Wendy Drive/101 Overpass Widening Project in Newbury Park Will Take 18 Months

Update 12/11/13: the NP 101 onramp at Wendy Drive now is expected to open tomorrow, December 12th, after Caltrans programs the traffic controller sometime tomorrow morning!

Update 11/26/13: According to the City of Thousand Oaks, the northbound 101 onramp at Wendy Drive now is anticipated to open on Monday, December 16th due to other requirements from Caltrans and the completion date for the entire project is by the end of December.

Update 9/19/13: In May 2013, the City entered into a reimbursement agreement with the Seventh Day Adventist Church to construct intersection improvements at Academy Drive and the 101 Freeway. These improvements are being added to the existing project and will elongate the project period. Doing the improvements now as part of the existing project will take advantage of the equipment and contractor that is already mobilized and will reduce further inconvenience to motorists in the future.

The project is now 70% complete and is anticipated to be done by November to mid-December. 90% of the bridge's pavement is complete. Remaining items to be completed include traffic signal installations/modifications (estimated completion date 10/20/13), drainage improvements on the NB 101 onramp, asphalt overlays for the offramps, as well as street lights, fencing and landscaping to be finished at the end of the project.

Total cost with the additional improvements is $15.8M, including $10.8M in Federal Highway Grants, $2.1M in gas taxes and $2.9M in developer fees (including $1.4M from the Seventh Day Adventist Church, as approved by City Council on May 28, 2013). the $1.4M will be paid once the site, once considered by Costco as a site, is developed.

We are in the home stretch!

Update 2/5/12 from the City of T.O. Website: Construction period Feb 2012 to Aug 2013. Total cost $14.3 million ($10.9 million Federal funds, $2.1 million gas tax, $1.3 million developer fees. Construction crews begin mobilization February 13th.

"The City plans to improve the Wendy Drive/101 Freeway overcrossing by adding a travel lane in each direction, widening the northbound on-ramp and southbound off-ramp, and adding bike lanes and signal modifications for enhanced public safety. Periodic night-time full freeway closures will occur. During these closures, motorists will be directed towards the on/off ramps to exit and re-enter the freeway. In addition, the freeway on/off ramps will be intermittently shut-down between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, and re-opened between 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily."

Update 1/31/12: Initial work is slated to start now in the mid-February range but will not have a significant impact on traffic according to the City. The City is awaiting detailed plan updates. Click here to see updates on the City of T.O. website and to sign up for email updates directly from the City.

Originally posted 12/30/11:

Beginning in January the City of Thousand Oaks is widening the Wendy Drive/101 Freeway overcrossing by adding a travel lane in each direction, northbound on-ramp and southbound off-ramp, and adding bike lanes and signal modifications. The goal of the project is to mitigate traffic congestion in the area (I can vouch for that problem...).

The project starts sometime next month. The project plan on the city website indicates January 30th but I thought I saw a sign showing mid-month closure. Whatever the actual start date is, expect delays and detours over the next 18 (ugghh!!) months! Final striping of the new lanes are currently anticipated for the week of July 15, 2013. But of course actual dates may vary.

This area already gets mighty congested during the morning/evening rush hours, so be prepared. Try getting on/off the 101 at Borchard/Rancho Conejo. There are detour maps on the city website at www.toaks.org/wendy101 but frankly I'm having a hard time deciphering them. Regardless, I certainly will be avoiding that area as much as possible during construction.

Additional Information About Proposed Westlake Village In-N-Out Restaurant

Proposed In-N-Out at The Shoppes at Westlake Village (Image courtesy of City of Westlake Villlage)

The City of Westlake Village has published a video highlighting information about the proposed In-N-Out Burger that will be covered at a December 21 Public Hearing. Featured in a Q&A session are City Manager Ray Taylor and City Planning Director Scott Wolfe. The video is embedded below but here is a summary of points covered:

• Construction of The Shoppes at Westlake Village is moving along, with infrastructure (water/sewer) and paving in place and building foundations and initial framing underway. The target date for opening of the Target store is July 27, 2014 (updated July 2014).

• The proposed In-N-Out Burger is planned for the west end of The Shoppes development up against the existing Bank of America building.

• The proposed In-N-Out lies on about a one acre plot, with the restaurant itself occupying about 3,700 sq ft., which is a typical size for an In-N-Out.

• The architecture of the In-N-Out will match that of the rest of The Shoppes, including stonework, natural tile and other "Older European" treatments. It will thus have a different look than a typical In-N-Out.

• In-N-Out originally proposed one bronze colored In-N-Out sign facing the 101 Freeway, with two others in the standard In-N-Out corporate color scheme. Working with the City, the plan has been changed such that all three signs are proposed to be bronze to match the coloring of other stores at The Shoppes.

• The City wanted to make sure there was adequate queuing space for drive-thru traffic. Wolfe indicates typical fast food restaurants have space for 7 to 9 cars and typical In-N-Outs accommodate 15 cars. The City worked with In-N-Out to accommodate in excess of 20 cars for this particular In-N-Out Burger!

