SOAR Initiatives Lead to Short Commute in Ventura County

Manuel Marquez, MD, donates to Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR), a volunteer organization that puts forth voter initiatives on public bills regarding open space areas and agricultural land in Ventura County, California. Specifically, the organization’s donors and volunteers such as Manuel Marquez, MD, seek to preserve these areas and prevent them from rezoning and development.

Part of the organization’s mandate is to see that development occurs in Ventura County’s cities, not in its unincorporated agricultural areas. As a result of these efforts, Ventura County has the third shortest commute time of nearly 100 other metropolitan areas in the United States, according to a study by the National Brookings Institution. Through voter initiatives and public awareness campaigns, the organization has proactively avoided the development of sprawling suburban communities, which only serve to remove individuals from their workspaces and increase commute times.

For more information on SOAR, visit: www.soarvc.org.