the launch on its official Facebook page.
Tap2Ride is a collaboration among seven agencies: Camarillo Area Transit, Gold Coast Transit District, Moorpark Transit, Simi Valley Transit, Thousand Oaks Transit, Valley Express and VCTC Intercity.
The system accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover cards, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. American Express is not yet accepted. Cash and VCbuspass cards are still valid on VCTC Intercity buses.
A standard Zone 1 fare is $1.75 per trip. Riders who hit $50 in charges within 31 days pay nothing more for the rest of that period. Seniors 65 and older, Medicare cardholders and ADA-eligible riders pay a reduced fare of $0.80 per trip after registering their card through VCTC's payment page.
The system also offers free transfers between participating agencies and a single registration process for reduced-fare benefits, according to the VCTC report.
No total project cost for the Camarillo Station ADA upgrades has been publicly released. Residents can find construction updates on VCTC's project page.
