Community Services, with textual revisions to reference and maintain consistency with the Bicycle Master Plan, and to revise the General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7) to provide an updated overview of the bicycle network within the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Agoura Hills, California hereby resolves as follows:
Section 1. General Plan Amendment. Pursuant to Section 9821 of Article IX (Zoning) of the Agoura Hills Municipal Code (AHMC), the City Council finds that the proposed General Plan Amendment is needed to ensure consistency between the BMP and the General Plan. The proposed amendments to the Infrastructure and Community Services Element, found in Chapter 3 of the General Plan, as well as the updated General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7) are consistent with the other General Plan Elements, and therefore the proposed General Plan Amendment maintains internal consistency. The proposed revisions to the Infrastructure and Community Services Element, found in Chapter 3 of the General Plan, are attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and hereby incorporated by reference. The updated General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7), which shall replace the existing General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7), is attached hereto as Exhibit “B” and hereby incorporated by reference.
Section 2. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to CEQA, the City provided public notice of availability and intent to certify and adopt an Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) for the Project, in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15089 and 15090. On May 7, 2026, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Final PEIR and MMRP. Following the close of the public hearing, and after reviewing the Final PEIR, public comments, and the administrative record, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 26-1320, recommending that the City Council certify and adopt the Final PEIR, Findings of Fact, MMRP, and Statement of Overriding Considerations. On May 27, 2026, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation, the Final PEIR, Findings of Fact, MMRP, and Statement of Overriding Considerations, and all public testimony and written comments. Based on the entire record before it, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-_____, certifying and adopting the Final PEIR, Findings of Fact, MMRP and Statement of Overriding Considerations for the Project. Resolution No. 26-____ and all findings and exhibits attached thereto are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
Section 3. Based on the findings set forth above, the City Council hereby approves General Plan Amendment Case No. PZ-2026-61-GPA, which consists of: 1) amendments to Chapter 3 of the General Plan, attached hereto as Exhibit A and hereby incorporated by reference, to ensure consistency with the BMP; and. 2) amendments to the General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7), attached hereto as Exhibit “B” and hereby incorporated by reference, to graphically depict an updated overview of the existing and planned bicycle network within the City of Agoura Hills consistent with the BMP.
PASSED, APPROVED, ADOPTED this 27th day of May, 2026, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: ( )
NOES: ( )
ABSENT: ( )
ABSTAIN: ( )
________________________________
Jeremy Wolf, Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Kimberly M. Rodrigues, MMC, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________
Candice K. Lee, City Attorney
Exhibit “A”
Bicycle Master Plan
Bicycle Master Plan
FINAL REPORT
August 2025
City of Agoura Hills
Prepared By: Kimley-Horn & Associates
Prepared for: City of Agoura Hills
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1
1.1 Purpose-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
1.2 Study Area -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
1.3 Project Goals ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2
1.4 Planning Context ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2
1.5 Primary Guidance ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4
1.6 Applicable Legislation ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
2. EXISTING CONDITIONS AND ANALYSIS -------------------------------------------------------- 9
2.1 Overview---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
2.2 Bicycling Mode Share-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
2.3 Existing and Previously Proposed Bicycle Facilities ------------------------------------------------------------------------9
2.4 Existing Transit Facilities ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
2.2 Analysis -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11
3. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT --------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
3.1 Overview---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13
3.2 Community Workshops and Events----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14
3.3 Survey Summary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15
4. RECOMMENDATIONS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18
4.1 Overview---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18
4.2 Bikeway Recommendations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------22
4.3 Programs---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------36
4.4 Engineering------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------36
4.5 Education --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------36
4.6 Encouragement-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------37
4.7 Enforcement-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------37
4.8 Equity -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------37
4.9 Evaluation--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------38
5. IMPLEMENTATION --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39
5.1 Project Options ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------39
5.2 Funding Sources -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------42
5.3 Project Life Cycle ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------44 APPENDIX A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45 A.1 Class I Bikeway Concept Plans ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 APPENDIX B ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59 B.1 Project Scoring Criteria (Based on: Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan) ------------------------------------59 FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 1
1. INTRODUCTION
The Agoura Hills Bicycle Master Plan is organized by the following sections:
» Introduction
» Existing Conditions and Analysis
» Community Engagement
» Recommendations
» Implementation
1.1 Purpose
This comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan (Plan) will
provide safer streets for residents that are dependent on bicycling for transportation every day in Agoura Hills. The recommended actions included in this Plan are meant
to support and increase bicycling in Agoura Hills and to enhance non-motorized travel infrastructure and create
options to support the existing and future population. This Plan includes an inventory of existing bike infrastructure, identifying deficiencies, developing, and prioritizing
improvements, and providing a recommended path for
implementation.
1.2 Study Area
The City of Agoura Hills is located in Los Angeles County in Southern California and is bordered by Ventura County to the north, City of Calabasas to the east, City of Westlake Village to the west, and unincorporated area to the south.
The Ventura Freeway (US 101) is the only major highway
running through Agoura Hills, connecting it to other regions in Southern California. According to the United States
Census Bureau, Agoura Hills has a population of 20,299
within its eight square mile City boundary. The City has a population density of 2,520 people per square mile in 7,585 households. According to the American Community Survey
(ACS) 2019 data1
, over seventy-six percent of workers in
Agoura Hills drive to work alone, while thirteen percent work at home and approximately four percent carpooled.
These statistics highlight the importance of improving the biking infrastructure in the City. The Plan recognizes the dependence on vehicles and the need to address barriers that prevent bicycle trips from being a viable transportation option as well as safe, especially for the younger and lowerincome populations who cannot afford, operate, or choose to forgo vehicle ownership.
1 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/
Los Angeles
County
Orange
County Riverside
County
San Bernardino
County
Ventura
County
Santa Barbara
County
101
101 Agoura Hills
Figure 1: Location Map
2 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
1.3 Project Goals
1.3.1 Vision Statement:
The City of Agoura Hills Bicycle Master Plan
proposes a vision for a diverse network of
interconnected bicycle corridors, support facilities,
and programs that aim to link local and regional
destinations and makes biking more practical and
desirable for a broader range of people.
1.3.2 Goals
The project goals were developed during the planning
process after gathering information both regionally and locally and reviewing other masterplans within the region. 9 Goal 1: Increase Transportation Choices
by providing viable alternatives to driving and
improved equity to include all bikers, those who
choose not to drive and those who cannot drive.
9 Goal 2: Improve Accessibility through local
and regional connectivity. Local connections include
residential areas, schools, commercial centers, and
parks. Regional connections include surrounding
communities and the recreational trail network.
9 Goal 3: Improve Safety by providing separate
biking facilities, reducing bicycle collisions, creating greater visibility for bikers, and raising awareness to both bicyclist and road users.
9 Goal 4: Improve the Public Health by creating
facilities that allow for more biking which is a great
exercise that helps maintain good physical and
mental well-being.
9 Goal 5: Enhance Sustainability and Generate
Environmental Benefits by reducing greehouse
gas emissions as well as air and noise pollution,
9 Goal 6: Enhance Community Character by
constructing bicycle facilities near areas of high
scenic value, such as greenbelts or surface waters.
1.4 Planning Context
The Plan incorporates regional and local planning
efforts that are directly related to biking and trails. These efforts range from long-range regional planning to
neighborhood-specific plans. The following information
summarizes the planning documents that were evaluated
as part of the development of the Plan. Consideration
was taken to understand existing facilities and current planning efforts in neighboring jurisdictions and how
those facilities would connect with those in Agoura Hills.
1.4.1 Agoura Hills General Plan
The Agoura Hills General Plan is the primary citywide
comprehensive plan that guides future growth. The
General Plan contains goals and objectives to guide
decisions and preserve the quality of life within the City of Agoura Hills. The Circulation and Land Use elements
contain goals and objectives that contribute to the
success of this Plan. It should be noted that during the development of this Bicycle Master Plan, the Agoura Hills General Plan was being updated to replace the 5th Cycle Housing Element with the 6th Cycle Housing Element.
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 3
1.4.2 Agoura Village Specific Plan
The Agoura Village Specific Plan (AVSP) is a
comprehensive document that clearly identifies the
vision for the planning area, articulates economic goals, provides regulations and guidelines for new development and redevelopment, traffic, regulatory, and physical
issues. It establishes a framework for development within the area that will lead to the creation of a true pedestrianfriendly sense of place in the Village. The Specific Plan area is located about half way between Westlake Village and Calabasas just off of Highway 101 within the City of Agoura Hills. While the General Plan is the primary guide for growth and development in a community, the Specific Plan is able to focus on the unique characteristics of a specialized area by customizing the vision, land uses, and development standards for that particular location.
1.4.3 Ladyface Mountain Specific Plan
This Specific Plan provides the City of Agoura Hills
a comprehensive set of plans, policies, regulations
and conditions for guiding and ensuring the orderly
development and implementation of the Ladyface
Mountain Overlay District of the City of Agoura Hills.
The purpose of the Specific Plan is to ensure that all
the development at the base of Ladyface Mountain is
compatible with the unique nature of this natural asset, to encourage the coordinated development of a mixture
of business park, commercial and limited residential
uses within the study area and to encourage developers
to address compatibility of proposed projects with
infrastructure capacity.
