SIMI VALLEY : Plan Aims to Cut Down on Car Use

Hoping to reduce smog and hang on to more than $1.6 million in state gas tax revenue, the Simi Valley Planning Commission tonight will consider a mandatory proposal to reduce car use.

Under the plan, drafted by the Ventura County Transportation Commission in compliance with state regulations, residential projects with more than 500 units would be obligated to provide on-site child care, a food market and restaurant.

The plan would also require employers with more than 50 workers to provide bike racks and a lunch room equipped with a refrigerator. Businesses with more than 100 workers would be required to reserve parking spaces for car-pool vehicles.