Ventura County Supervisors Linda Parks and Steve Bennett, who serve on the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC), have drafted a longrange plan that would, they say, minimize the number of commuters who drive alone to their workplaces.

The plan includes more bike lanes, increased bus service and a light rail system that would serve portions of Ventura County.

But Traffic Commissioner Keith Millhouse questioned the merits of their plan, calling its objectives largely unattainable.

Millhouse, a Moorpark city council member and member of Metrolink's board of directors, said he supports mass transit but doesn't believe this proposal will reduce gridlock.

Millhouse called Bennett and Parks' plan simplistic. The proposal, he said, lacks specific details and includes no funding mechanism.

People will continue to use their vehicles to get around, Millhouse said. Money, he said, needs to be spent to help motorists. "You can't have an impact on traffic congestion until you address and provide relief for drivers," Millhouse said.

"I'm all for adding bus service where we have the funds to do it, but ridership demand and the fare box recovery need to be justified," Millhouse said. Fewer than 2 percent of local residents, he said, use mass transit.

The vision offered by Bennett and Parks also fosters false hopes with its light rail system, Millhouse said, because it would be cost-prohibitive to build and technically unfeasible regarding the steep Conejo grade between T.O. and Camarillo.

County Supervisor Judy Mikels, who also serves on the VCTC, agreed that the plan lacks provisions for motorists.

"It's okay to dream, but the VCTC has to work on attainable goals. The reality is there will be gridlock . . . not because people prefer autos but because mass transit doesn't work in a highly spread-out area like Ventura County," Mikels said.

The concerns of Millhouse and Mikels are premature, according to Parks.

Government and elected officials must look beyond what's needed today, Parks said. The plan is already helping because it's inspiring public debate, she said. It also could provide guidance on future funding sources, she said.

"We have plans to address today's congestion problems by widening various freeways, including the 23 Freeway, scheduled for construction this spring, but our point is that you can't build your way out of congestion," Parks said.

New or expanded freeways are usually obsolete when they open in Southern California because traffic outpaces new construction.

Her long-range plan doesn't try to replace vehicles, Parks said. Instead, it tries to reduce traffic by offering choices. Mass transit options must be included in any long-term plan, she said.

The light rail idea could be feasible 20 years from now, she said, and areas could be connected by bike routes.

The governor's emphasis on transportation infrastructure, including rail systems, makes the topic timely for traffic officials.

There's plenty of room for improvement, Parks said. "We need to stop approving massive development projects that add tens of thousands of new trips each year to road's that are already congested," she said. It's appropriate right now, Parks said, to look at long-term solutions.

VCTC allocates most of its money to roads, Parks said.

But if gasoline prices continue to exceed inflation or jump signficantly upward, solo drivers may be forced to change their driving habits.

If that were to happen, the existing mass transit system-if not upgraded-would be quickly overwhelmed, Parks said.