1.4.4 County of Los Angeles Bicycle
Master Plan
The County of Los Angeles Bicycle Master Plan proposes
a vision for a diverse regional bicycle system of
interconnected bicycle corridors, support facilities, and programs to make bicycling more practical and desirable to a broader range of people in the County. The Plan is intended to guide the development and maintenance of
a comprehensive bicycle network and set of programs
throughout the unincorporated communities of the
County of Los Angeles for 20 years (2012 to 2032). The
Plan provides direction for improving mobility of bicyclists and encouraging more bicycle ridership within the
County by expanding the existing bikeway network,
connecting gaps, addressing constrained areas, providing for greater local and regional connectivity, and
encouraging more residents to bicycle more often.
1.4.5 Agoura Hills Citywide Trails &
Pathways Master Plan
The Agoura Hills Citywide Trails and Pathways Master
Plan serves as a guide to future trail planning design
and construction. The purpose of the Plan is to provide a pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian system that
links homes, schools, businesses, parks, and natural
resources to each other. One of the main benefits of
the Plan is to positively impact individuals and improve communities by providing not only recreation and
transportation opportunities but also health benefits and an improvement in quality of life.
4 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
1.4.6 Las Virgenes-Malibu Regional
Bicycle Master Plan
The Regional Bicycle Master Plan is a collaborative effort of the LAS Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments
(LVMCOG) and other agencies to promote bicycling as a
safe and attractive transportation choice.
The LVMCOG Regional Bicycle Master Plan identifies
potential bicycle transportation facilities within the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu and
Westlake Village that will enhance the regional active
transportation network.
The LVMCOG Regional Bicycle Master Plan's goal is
to engage residents and visitors of the member cities
toward healthier and more sustainable living through
the development of a comprehensive bikeway network
connecting the COG cities to each other, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, state and local parks and the Greater Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
1.4.7 Ventura Countywide Bicycle Master Plan
The Bicycle Master Plan plan was an effort of the
Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) in
collaboration with communities across Ventura County
and published in 2007. The Plan provides a blueprint for bicycle transportation and recreation in Ventura County and was used to inform recommendations for facilities
connecting the City of Agoura Hills with Oak Park. An
update to the Plan is currently ongoing."
1.5 Primary Guidance
In 2014, the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) updated the California Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) to provide uniform
standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices in California. This update is meant to implement Caltrans’s 2014 mission to provide a safe, sustainable, integrated, and efficient transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability. The purpose of the CA MUTCD is to improve safety and mobility for all travelers by setting minimum standards and providing guidance
intended to balance safety and convenience for everyone in traffic, including bicyclists. The CA MUTCD contains the basic principles that govern the design and use of traffic control devices that aim to promote safety and efficiency by providing for the orderly movement of bikeways.
Additionally, National Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (NACTO) guidance was analyzed
to ensure flexibility and innovation in the design and
operations of streets and highways in California. Much
of the guidance provided in the CA MUTCD is consistent
with the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide.
1.5.1 Caltrans Highway Design Manual,
Chapter 1000: Bicycle Transportation Design
Chapter 1000 of the Caltrans Highway Design Manual serves as the official design standard for bikeways in California.
This chapter defines a “bikeway” as a facility that is provided primarily for bicycle travel and recognizes its importance in improving bicycling safety and convenience. Chapter 1000 intends to help accommodate motor vehicle and bicycle
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 5
traffic on the roadway system, or as a complement to the road system to meet the needs of bicyclists. This chapter classifies bikeway facilities into five different types that include:
1. Shared Roadway (No Bikeway Designation)
Source: Kimley-Horn
2. Class I Bikeway (Bicycle Path)
Source: Kimley-Horn
3. Class II Bikeway (Bicycle Lane)
Source: Kimley-Horn
4. Class III Bikeway (Bicycle Route)
Source: NACTO
5. Class IV Bikeways (Separated Bikeways)
Source: Kimley-Horn
However, Chapter 1000 states that these designations
should not be construed as a hierarchy of bikeways since each bikeway type has its appropriate application. This chapter only provides design guidance for Class I bicycle paths, Class III bicycle routes, and trails.
1.5.2 FHWA Separated Bicycle Lane
Planning and Design Guide
This 2015 guide published by the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) is the most recent national bicycle lane design guide and for many, the primary national
resources for planning and designing bicycle facilities.
It captures the state of practice of bicycle facility design within the street right of way. It provides a menu of design options covering typical one and two-way cycle tracks
and provides detailed intersection design information
covering topics such as turning movement operations,
signalization, signage, and on-road markings.
6 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
Source: FHWA Bikeway Selection Guide
1.5.3 FHWA Bikeway Selection Guide
This 2019 guide is an important complement to the 2015
FHWA Bicycle Lane Planning and Design Guide. It has a focus on designing for all ages and abilities. It gives the designer additional tools such as matrices, flow charts, and graphs that facilitate the design of the appropriate bikeway based both on roadway characteristics and the intended type of cyclist.
1.5.4 AASHTO Guide to Bikeway Facilities
The American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) bicycle and pedestrian design guides are important national resources for
planning, designing, and operating bicycle facilities,
especially for bike path design outside a typical road right of way that is not covered in other guides.
1.5.5 NACTO Urban Bikeway and Urban
Street Design Guides
The NACTO guides represent the industry standard for
innovative bicycle facilities and treatments in the United States. In 2014, Caltrans officially endorsed the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide and Urban Bikeway Design
Guide as valuable toolkits for designing and constructing safe, attractive local streets.
1.6 Applicable Legislation
Several pieces of legislation support increased bicycling in the State of California. Much of the legislation addresses greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and employs bicycling
as a means to achieve reduction targets. The most
relevant legislation concerning bicycle policy, planning, infrastructure, and programs are described in the
following sections.
1.6.1 AB-1358 Complete Streets Act
AB-1358 requires the legislative body of a city or county, upon revision of the circulation element of their general plan, to identify how the jurisdiction will provide for the routine accommodation of all users of the roadway
including drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and public transit users.
1.6.2 SB-375 Redesigning Communities to
Reduce Greenhouse Gases
This bill would require that a metropolitan planning
organization (MPO) adopt a sustainable communities
strategy as part of its regional transportation plan to reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cars
and light trucks in a region. SB-375 requires the State Air Resources Board, working in consultation with the MPOs, to provide each region with GHG emission reduction
targets for the automobile and light truck sector.
1.6.3 SB-743 CEQA Reform
In 2013, SB-743 was signed into law by California
Governor Jerry Brown with a goal of reducing GHG
emissions, promoting the development of infill land use projects and multimodal transportation networks, and
to promote a diversity of land uses within developments.
One significant outcome resulting from this statue is the removal of automobile delay and congestion, commonly
known as Level of Service (LOS), as a basis for determining significant transportation impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR)
selected Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the principal
measure to replace LOS for determining significant
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 7
transportation impacts. VMT is a measure of total
vehicular travel that accounts for the number of vehicle trips and the length of those trips.
VMT also allows for an analysis of a project’s impact
throughout the jurisdiction rather than only in
the vicinity of the proposed project allowing for a
better understanding of the full extent of a project’s
transportation-related impact.
1.6.4 CEQA for Bicycle Plans
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15168, the City
has prepared a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Report (Program EIR) for the Bicycle Master Plan. A
Program EIR is prepared for a series of actions that can be characterized as one large project and are related as individual activities carried out under the same authority and having generally similar environmental effects
which can be mitigated in similar ways. This Program EIR provides a comprehensive environmental analysis of the
bicycle infrastructure improvements identified within the Bicycle Master Plan, allowing the City to streamline future implementation of each individual project.
The adoption of the Bicycle Master Plan does not
commit the City to implementation. As individual bicycle infrastructure projects move forward into design and
approval phases, the City will evaluate each activity to determine whether it is within the scope of the Program EIR or if additional project-level environmental review is required pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15162 and 15168(c). The City will also incorporate feasible mitigation measures identified in the Program EIR into each
individual project that is implemented.
Additionally, one intended use of the Bicycle Master Plan is to inform a future nexus study for a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Mitigation Exchange and Banking Program. This
study was included and evaluated in the context of
the Program EIR; along with the bicycle infrastructure
projects, the VMT Mitigation Exchange and Banking
Program will be evaluated prior to any implementing
actions to determine whether it is within the scope of the Program EIR or if additional CEQA review is necessary.
1.6.5 AB-1371 Passing Distance/Three Feet
for Safety Act
This statute, widely referred to as the “Three Foot Passing Law,” requires drivers to provide at least three feet of clearance when passing bicyclists. If traffic or roadway conditions prevent drivers from giving bicyclists three feet of clearance, they must “slow to a speed that is reasonable and prudent” and wait until they reach a point where
passing can occur without endangering the bicyclists.
Violations are punishable by fine.
1.6.6 AB-1193 Bikeways
This act amends various code sections, all relating to
bikeways in general, specifically by recognizing a fourth class of bicycle facility, cycle tracks.
This bill requires Caltrans to establish minimum safety design criteria for each type of bikeway, and also
authorizes local agencies to utilize different minimum
safety criteria if adopted by resolution at a public meeting.