• The City is satisfied that In-N-Out and The Shoppes have adequate walls and landscaping planned to ensure car headlights in the parking and queuing areas do not impact drivers on the 101 Freeway.

• In-N-Out has proposed store hours of 10:30 am 7 days a week, closing at 1am Sunday through Thursday and 1:30 am Friday/Saturday. Wolfe indicates this is subject to City Council review.

For more information about the proposed In-N-Out restaurant in Westlake Village, visit www.wlv.org/index.aspx?NID=351.

Proposed Westlake Village In-N-Out Burger Topic of Public Hearing on December 11th

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON PROPOSED IN-N-OUT RESTAURANT IN WESTLAKE VILLAGE

After several months of discussions and a number of plan revisions, In-N-Out Burger has filed an application to construct and operate a drive-thru restaurant on Russell Ranch Road along the 101 Freeway (within the Shoppes at Westlake Village retail center).

This application is scheduled to be discussed at a public hearing at the regular City Council meeting on December 11, 2013, 6:30PM.

In-N-Out Burger is proposing to occupy a freestanding building at the west end of the Shoppes at Westlake Village, which is to be anchored by Target. The Shoppes is anticipated to open in Summer 2014. The City Council’s Planning Area C Ad-hoc Committee and staff have carefully reviewed building and design plans and requested a number of changes to ensure that the building reflects the same architectural detail and standards as the rest of the Shoppes center including stonework, roofing tile, and window treatments. Additionally, at the Committee’s request, signs facing the freeway will be halo-lit and bronze colored, rather than the traditional In-N-Out corporate colors, to match the freeway oriented signage for the rest of the center.

In-N-Out Burger currently has 292 locations in five states, including 218 in California as well as locations in Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Utah. You'd think that with all the excitement about In-N-Out Burger that they'd have more locations by now! But this family chain, opened originally in Baldwin Park in 1948, is taking its sweet time!

Other local Ventura County area In-N-Out locations in Newbury Park (only about 8 miles away from this new proposed Westlake Village location), Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Woodland Hills and Goleta. In May 2011 an Agoura Hills In-N-Out Burger location was under consideration but the plans were withdrawn.

Learn more at www.in-n-out.com. For updates, stay tuned here or visit the City of Westlake Village website at www.wlv.org.

View Larger Map

Carmike Cinemas Completes Acquisition of Muvico Theatres on November 21st

Carmike Cinemas Completes Acquisition of Nine State-of-the-Art Theatres and 147 Screens from Muvico Theatres

Carmike Cinemas, Inc. (NASDAQ: CKEC), a leading entertainment, digital cinema and 3-D motion picture exhibitor, today (11/21/13) announced the completion of its previously announced purchase from Muvico Entertainment, L.L.C. (d/b/a Muvico Theatres) of nine entertainment complexes with an aggregate of 147 screens in Florida, California, and Illinois.

Of the nine theatres purchased, seven are located in Florida, with one each in Illinois and California. Ninety seven percent of the acquired auditoriums are digital and feature stadium seating. Approximately 24 percent of the screen count is 3-D-capable and four theatres have premium large format screens – two IMAX® and two MuviXL. Every location features select auditoriums that contain D-BOX motion-code action seats, and a majority of the theatres offer beer and wine service. Each of the Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Rosemont, Ill., locations contains within the theatre complex a Bogart’s Bar & Grill full-service restaurant. All 147 screens are participants in the Screenvision Cinema Network, which includes more than 14,000 screens throughout the US. Inclusive of the Muvico screens, Carmike’s theatre portfolio now consists of 257 theatres with an aggregate of 2,681 screens in 37 states.

Carmike Cinemas, Inc. is a U.S. leader in digital cinema, 3-D cinema deployments and one of the nation’s largest motion picture exhibitors. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had 247 theatres with 2,521 screens in 36 states, with a digital footprint of 2,418 screens, including 229 locations with 954 screens also equipped for 3-D. The circuit includes 32 premium large format auditoriums featuring state-of-the-art technology and luxurious seating, including 20 “BigDs,” 10 IMAX® auditoriums and two MuviXL screens. As “America’s Hometown Theatre Chain,” Carmike’s primary focus is small to mid-sized community locations. Visit www.carmike.com for more information.

Note to local moviegoers here in Thousand Oaks: Although owned by Carmike, the theaters continue to operate, at least for the time being, under the Muvico brand, although to buy tickets online you will be visiting the Carmike website at www.carmike.com/ShowTimes/Theater/320 or call 805.494.4702.

CLICK HERE FOR MOVIE THEATERS THROUGHOUT VENTURA COUNTY

Metrolink Holiday Toy Express Train to be Suspended in 2013

The Metrolink Board of Directors decided in late September that the 2013 Metrolink Holiday Toy Express will be suspended in order to help close a $10.2 million funding gap for the 2013-14 fiscal year. This would have been the 17th annual event, which the agency indicates costs $269,000 to host.

Last year, the Metrolink Holiday Toy Express, 40+ city tour, passed through six counties as a brightly packaged gift – a 450-ton train decorated with holiday displays, a musical performance and 50,000 twinkling lights and of course, Santa.