1.6.7 AB-1096 Electric Bicycles as Vehicles
Existing law defines a “motorized bicycle” as a device
that has fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power and has an electric motor that meets specified
requirements. The bill would define an “electric bicycle” as a bicycle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of fewer than 750 watts and would create three classes
of electric bicycles. The bill would prohibit the operation of the most powerful Class 3 electric bicycles on specified paths, lanes, or trails unless that operation is authorized by a local ordinance. The bill would also authorize a local authority or governing body to prohibit, by ordinance,
the operation of Class 1 or Class 2 electric bicycles on specified paths or trails.
1.6.8 SB-1216 Sharrow Prohibition
This act adds a section to the California Streets and
Highways Code that prohibits the installation of sharrows on highways with posted speed limits greater than 30
mph, except for the purpose of connecting a Class I, Class II, or Class IV bikeway at or near an intersection. The bill also prohibits the state's Active Transportation Program 8 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
from funding Class III bikeways on roads with design
speeds of 25 mph or more. !Consequently, roads with
posted speed limits over 30 mph can still be considered Class III bike routes, with relevant posted signage, but would not include sharrow markings on the pavement.
1.6.9 AB-1909 Bicycle Omnibus Bill
This piece of legislation modifies several sections of
the California Vehicle Code to improve the safety and
experience of bicyclists on the road.
First, the bill requires drivers to make a lane change into another available lane, if one is available, before passing a cyclist on the road. This piece of legislation builds on the prior "Three Feet for Safety Act" by requiring
a full lane change to improve cyclist safety and create clear guidelines for the enforcement of bicycle passing distance.
Second, the law authorizes bicyclists to cross an
intersection as directed by a pedestrian control signal, allowing bicycles to enter an intersection displaying a solid red vehicle traffic control signal if the pedestrian signal head displays a walk sign. With the increased
adoption of leading pedestrian intervals in California, the ability for bicyclists to refer to a pedestrian signal to cross allows bicyclists to establish a presence in an intersection before vehicle movements commence.
Third, AB-1909 removes the statewide prohibition of
Class 3 electric bicycles traveling on bicycle paths, bike lanes, bikeways, and trails. Simultaneously, the bill gives local municipalities the ability to prohibit the operation of an electric bicycle or any class of electric bicycle on recreational trails and bicycle paths within their
jurisdiction.
9 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
2. EXISTING CONDITIONS AND ANALYSIS
2.1 Overview
Understanding the existing roadway conditions, land use, and other context-sensitive information in Agoura Hills and the adjacent region is imperative for planning for its future. This chapter includes sections on relevant datasets, such as bicycling mode share, existing and previously
proposed bicycle facilities, and bicycle collisions. In addition to physical characteristics, data from the 2019 American Community Survey was used to analyze the
commuting characteristics of the City’s residents.
2.2 Bicycling Mode Share
Bicycling mode share measures the percentage of
resident workers aged sixteen years and over who
commute to work by bicycle. According to the U.S.
Census 2019 American Community Survey, there are an
estimated 10,300 workers in Agoura Hills and 1.3% use a bicycle to commute. Although this percentage is low, the bicycling mode share is almost twice as much than Los
Angeles County (0.7% of the population bike to work).
2.3 Existing and Previously
Proposed Bicycle Facilities
The existing bicycle facility network in Agoura Hills is comprised of 1.3 miles of bicycle routes and 9.2 miles of bicycle lanes. 87 percent of the bike facilities are dedicated on-street bicycle lanes (Class II) along Palo Comado
Canyon Road, Agoura Road, Reyes Adobe Road, Forest
Cove Lane, Kanan Road, and Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
The remaining 13 percent are routes shared with other
vehicles (Class III) along Rainbow Crest Lane, Canwood
Street and Mainmast Drive.
The existing bicycle facility network is shown in Figure 2.
The previously proposed bicycle facilities documented in the LA County Bicycle Master Plan, Las Virgenes-Malibu
Regional Bicycle Master Plan (LVMCOG), and the Agoura
Hills Citywide Trails & Pathways Master Plan provided a foundation for the Plan’s recommended bicycle network.
The existing network was analyzed for connectivity within the City and with other surrounding jurisdictions and was summarized and presented to the City, stakeholders, and public during a workshop to gather additional input on
routes they felt were important and should be prioritized.
2.4 Existing Transit Facilities
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (Metro) and the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) provide existing regional public transit services to Agoura Hills. Metro service provides access between Thousand Oaks and Warner Center in the
west San Fernando Valley; the LADOT Commuter Express
provides service between Downtown Los Angeles and
Thousand Oaks/Newbury Park. The following transit lines serve the City of Agoura Hills:
Metro Line 161
Line 161 provides local service between Warner Center
and Thousand Oaks. Within the City, this line generally runs along Agoura Road to Roadside Drive to Kanan Road
to Thousand Oaks Boulevard. In the AM peak hour, the
line operates with 15 to 50 minute headways depending
on the direction of travel and 25 to 60 minute headways during the PM peak hour, depending on the direction of
travel. The 161 Metro Line stops at multiple locations on
1.3 Miles
9.2 Miles
of bicycle routes
of bicycle lanes
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 10
O a k P a r k ( U n i n c o r p o r a t e d ) O a k P a r k ( U n i n c o r p o r a t e d ) Laro Dr
U n i n c o r p o r a t e d U n i n c o r p o r a t e d L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y U n i n c o r p o r a t e d U n i n c o r p o r a t e d L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y L o s A n g e l e s C o u n t y U n i n c o r p o r a t e d V e n t u r a C o u n t y U n i n c o r p o r a t e d V e n t u r a C o u n t y T h o u s a n d O a k s T h o u s a n d O a k s
W e s t l a k e W e s t l a k e
V i l l a g e V i l l a g e
C a l a b a s a s
Agoura Rd
Kanan Rd
Thousand Oaks Blvd
Roadside Dr
Canwood St
Grey Rock Rd
Fountainwood St
Driver Ave
Forest Cove Ln
Liberty Canyon Rd
Reyes Adobe Rd
Cornell Rd
Chesebro Rd
Argos St
Lake Lindero Dr
Lewis Rd
Chesebro Rd
Reyes Adobe Rd
Lake Lindero Dr
Agoura Rd
Fairview Pl
Canwood St
Kanan Rd
Canwood St
Agoura Rd
Colony Dr
£¤101
0 0.25 0.5 1
Miles
±
Existing Bike Network
Class I Bike Path
Class II Bike Lanes
Class III Bike Route
Existing Trail
Agoura Hills City Boundary
Points of Interest
Educational Facilities
Religious Facilities
Medical Facilities
Government Facilities
Commercial Retail
Parks and Open Space
Figure 2: Agoura Hills Existing Bike Network
11 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
Agoura Road east of Chesebro Road with one stop along
Roadside Drive, two stops along Kanan Road South of
Thousand Oaks Boulevard, four stops along Thousand
Oaks Boulevard between West City Limits and Kanan
Road.
LADOT Commuter Express 422
CE 422 is an express commuter line that travels from
Downtown Los Angeles to Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
Within the City limits, the line operates on US 101, Kanan Road, and Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Stops are provided
locally along Kanan Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
During the AM and PM peak periods, this line operates
on a 20‐minute headway.
LADOT Commuter Express 423
CE 423 is an express commuter line that travels from
Downtown Los Angeles to Newbury Park. Within the
City limits, the line operates on US 101, Kanan Road, and Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Limited stops are provided at
the US 101 park‐and ride lots and along Kanan Road and
Thousand Oaks Boulevard. During the AM and PM peak
periods, this line operates on a 20‐minute headway.
The park‐and ride lots served by the Commuter Express
lines are located in the northwest and southeast
quadrants of the US 101/Kanan Road Interchange at
the intersections of Kanan Road & Canwood Street and
Kanan Road & Roadside Drive.
Kanan Shuttle
The Kanan Shuttle serves Oak Park High School, Medea
Creek Middle School and the residential areas near
Kanan Road. The Kanan Shuttle is a free way to travel to neighborhood schools and residential areas near Kanan
Road. in Oak Park and Agoura Hills.
2.2 Analysis
To develop this Bicycle Master Plan, a thorough analysis of existing conditions in Agoura Hills was conducted that involved GIS analyses, fieldwork, community outreach,
surveys, workshops, and meeting with City staff to gather data and input.
2.2.1 Bicycle Collision Analysis
Bicycle collision data was obtained from the Statewide
Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) collision
dataset managed by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), which captures reported bicycle collisions that resulted in injury or property damage in Agoura Hills in the fiveyear period of 2015 through 2019. Collision density and locations data are displayed in Figure 3: Bicycle Related Collisions on the following page. Collisions on off-street paths are not reported in the dataset. It is important to note that collisions involving bicyclists are known to be under-reported, and therefore such collisions are likely under-represented in this analysis. During this five-year period (2015-2019), there were fifteen bicycle-related
collisions. The majority of these reported injuries resulted in visible injury or complaint of pain.
2.2.2 Connectivity Analysis
To encourage and support bicycling for people of all
ages and abilities, a bicycle network should be well
connected and should serve people’s needs. The
connectivity analysis exercise was conducted to identify gaps in the existing bicycle network and helped develop recommendations to close the loops in the network. As
part of the connectivity analysis, the project team looked at existing bicycle facilities and connectivity to points of interests such as educational facilities, government facilities, and commercial facilities. Some of the missing connections identified include Canwood Street which
serves as the main access road for multiple commercial
and government facilities. Another major gap in the
bicycle network is on Kanan Road south of Hillrise Road and Reyes Adobe Road south of Passageway Place.
Extension of both of these bicycle facilities would close the loop connecting the four major roads (Backbone)
in Agoura Hills. The Canwood Street and Kanan Road
bicycle facilties extensions also creates a connection to the two Park and Ride lots adjacent to the US 101/Kanan Road interchange. End trip bicycle facilities such as bicycle parking should also be considered at these points of
interest.
12 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
Figure 3: Agoura Hills Bicycle Collision Analysis (2015 - 2019) FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 13
3. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
3.1 Overview
The Bicycle Master Plan planning process was conducted
in an open and transparent manner to ensure that
community members were included throughout the
entire course of the project. Community input and
involvement were crucial to identify barriers to bicycling.
To achieve that, the community engagement process was
designed to include the involvement of a broad spectrum of stakeholders working towards a common goal.
Stakeholders included residents, City staff, local bicycling advocacy groups, the Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD), the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, and local businesses.
3.1.1 Community Engagement Strategies
The primary community engagement strategies utilized
for the Plan were:
» Online Survey
» Community Workshops
» Online Engagement Tools (Strava Challenge)
» Social Media Announcements
» Project Prioritization Activity
These strategies informed the public about the Plan
allowing them to provide meaningful input.
3.1.2 Outreach Materials
As part of the community engagement process,
outreach materials were developed to maximize public
participation.
Project Branding
To be consistent with the City’s branding and graphic
requirements, a similar type of branding style was used for this Plan. The project’s branding was used in all
outreach materials, including activity sheets, worksheet, social media posts, and workshop presentations.
Community Workshop Fact Sheet
Public Engagement Material and Social
Media Announcements
The project team developed a fact sheet that was posted on the City website. In addition, the project team
developed social media messages, including Instagram,
to reach out to interested members of the community.
City of Agoura Hills Instagram Post
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 14
3.1.3 Survey
An online survey was prepared and distributed through
several channels including social media sites, City website, library, and local bicycle shops to determine current
behavior of residents and ways to encourage a mode
shift. The survey included questions about why people
bike, why people do not bike, and what would encourage
people to bike. People were also encouraged to submit
any comments or feedback through email. The online
survey was made available from January 31, 2022 to
February 10, 2022.
3.2 Community Workshops
and Events
Two community workshops and an online Strava
challenge were conducted during the planning process to gather input and solicit feedback on recommendations.
3.2.1 Workshop #1
The first workshop was held on March 22, 2022 at the
Agoura Hills Recreation and Event Center as well as live streamed on YouTube and Zoom. All were invited to
attend the workshop including residents, local bicycle
advocacy groups, City staff, City Council members, and
Planning Commission members. The project team
provided a presentation of the recommendations along
with the vision and goals of the project. During the
workshop there were several opportunities for questions and comments.
Participants were also asked to complete a prioritization activity where projects were assigned either high or low priority, and participants identified their Top 5 favorite projects of the presented projects. The responses
received by the City placed high priority on the projects constituting the “Backbone Network” that includes the
four major arterials of Thousand Oaks Blvd, Agoura
Rd, Reyes Adobe Rd and Kanan Rd. These projects are
a combination of new Class IV bikeways (separated
bike lanes), expanded Class II bicycle lanes, as well as enhanced striping and intersection improvements along
existing bike facilities. High priority was also assigned to the Class I bicycle path alongside Medea Creek, while
lower priority was assigned to Class III bicycle routes within local neighborhoods.
Workshop #1 Project Prioritization Activity Worksheet
15 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
3.2.2 Workshop #2
A second public workshop was held on Tuesday, July 12th, 2022 at the Agoura Hills Recreation and Event Center,
also live streamed on Youtube and Zoom. In addition to
advertising through City social media accounts and the
local newspaper, attendees from the first workshop as well as those who submitted public comments on the Plan
were invited to attend. The project team presented
updates to the recommendations contained within the
draft Plan as well as stakeholder engagement that had
taken place since the first public workshop with law
enforcement, schools, and City departments.
Public Workshop #2
3.2.3 Strava Challenge
National Bike Month is promoted by The League of
American Bicyclists and takes place every May. During the month of May, cities across the country organize events and campaigns to educate people about biking and to
encourage them to bike more to their destinations. To
celebrate National Bike Month, the project team created The Agoura Hills Bike Challenge on the social network
Strava®. Strava is a social media platform where runners and bicyclists can track their physical exercise. The Agoura Hills Bike Challenge asked participants to join Strava to track their bicycle rides and encourage participants to use their bicycles anywhere they would normally take their
car such as commuting to work, going to school or even
running errands. The participant with the most commute
rides during the month of May was awarded a prize at the second Community Workshop for the Bike Master Plan.
City of Agoura Hills Instagram Post
3.3 Survey Summary
Over one hundred people completed the City’s survey and approximately 30 comments were submitted separately
to the City. The results were analyzed and used for the development of potential projects and bikeway routes.
The survey also provided the City with a current view of people’s opinions, concerns, and desire for bicycle facilities.
The following figures depict results from the survey. About 81 percent of respondents bike for exercise or recreational purposes, while only 5 percent use the bicycle to
commute. This split is evident when examining average
distance per bike trip in Agoura Hills.
Strava Challenge Advertisement on City Website
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 16
3.3.1 Why do you bike?
3.3.2 Why don't you bike?
Over 48 percent of respondents choose not to bike due to safety concerns, 19 percent lack access to equipment and 18 percent live far from their work or other destinations.
Of the 48% of participants who have safety concerns, the participants cited they don't feel safe, there is a lack of bicycle facilities, and they have a lack of confidence.
49%
>10 mi
15%
5-10 mi
21%
2-5 mi
6%
<1 mi 9%
1-2 mi
Typical Distance per Bike Trip
81% 5%13%
Exercise/Recreation/Nature Commute Both
19%
48% 18%
11%
4%
Distance to Destination
No Amenities at Destination
Other
Lack of Access to Equipment
Safety Concerns
22%
7%
19%
Don’t Feel Safe
Lack of Confidence
Lack of Bicycle Facilities
17 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
3.3.3 What would motivate you to bike more?
In addition, when asked what would encourage people to bike, the top answer was the opportunity to exercise or spend time in nature, followed by saving gas and being economically friendly and last in the list was employer incentives. 62%
21%
10%
5%
3%
Other Employer Incentive
Exercise/Recreation/Nature
All of the Above
Save Gas/Eco-Friendly
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 18
4. RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 Overview
This chapter addresses the physical improvements
recommended to enhance bicycling in Agoura Hills.
The chapter contains maps and tables that detail
improvement location, extent, and type.
4.1.1 Conventional Bicycle Treatments
As mentioned in the Introduction, there are four types
of bikeways recognized by the California Department
of Transportation which are summarized visually on the
following page.
4.1.2 Enhanced Bicycle Treatments
There are several bicycle treatments that can enhance an existing bicycle facility such as a buffered or separated bicycle lanes, shared lane markings or “Sharrows”, and green markings.
These enhancements are low cost, easy to install, and provide additional awareness about the likely presence of bicyclists.
Buffered or Separated Bicycle Lanes
Buffered bicycle lanes use roadway striping to provide
additional space between the bicycle lane and the traffic lane to provide a more protected and comfortable
space for bicyclists than a conventional bicycle lane.
The minimum buffer width is two feet, with three feet
preferred. Buffered bicycle lanes are considered Class II facilities.
Separated bicycle lanes, sometimes known as protected
bicycle lanes, are buffered bicycle lanes that also include an element of vertical separation from vehicle traffic.
The separation may include, but is not limited to, grade separation, flexible delineators, inflexible bollards, a landscaped median, or on-street parking. If using onstreet parking as a separation element, it is important to still maintain a horizontal buffer from the parked vehicles to keep bicyclists out of the "door zone" where there is potential danger of vehicle occupants opening doors into bicyclists' path. Separated bicycle lanes are considered Class IV facilities. Buffered bicycle lanes are considered Class II facilities.
Source: NACTO
Shared Lane Markings (“Sharrows”)
The shared lane marking is commonly used where parking
is allowed adjacent to the travel lane. It is now common practice to center them within the typical vehicular travel route in the rightmost travel lane to ensure adequate
separation between bicyclists and parked vehicles.
Source: NACTO
Bike Boxes
A bike box is a designated area at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized intersection that provides bicyclists a safe and visible way to wait ahead of queuing traffic during the red signal phase.
This positioning helps encourage bicyclists traveling straight through not to wait against the curb for the signal change.
Source: Kimley-Horn
19 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
CLASS I
Bicycle Path
CLASS II
Bicycle Lane
CLASS III
Bicycle Route
CLASS IV
Separated
Bicycle Lane
Two-way facilities dedicated to nonmotorized users independent of the roadway.