The rail agency is considering seeking private funds or corporate sponsors to operate the train in the future. But without significant private sponsorship commitments in place, the Board of Directors felt it would not be prudent to move forward with this year’s Holiday Toy Express.

Funding for the Holiday Toy Express will be reconsidered by the Metrolink Board of Directors for 2014.

ABOUT METROLINK

Metrolink is Southern California’s regional commuter rail service in its 20th year of operation. The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), a joint powers authority made up of an 11-member board representing the transportation commissions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties, governs the service. Metrolink operates over seven routes through a six-county, 512 route-mile network. Metrolink is the third largest commuter rail agency in the United States based on directional route miles and the eighth largest based on annual ridership. www.metrolinktrains.com

Planned Closures of 101 Freeway at Lindero Canyon Road October 28 to November 8

Reconstruction of the Lindero Canyon Road/101 freeway overpass will force several nighttime and early morning closures of the 101 freeway in both directions. These closures will begin at 11:00 pm on Monday, October 28 and last until 5:00 am the following morning.

Closures will occur Monday through Friday for a two-week period. The final closure will take place Thursday, November 7 at 11:00 pm through Friday, November 8 at 5:00 am.

Motorists will be detoured off the freeway at Lindero Canyon Road in each direction. Northbound motorists will be routed to Thousand Oaks Boulevard and will return to the 101 freeway at Westlake Boulevard. Southbound motorists will be routed to the Reyes Adobe on-ramp via Agoura Road. In addition, both the northbound and southbound on-ramp loops to the 101 freeway will be closed during these late evening and early morning construction periods (11:00 pm to 5 am). However, one lane of traffic on Lindero Canyon Road in each direction over the bridge will remain open.

On the first two successive nights and early mornings of the closure starting on October 28, construction crews will be using jackhammers to demolish portions of the overpass as part of the reconstruction project beginning around 11:30 pm. to 5:00 am. Unfortunately, noise generated by this construction activity may be heard in residential areas adjacent to the work.

While the City is mindful of this temporary inconvenience, unfortunately the schedule of the work is dictated by Caltrans and the need to undertake this phase of the construction work in the late evening and early morning hours to coincide with the temporary closure of the freeway. Nonetheless, the City wishes to thank the community and effected residents in advance for their patience and understanding associated with this aspect of the project.

To sign up for email and text message updates on the Lindero Canyon/101 freeway overpass reconstruction project, please visit www.wlv.org and click on the blue project update icon on the left side of the homepage.

When this project is completed, the Lindero Canyon Road/101 bridge will have an additional lane in each direction of traffic, aesthetic improvements, an 11 foot wide lit pedestrian walkway on the east side and a 300 foot long sculpture on both sides of the bridge that will feaure iconic scenes of the City of Westlake Village by artist Joe Werthheimer.

City of Agoura Hills Freeway Sign With Typo on Eastbound 101 Source For Comic Relief

According to the County of Los Angeles Public Library website: The name Agoura Hills originated in 1928 when the last name of well known local French shepherd Pierre Agoure, was selected as the name of the city in order to establish a permanent post office in the community. However, the "e" became an "a" for unknown reasons, either due to an error or perhaps for ease of spelling. We may never know.

History repeats itself. A few weeks ago, Bonnie Q posted a photo of the above sign on the CVG Facebook page and earlier this week I had to see it for myself earlier this week. While it is not exactly something that a spellchecker would catch, how Caltrans let this typo make it to the 101 freeway is a bit puzzling. This sign can be seen on the 101 eastbound between Lindero Canyon and Reyes Adobe Road.

UPDATE: The sign has been replaced and is now correct!

Building Dedication of the Cal & Marje Johnston Boys & Girls Club at Colina Middle School in Thousand Oaks Today

Today was the dedication of the new Cal & Marje Johnston Boys & Girls Club at Colina Middle School in Thousand Oaks. The program was kicked off by Board Chairman Gary Stephani, who welcomed Master of Ceremonies, Bob Eubanks, who in turn introduced other speakers, including County of Ventura Supervisor Linda Parks, Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña, Conejo Valley USD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Baarstad, representatives from the offices of Congresswoman Julie Brownley, Senator Fran Pavley and Assemblyman Jeff Gorell and other local leaders, as well as Cal Johnston himself.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley was formed to serve the more than 30,000 young people of our communities, providing them with excellent, time-tested programs that offer leadership training, character development, and programs in the arts, sports and fitness.

The organization was founded by Cal Johnston, a local resident and community leader, and Chairman of The Johnston Group, in Calabasas. Johnston is a national trustee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and saw the need for Clubs in the Conejo and Las Virgenes area.

Master of Ceremonies Bob Eubanks kept the crowd entertained while introducing dignataries.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley currently operates Clubs at Los Cerritos Middle School, Colina Middle School and Redwood Middle School in Thousand Oaks, Sequoia Middle School in Newbury Park, Chaparral Elementary School in Calabasas and Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills. For more information, visit www.bgcconejo.org.

Cal Johnston sharing his passion for the Boys & Girils Clubs with hsi wife Marje and Eubanks looking on.