One-way facility that
dedicates some of the
roadway right-of-way to
bicyclists.
Designated routes on
low-speed, low-volume
roadways
On-street bike facilities
that includes horizontal
and vertical buffer
separation from vehicles
» 10’ minimum width for two-way
travel
» 14’ preferred width if sharing with
large volume of pedestrians
» 2’ shoulder on either side of the
Bicycle Path
» 5’ minimum separation between
the edge of the traveled way and
the bicycle path
» Pavement markings and signing
recommended
» Bicycle Path must be ADA
accessible
» 4’ minimum width
» 6’ preferred width
» Horizontal buffers
shall be provided
where feasible
» Horizontal buffers are
2’ (minimum) to 3’
(preferred)
» Pavement markings
and signing
recommended
» Provide bicycle route
signing
» Provide sharrows
every 250’
» Routes should be
continuous and have
minimal turns
» Install on collector
street and secondary
arterials
» 5’ minimum width
» 7’ preferred width
» Vertical elements
may include bollards,
flexible posts, or
raised island
» Horizontal buffers
are 2’ (minimum) to
3’ (preferred)
» Pavement markings
and signing
recommended
» Bicycle Signals are
required at signalized
intersections
Source: Kimley-Horn
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 20
Signage and Wayfinding
Signage and wayfinding on all streets and bicycle routes are intended to identify routes to both bicyclists and
drivers, provide destination information and branding,
and to inform all users of changes in roadway conditions.
Colored Bicycle Lanes
Colored pavement increases the visibility of bicycle routes, identifying potential areas of conflict or transition, and reinforces bicyclists’ priority in these areas. Colored pavement can be used as a corridor treatment, along the length of a bicycle lane or within a protected bikeway.
Additionally, it can be used as a spot treatment, such as crossing markings at particularly complex intersections where the bicycle path may be unclear. Consistent
application of color across a bikeway corridor is important to promote clear understanding for all roadway users.
Source: NACTO
Green Colored Conflict Striping
Intersection or mid-block crossing markings indicate the intended path of bicyclists. Colored striping can be used to highlight conflict areas between bicyclists and vehicles, such as where bicycle lanes merge across motor vehicle turn lanes.
Source: Kimley-Horn
Two-Stage Left Turn Queue Box
Two-stage turn queue boxes can provide a more
comfortable left-turn crossing for many bicyclists because they entail two low stress crossings, rather than one
potentially high stress one. They also provide a degree of separation from vehicular traffic, because they do not
require merging with vehicle traffic to make left turns.
Bicyclists wanting to make a left turn can continue into the intersection when they have a green light and pull into the green queue box. Bicyclists then turn 90 degrees to face their intended direction and wait for the green light of a new signal phase to continue through.
Source: Kimley-Horn
21 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
Bicycle Signals
Bicycle signals include the typical green/yellow/red signals with signage explaining the signal controls, or special bikeway icons displayed within the signage lights themselves.
Near-side bicycle signals may incorporate a “countdown to green” display, as well as a “countdown to red.”
Source: NACTO
Bicycle Detection
Bicycle detection is used at intersections with traffic signals to alert the signal controller that a bicycle crossing event has been requested. Bicycle detection can occur either
through the use of push buttons or by automated means
and are marked by standard pavement symbols.
Source: Kimley-Horn
4.1.3 End-Trip Facilities
End-trip facilities are designated facilities that support those choosing to bike for work or other trips by
addressing associated logistical, security, and other
concerns. Such examples include secure bike parking
or lockers, hygiene facilities, and bike repair stands or centers.
Bicycle Parking
The availability, location, and design of bicycle parking is essential to encouraging mode-shift. Well-designed
bicycle parking has the benefit of both preventing theft and creating an orderly appearance to sidewalks and
building sites. The availability of bike racks that are conveniently located and functional make the overall
experience of bicycling more enjoyable. The most
common types of bike parking are the inverted U-rack
and the post and ring rack. Bike lockers and secure
shelters provide long-term bike parking options.
Source: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Showers and Changing Rooms
Showers and changing rooms ensure concerns regarding
hygiene are addressed for those biking to work. These can be included at targeted public facilities and encouraged for private employers. Facilities should be clean and
spacious, inclusive and secure. Providing toiletries, towel service, and hairdryers or straighteners further serve to improve the experience.
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 22
Bike Repair Facilities
Providing a repair stand or kit that include a floor pump and basic tools can help bicyclists sort out simple
mechanical problems. These facilities can be provided at certain public facilities such as the library, fire station, and park and ride locations.
4.2 Bikeway Recommendations
Through the community engagement process, closing the
gaps on the primary arterials, enhancing existing Class II facilities, and providing recreational facilities were some of the top issues for residents. The collision analysis and connectivity analysis in Chapter two identified facilities with collision history and gaps in the existing network.
Using the feedback from the community and the results of the analysis, a proposed bicycle network was developed.
The proposed network forms a comprehensive backbone
network on primary arterials and low-stress facilities on local streets. The plan recommends a total of 30.1 miles of new bikeways and bikeway improvements.
Of these, 9 percent are Class I multi-use paths, 10 percent are Class IV separated bicycle lanes (existing Class
II), 7 percent are Class II bicycle lanes, 15 percent are enhancements to existing Class II bicycle lanes, and 59 percent are Class III bicycle routes.
The recommended bike network is shown in Figure 4.
The recommendations represent a variety of street types that currently lack safe access and mobility for bicyclists.
These treatments are important to mending existing
safety and connectivity gaps within the City’s existing bicycle network. They can be implemented at the interval that best fits funding cycles or to take into consideration the availability of new information, new funding sources, new development, updated collision statistics, etc.
The following project sheets provide a brief description, cross-section of the proposed improvement, and metrics
associated with each of the backbone bikeway projects.
These project sheets can be used to help guide future
development, capital improvement projects, and grant
pursuits; however, it should be noted these designs are planning level concepts. Further evaluation regarding
feasibility and implementation will be required.
Additionally, concept plans have been developed for the 2-mile Medea Creek Class I bicycle path and the 0.2-mile Agoura High School Connection Class I bicycle path.
These concept plans are included in Appendix A.
23 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
Figure 4: Recommended Bike Network
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 24
KANAN ROAD
Existing Conditions
Kanan Road is a primary arterial
that runs in a north/south direction
providing access to Malibu from the
south, Oak Park to the north, and
access to US 101. There are currently
Class II bicycle lanes between the
northern City limits and Hillrise Drive.
This route has a total of three reported
bicycle collisions.
Recommendations
Install Class IV bikeway between
northern City Limits and Thousand
Oaks Boulevard by reducing the width
of the existing travel lanes. The vertical
protection in the buffer could include
bollards, flexible posts, landscaped
islands, raised curbs/medians, or a
designed vertical element feature.
Install striping enhancements for
the existing Class II Bicycle Lanes on
Kanan Rd between Thousand Oaks
Blvd and Hillrise Drive. Recommendations also include the installation of a Class III bicycle route from Agoura Road to the southern City limit. Potential upgrades to the Kanan Road bikeway system between Hillrise Drive and Agoura Road are under investigation as part of the Kanan Corridor Project Study.
Recommended intersection treatments include the installation of bicycle signals and painted bicycle boxes at the intersections of Kanan Road/Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Kanan Road/Agoura Road. Additionally, install bicycle detection and conflict striping at each signalized intersection along Kanan Road. Buffer Buffer
Existing
Proposed (Northern City Limit to Thousand Oaks Blvd)
Sidewalk SidewalkSidewalk Sidewalk
Bike Lane Bike LaneBike Lane Bike Lane
Travel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel Lane Median Median
BufferBuffer
Existing
Proposed (Northern City Limit to Thousand Oaks Blvd)
Sidewalk SidewalkSidewalk Sidewalk
Bike Lane Bike LaneBike Lane Bike Lane
Travel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel Lane Median Median
2.1 Mile Roadway
1.3 Miles
Existing Bikeway
7 Intersection
Improvements/
Treatments
4 Schools/Parks
3 Bicycle Collisons
1.6 Miles
Proposed Bikeway
Improvements
25 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
KANAN ROAD
Sumac
Park
Willow
Elementary
Sumac
Elementary
Mariposa School
of Global
Education
Shopping
Center
Shopping
Center
KA
N
A
N
RD
AGOURA RD
CORNELL RD
THOUSAND OAKS BLVD
C
A
N
W
OOD ST
KANAN RD
LARO DR
HILLRISE DR
EAGLETON ST
FOUNTAINWOOD ST
^_
^_
101
Add bicycle boxes
to facilitate leftturn movements.
Maintain existing
bicycle lane
width. Install
conflict striping
at driveways.
Allow gaps in
vertical protection
in advance
of signalized
intersection and
driveways to
facilitate right
turn movements.
Install conflict
striping at
intersections.
Additional care
shall be taken to
address students
on bicycles.
Restripe existing
travel lanes to
accommodate
Class IV facilities.
Consider bicycle
racks or lockers
adjacent to bus stops
Proposed Class II Bicycle Lane
Proposed Class III Bicycle Route
Proposed Class IV Bikeway (Protected Bicycle Lanes)
Enhancements to Existing Class II Bicycle Lanes
^_ Proposed Intersection Treatments
(Bicycle Signals, Bicycle Boxes, Bicycle Detection)
Proposed Bicycle Detection
City Limits
see adjacent image above
see adjacent image below
Segment under
investigation as part
of Kanan Corridor
Project
Kanan Corridor Project
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 26
AGOURA ROAD
Existing Conditions
Agoura Road is an east/west secondary arterial. Generally, one travel lane in each direction is available between the easterly city limits to just west of Kanan Road; two travel lanes in each direction are provided just west of Kanan Road to the western city limits. Most of the segment east of Cornell Road is semi-rural in nature with no curb, gutter, sidewalk, or streetlights. On-street parking is permitted along this facility from Kanan Road to Cornell Road and in the Old Agoura commercial area. There are existing
Class II bicycle lanes along the entire roadway segment.
Six bicycle collisions were reported on Agoura Road.
Recommendations
Install conflict striping to the existing Class II bicycle lanes along Agoura Road. Recommended intersection
treatments include bicycle signals and painted bicycle
boxes at the intersections of Agoura Road/Reyes Adobe
Road and Agoura Road/Kanan Road. Additionally, install
bicycle detection and conflict striping at each signalized intersection along Agoura Road. Sidewalk Sidewalk
Sidewalk Sidewalk
Bike Lane Bike LaneBike Lane Bike Lane
Travel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel Lane Planting Strip Planting StripPlanting Strip Planting Strip Median Median
Existing
Proposed (Western City Limit to Kanan Rd)
3.6 Mile Roadway
4.2 Miles
Existing Bikeway
4 Intersection
Improvements/
Treatments
1 Schools/Parks
6 Bicycle Collisons
3.6 Miles
Proposed Bikeway
Improvements
Conflict Striping on Agoura Road
Bicycle Signal
27 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
AGOURA ROAD
Lake
Lindero
Forest Cove
Park
Old Agoura
Park
Ladyface
Greenway
REYES ADOBE RD
FOREST COVE LN
KANAN RD
AGOURA RD
AGOURA RD
LIBERTY
CANYON RD
LEWIS RD
LADYFACE CT
101
101
^_
^_
Add conflict striping
at driveways and
intersections.
Add bicycle boxes
to facilitate leftturn movements.
Add bicycle boxes
to facilitate leftturn movements.
Add conflict
striping at
driveways and
intersections.
Existing bike
repair station
Proposed bike
repair station
Existing bike
repair station
Agoura Hills
Library
Agoura Hills
City Hall
Whizin Market
Square
Agoura Hills Recreation and
Events Center
City Limits
Enhancements to Existing Class II Bicycle Lanes
^_ Proposed Intersection Treatments
(Bicycle Signals, Bicycle Boxes, Bicycle Detection)
Proposed Bicycle Detection
Bike Repair Station
see adjacent image above
see adjacent image below
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 28
REYES ADOBE ROAD
Existing Conditions
Reyes Adobe Road is a north/south
secondary arterial. There are no
driveways along Reyes Adobe Road
north of US-101, and access is limited
to the cross streets. Street parking is
prohibited along this corridor. There
are currently Class II bicycle lanes in
both directions between Lake Lindero
Drive and Passageway Place, continuing
approximately 300 additional feet south
of Passageway Place in the southbound
direction only. There is currently a Class
I bicycle path that shares the sidewalk
in the northbound direction beginning
approximately 650 feet north of Lake
Lindero Drive continuing to Yerba
Buena Elementary School. No bicycle
collisions have been reported on Reyes
Adobe Road.
Recommendations
Install a Class I bicycle path between
Lake Lindero Drive and the existing Class
I bicycle path by narrowing the northbound travel lane and shoulder. Restripe Reyes Adobe Road from Passageway Place to Agoura Road to include new Class II Bicycle Lanes by narrowing the width of the travel lanes or reducing the travel lanes from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction. In addition, implement striping enhancements to existing Class II bicycle lanes along the roadway between Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Passageway Place. Recommended intersection treatments include bicycle signals, painted bicycle boxes, bicycle detection, and conflict striping at the intersections of Reyes Adobe Road/Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Reyes Adobe Road/Agoura Road.
Existing (Passageway Place to Canwood Street)
Proposed (Passageway Place to Canwood Street)
Sidewalk
Bike Lane
Sidewalk
Travel LaneTravel LaneTravel Lane
Turn Lane
Travel Lane
Sidewalk
Bike LaneBike Lane
Sidewalk
Travel LaneTravel Lane
Turn Lane
Travel LaneTravel Lane
Existing (Passageway Place to Canwood Street)
Proposed (Passageway Place to Canwood Street)
Sidewalk
Bike Lane
Sidewalk
Travel LaneTravel LaneTravel Lane
Turn Lane
Travel Lane
Sidewalk
Bike LaneBike Lane
Sidewalk
Travel LaneTravel Lane
Turn Lane
Travel LaneTravel Lane
1.4 Mile Roadway
1 Miles
Existing Bikeway
2 Intersection
Improvements/
Treatments
3 Schools/Parks
0 Bicycle Collisons
0.9 Miles
Proposed Bikeway
Improvements
29 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
REYES ADOBE ROAD
Reyes Adobe
Park
Lindero Canyon
Middle School
Yerba Buena
Elementary School
REYES ADOBE RD
REYES ADOBE RD
AGOURA RD
Narrow or remove
medians and/
or travel lanes to
accommodate Class
II bicycle lanes.
Re-stripe/narrow
existing travel lanes
to accommodate
Class II bicycle lane.
Maintain existing
bicycle lane
width. Install
conflict striping
at cross streets.
THOUSAND OAKS BLVD
LAKE LINDERO
DR
Use signing and striping
to indicate transition
between Class II and
Class I facilities. Bicyclists
would use all-way stop
controlled intersection
to cross the street.
Widen sidewalk on the east
side of Reyes Adobe Road
to accommodate bicycles
for a Class I facility to Yerba
Buena Elementary School
CANWOOD ST
RAINBOW CREST DR
101
^_
^_ Add bicycle boxes
to facilitate leftturn movements.
Add bicycle boxes
to facilitate leftturn movements.
Re-stripe overpass
existing travel lanes
to accommodate
Class II bicycle
lane and adjust
traffic signal heads
and detection as
needed.
Existing bike
repair station
Existing Class I Bicycle Path
Proposed Class I Bicycle Path
Existing Class II Bicycle Lane
Proposed Class II Bicycle Lane
Enhancements to Existing Class II Bicycle Lanes
^_ Proposed Intersection Treatments
(Bicycle Signals, Bicycle Boxes, Bicycle Detection)
Bike Repair Station
see adjacent image above
see adjacent image below
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 30
THOUSAND OAKS BOULEVARD
Existing Conditions
Thousand Oaks Boulevard is an east/
west primary arterial. There is limited
access to cross streets accessing
residential development along this
corridor. Parking is prohibited west of
Kanan Road. Class II bicycle lanes are
provided on both sides of Thousand
Oaks Boulevard between the western
city limits and Kanan Road. Class
II bicycle lanes are provided in the
eastbound direction only between
Kanan Road and Argos Road. Three
bicycle collisions were reported on
Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
Recommendations
Recommended improvements along
Thousand Oaks Boulevard include
upgrading the existing Class II bicycle lanes to a Class IV protected bikeway by reducing the width of the existing travel lanes (western City limit to Kanan Road). The vertical protection in the buffer could include bollards, flexible posts, landscaped islands, raised curbs/medians, or a designed vertical element feature. Recommended intersection treatments include bicycle signals and painted bicycle boxes at the intersections of Thousand Oaks Boulevard/Reyes Adobe Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard/Kanan Road. Additionally, install bicycle detection and conflict striping at all signalized intersections along Thousand Oaks Boulevard and install a crosswalk with a flashing beacon where the proposed Medea Creek Class I bicycle path crosses Thousand Oaks Boulevard. On the eastern segment of Thousand Oaks Boulevard, from Kanan Road to the end, install Class II bicycle lanes in the westbound direction by narrowing travel lanes and parking lane. East of Argos Street, a proposed Class I bicycle path is planned adjacent to Agoura High School, extending 0.2 miles to Easterly Road. Concept plans for the proposed Agoura High School Connection Class I bicycle path and Medea Creek Class I bicycle path are included in Appendix A.
Existing
Proposed
Sidewalk SidewalkSidewalk Sidewalk
Bike Lane Bike Lane
BufferBuffer
Bike Lane Bike Lane
Travel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel Lane Median Median
Existing
Proposed
Sidewalk SidewalkSidewalk Sidewalk
Bike Lane Bike Lane
BufferBuffer
Bike Lane Bike Lane
Travel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel LaneTravel Lane Travel Lane Median Median
2.3 Mile Roadway
2.2 Miles
Existing Bikeway
6 Intersection
Improvements/
Treatments
3 School/Parks
3 Bicycle Collisons
2.3 Miles
Proposed Bikeway
Improvements
31 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
THOUSAND OAKS BOULEVARD
Agoura
High School Forest Cove
Park
Morrison
Park
ARGOS ST
CARELL AVE
Lindero
Canyon
Middle School
EASTERLY RD
REYES ADOBE RD
LAKE LINDERO DR
TH
O
USAND
OAKS
BLVD
KANAN RD
TH
O
USA
N
D
OAKS
BLVD
GREY ROCK RD
FOREST COVE LN
^_ ^_
Allow gaps in
vertical protection in
advance of signalized
intersections to
facilitate right turn
movements
Narrow travel
lanes to provide
Class IV protected
bicycle lanes
Maintain access
to transit.
Add bicycle
boxes to
facilitate leftturn movements.
Narrow travel
lanes and
parking lane to
provide Class II
bicycle lanes.
Existing bike
repair station
Existing Class II Bicycle Lane
Proposed Class I Bicycle Path
Proposed Class II Bicycle Lane
Proposed Class IV Bikeway (Protected Bicycle Lanes)
City Limits
^_ Proposed Intersection Treatments
(Bicycle Signals, Bicycle Boxes, Bicycle Detection)
Proposed Bicycle Detection
Bike Repair Station
Crosswalk with Flashing Beacon
see adjacent image above
see adjacent image below
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 32
FOREST COVE LANE
Existing Conditions
Forest Cove Lane is a north/south local street extending between Hempstead Drive and Canwood Streeet. It is fronted by residential uses and two parks, with on-street parking north of Rainbow Crest Drive. Class II bicycle lanes exist between Rainbow Crest Drive and Canwood Street.
No collisions involving bicycles were reported along Forest Cove Lane.
Recommendations
Install Class II bicycle lane along Forest Cove Lane between Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Rainbow Crest Drive in the southbound direction only. Removal of on-street parking in the southbound direction between Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Rainbow Crest Drive is required. Install Class III bicycle route along Forest Cove Lane between Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Rainbow Crest Drive in the northbound direction only.
On-street parking in the northbound direction shall be maintained.
Forest
Cove Park
FOREST CO
VE LN
TRAIL CREEK DR
QUAIL RUN DR
RAINBOW CREST DR
THOUSAND OAKS BLVD
CANWOOD ST
Adjust speed
humps to allow
for bicycles
Remove
on-street
parking in the
southbound
direction
Existing Class II Bicycle Lane
Proposed Class II Bicycle Lane
Proposed Class III Bicycle Route
0.7 Mile Roadway
0.2 Miles Existing
Bikeway
0 Intersection
Improvements/
Treatments
2 School/Parks
0 Bicycle Collisons
0.3 Miles Proposed
Bikeway
Improvements
33 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
DRIVER AVENUE
Existing Conditions
Driver Avenue is an east/west collector street extending between Argos Street and Chesebro Road/Canwood
Street/Palo Comado Canyon Road. Driver Avenue
provides access to Agoura High School, becoming
congested during pick-up and drop-off times. On-street
parking is allowed on both sides of the street between
Argos Street and Easterly Road and along the southern
side of the street, with some restrictions, along the rest of the segment. There are currently no bicycle facilities along Driver Avenue. Two bicycle collisions were reported along Driver Avenue.
Recommendations
Install Class II bicycle lanes along Driver Avenue between Easterly Road and Colodny Drive by widening the
roadway in areas where the pavement is less than 40'.
All roadway widening shall take place within the existing public right of way. Implement a Class III bicycle route between Argos Street and Easterly Road and between
Colodny Drive and Chesebro Road/Canwood Street/Palo
Comado Canyon Road.
1.0 Mile Roadway
0.0 Miles
Existing Bikeway
0 Intersection
Improvements/
Treatments
3 School/Parks
2 Bicycle Collisons
1.0 Miles
Proposed Bikeway
Improvements
Old Agoura
Park
Chumash
Park
Agoura
High School
EASTERLY RD
CHESEBRO RD
COLODNY DR
DRIVER AVE
ARGOS ST
Install
Sharrows and
Bicycle Route
Signage.
Widen the roadway
in areas less than
40’ to install Class II
bicycle lanes.
Install Sharrows and
Bicycle Route Signage.
Distinguish the travel
lane from the parking
lane with a solid white
edge line.
Proposed Class II Bicycle Lane
Proposed Class III Bicycle Route
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 34
MEDFIELD PATH
Existing Conditions
Medfield Street is currently a closed east/west local
street extending between Lewis Road and Derry Avenue.
Medfield Street abuts the side and rear of residential
parcels along Lewis Road and Driver Avenue and the
rear of a commercial office park along Derry Avenue. The pavement is heavily deteriorated and access to the street is currently restricted.
Recommendations
Convert Medfield Street into a Class I bicycle path
between Lewis Road and Derry Avenue and reopen
the facility to pedestrians and bicyclists. The facility will connect proposed Class III bicycle routes along Lewis
Road and Derry Avenue.
0.2 Mile Roadway
0 Miles
Existing Bikeway
0 Intersection
Improvements/
Treatments
0 School/Parks
0 Bicycle Collisons
0.2 Miles
Proposed Bikeway
Improvements
MEDFIELD ST
LEWIS RD
DERRY AVE
Proposed Class I Bicycle Path
35 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
LIBERTY CANYON ROAD
Existing Conditions
Liberty Canyon Road is a north/south secondary arterial between Highway 101 and Agoura Road and a collector street south of Agoura Road to Park Vista Road. Liberty Canyon Road provides access to residential neighborhoods as well as the Santa Monica Mountains trail system at its southern terminus. On-street parking is permitted on the west side of the street. Class II bicycle lanes exist in both directions between Agoura Road and Country Glen Road. There were no bicycle collisions reported along Liberty Canyon Road.
Recommendations
Install Class II bicycle lanes between Country Glen Road and Park Vista Road by restriping the roadway to narrow the travel lanes and shift the centerline.
LIBERTY CA
N
Y
O
N
R
D
REVERE WAY
AGOURA RD
COUNTRY GLEN RD
PATRICK HENRY PL
PARK
VISTA RD
Existing Class II Bicycle Lane
Proposed Class II Bicycle Lane
City Limits
0.7 Mile Roadway
0.3 Miles Existing
Bikeway
0 Intersection
Improvements/
Treatments
0 School/Parks
0 Bicycle Collisons
0.4 Miles Proposed
Bikeway
Improvements
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 36
4.3 Programs
The following sections offer some background on the
changing “state of practice” in bicycle programming,
namely the increased integration of programs and
projects, culminating in a comprehensive menu of bicycle programs.
4.3.1 Six E’s
In order to realize local goals and objectives, communities should take a multifaceted approach to support the
development of a safe, comfortable, and connected
bicycle network. The principles articulated through the “Six Es” developed by the League of American Bicyclists (Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement,
Equity, and Evaluation) can help create successful programs.
4.4 Engineering
The Public Works Department is responsible for building and maintaining all public streets in Agoura Hills and
ensures that the community can travel around the City
safely and efficiently. A variety of engineering tools can be used to reduce traffic congestion, decrease vehicular speeds, and enhance bicycle safety and comfort. Some
examples of engineering and traffic enhancements that
provide a safer environment for bicyclists include:
» Traffic control signs
» High visibility
pavement markings
» Signal timing
» Traffic safety
monitoring
4.5 Education
According to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records
System (SWITRS) bicycle collision dataset, there were 15 bicycle-related collisions between 2015-2019 in Agoura
Hills. Collisions involving bicyclists are known to be underreported, and therefore such collisions are likely underrepresented. The City should consider carrying out public education campaigns to improve bicyclist safety.
These education campaigns can help teach motorists,
pedestrians, and bicyclists how to share the road safely.
Examples of potential education campaigns include:
4.5.1 Safety Assemblies
Safety assemblies can be organized as interactive
gatherings or festivals that consist of various stations throughout a school gymnasium or park. Each station
can have a bicycle, pedestrian, and teen driver safety
component that allows students to participate in various activities while learning the basics of “on the road” safety.
4.5.2 Bike Safety Workshops
A class intended to build habits and skills, and an in-depth exploration of rights and responsibilities of bicyclists, including an “on bike” maneuvers class intended to
increase confidence.
4.5.3 Pedestrian and Bike Traffic Safety
Fairs
An obstacle course to teach pedestrians and bicyclist
how to identify different street signs and use street
infrastructure to increase safety. Youth and children
navigate the obstacle course.
4.5.4 Family Cycling Education
Family-friendly interactive training and infrastructure tour intended to increase the confidence of pedestrians and
bicyclists.
4.5.5 Safety Resource Event
Safety resource distribution events where people learn
about the importance of wearing a helmet. Participants
receive free helmets and bike lights and are taught about the bicycle rules of the road, as well as how to be visible and predictable when riding.
4.5.6 Bike and Maintenance and Ride
Workshops
Bike maintenance and ride workshops can include a
series of classes for teenagers. These classes teach riders how to fix and ride a bicycle. Participants learn the rules of the road, as well as their rights and responsibilities as bicyclists.
4.5.7 Motorist-Targeted Messaging
Bus shelter advertising and portable changeable message 37 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
signs can be an effective tool to inform motorists of
bicycling safety. Such messaging can also encourage drivers to be more cognizant when sharing the road with bicyclists.
4.6 Encouragement
Vehicle usage can be decreased in part by actively
encouraging residents and visitors to bike for a variety of trips and purposes. Encouragement is about making
bicycling more fun, healthy, and easy to do. To achieve this, the City, along with other local organizations, can organize a series of activities and events that promote bicycling as a mode of transportation and highlight its health benefits.
4.6.1 National Bike Month in May
During the month of May, cities across the country
organize events and campaigns to educate people about
biking and to encourage them to bike more to their
destinations. Activities such as Bike Week, Bike to Work, and Bike Fridays can be organized and promoted.
4.6.2 Open Streets Events
Open Street Events provide families and friends an
opportunity to walk, bike, skate, or scooter down streets in their city free of cars. Open street events like Reyes Adobe Days are being held in the City of Agoura Hills
annually.
4.6.3 Employer Incentives
As identified in the City of Agoura Hills Transportation Assessment Guidelines (2020), developers are
encouraged to implement employer incentive programs
to reduce the number of motorized vehicle trips and miles generated by a development. Examples of employer
incentives include cash-out programs for employees who
carpool or use transit to commute.
4.7 Enforcement
Enforcement, especially when it targets high-risk
behaviors and maximizes educational benefits, will help make road users more compliant and make both driving
and bicycling behaviors more predictable.
4.7.1 Coordinate with Sherriff
Department
The Public Works Department should begin coordinating
with the Los Angeles Sherriff’s Department (LASD) on a
monthly or quarterly basis to discuss the latest concerns regarding bicycle safety in Agoura Hills. During these
meetings, the City and LASD shall discuss specific
locations with potential conflict areas between vehicles and bicyclist, complaints received from the community
regarding bicycle safety, and develop content for social media posts regarding road safety.
4.7.2 Targeted Enforcement
Many law enforcement departments employ targeted
enforcement to educate drivers, bicyclists, and
pedestrians about applicable traffic laws and the need
to share the road. These efforts are an effective way
to expand mobility education, such as in the form
of a brochure, social media post, or even a portable
changeable message sign.
4.7.3 Implement a Bicycle Diversion Program
A bicycle diversion program allows for adult bicyclists who commit traffic violations to receive reduced fines
in exchange for taking a bicycle education class. It
could encourage bicycling by treating violations as
opportunities to educate people, as well as to impart
confidence and skills.
4.8 Equity
The BMP prioritizes the safety of Agoura Hills residents whose primary mode of transportation is biking. Special emphasis is given to streets where the risk for collisions is greater. This plan intends to reduce barriers for bicyclists while mitigating potentially harmful long-term impacts.
Strategies and practices to address bicycle inequities include:
4.8.1 Consider the Transportation Needs
of Traditionally Underserved Populations
Recognize the importance to address the barriers that
prevent trips from being safe, especially for the younger and lower income populations who cannot afford,
operate, or choose to forgo vehicle ownership.
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 38
4.8.2 Encourage Public Involvement
Collaboration with the community is an integral part of the planning process. Individuals, especially those belonging to traditionally underserved communities, need to be
empowered to participate in the transportation planning processes and have their needs heard.
4.9 Evaluation
To improve programs and ensure that the bicycle
conditions in Agoura Hills are adequate, audits,
traffic-safety data collection, analysis, and reporting are necessary. Additionally, surveys allow the City to
gain input from users on existing issues and potential
solutions. Some ways to evaluate and monitor programs
and infrastructure include:
4.9.1 Create or Assign City Staff as Bicycle
Liaison
A bicycle liaison would assist the City’s Public Works’ Department in reviewing development projects and
capital improvement projects . The liaison would also
assist with completing grant applications, maintaining a prioritized list of improvements, researching appropriate funding sources, and updating cost estimates. This
investment in staff is often returned since this position is usually responsible for securing state and federal funding.
4.9.2 Bicycle Advisory Committee
Many municipalities have developed bicycle or active
transportation advisory committees to address bicycling, walking and some address overall mobility, including transit.
This group can act as a community liaison and support City staff, volunteers, and advocate efforts to address issues concerning local bicycling as well as regularly evaluate the progress of improvements in this Bicycle Master Plan..
4.9.3 Conduct Bicycle Counts and Review
Collision Data
Conduct regular bicyclist counts throughout the City to determine baseline mode share on the roadway network.
Conducting counts would allow the City to collect
information on where the most bicycling occurs. This data assists the Cityin prioritizing and justifying projects when funding is solicited and received. Counts can also be used to study bicycling trends throughout the City. Analysis that could be conducted includes:
» Changes in volumes before and after projects have
been implemented
» Prioritization of local and regional projects
» Quantify air quality improvements with increased
bicycle use.
Counts should be conducted at the same locations and at the same times every year.
The City should track collision data and provide regular reports of traffic collisions should be presented to the advisory committee. Traffic collisions involving bicyclists should be regularly reviewed and analyzed to develop
plans to reduce their frequency and severity.
Any such plans should include Sheriff Department
involvement and should be monitored to determine their
effectiveness.
4.9.4 Update Bicycle Friendly Community
Designation
Bicycle Friendly Community designation is part of a program offered by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) intended to provide communities with guidance on becoming
more bicycle friendly and to award recognition for their achievements. Bicycle Friendly Community designation
provides a standard by which the City of Agoura Hills can measure its progress toward bicycle friendliness. It could be a function of city staff to develop the application.
4.9.5 E-Bikes
As electric motor-assisted bicycles, or e-bikes, become more popular and common on City streets, the City should reevaluate its policies guiding what facilities are appropriate for e-bikes and ensure that e-bike users are exhibiting proper behavior while sharing the road with others. Of
particular concern is the increased use of e-bikes among students who may be unaware of or disregard the rules of the road. Reference California Vehicle Code section 406(a) for more information on the various classes of e-bikes and how the state regulates their use in consideration to age restrictions, helmets, and allowable speeds.
39 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
5. IMPLEMENTATION
This chapter supports the implementation of the Plan’s
recommendations by providing the following information:
» Project prioritization and planning-level cost
estimates for the entire proposed bicycle network.
» An overview of potential funding sources for those
proposed projects.
» An overview of the typical transportation project
life cycle, outlining the next steps that each
proposed project would follow to fruition.
Serving as a long-term vision for the City, implementation of the plan will take place incrementally over the coming years. During that time, regular revisitation of project prioritization should be undertaken to ensure the plan
continues to align with community needs. Updates to
the plan and recommended projects may be necessary if
conditions within the community change.
Similarly, the effectiveness of bicycle programs is
maximized by actual project implementation. This Plan
provides a prioritization of the projects to help the City prioritize projects as funds become available.
5.1 Project Options
The recommended bicycle network was divided into
projects and the projects were evaluated based on key
measures of demand, deficiencies, and implementation
factors to guide the phasing of improvements. The Plan
utilized some of the prioritization criteria found in Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan as well as developed criteria based on the Plan’s goals and objectives.
5.1.1 Project Evaluation Criteria
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan divided the
evaluation criteria into two categories. The first category is utility which focused on factors related to people’s tendency to use the proposed network. The second
category is implementation which focused on factors
related to delivering the project.
The utility evaluation factors include connections to
existing and proposed bikeways, connections to key
destinations such as schools, libraries, parks, recreation centers, and transit hubs, bicycle crashes, and community support of the proposed facilities obtained through
the public outreach process. The Plan added factors
such as regional connectivity and presence of existing
bikeway facilities. Table 1 summarizes the utility evaluation factors and point ranges used to calculate a measure of usefulness of the proposed bikeway projects.
Table 1: Bicycle Network Evaluation Utility
Factors and Points
Utility Factor Point Range
Connects to Existing Bikeway Facility:
Class I Bicycle Path = 20 points
Class II/III On-Street Bikeway = 15 points
0 to 20
Connects to Proposed Bikeway Facility 0 or 10
Alternative Route Availability 0 or 10
Gap Closure 0 or 30
Connects to Transit Station 0 or 20
Connects to K-12 School 0 or 20
Existing Bikeways Facilities 0 or 20
Connects to Park, Library or Recreational
Facility 0 or 20
High Rate of Collisions 0 or 5
Public Input 0 or 10
Maximum Total Points 165
Based on: Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan
The second category of the evaluation criteria focused
on implementation-oriented factors, such as project
cost, project coordination, travel lane removal, parking removal, and other considerations. These implementation factors are intended to measure issues, challenges,
and the degree of difficulty of implementing the
proposed bikeway projects. Table 2 summarizes these
implementation-oriented factors and the point range
assigned for each.
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 40
Table 2: Bicycle Network Implementation
Factors and Points
Implementation Factor Point Range
Project Cost was ranked as follows:
Less than $100,000 = 20 points
$100,000 to $500,000 = 15 points
$500,000 to $1,500,000 = 10 points
$1,500,000 to $3,000,000 = 5 points
Greater than $3,000,000 = 0 points
0 to 20
Project Coordination 0 or 10
Requires Travel Lane Removal 0 or 5
Requires Reduction in Width of Landscaped
Median 0 or 5
Requires Street Widening of Paved Surface 0 or 5
Requires Parking Removal 0 or 5
Maximum Total Points 50
Based on: Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan
Projects including Class I, Class II, and Class IV facilites were evaluated under each factor and assigned a point
value. The scores from the evaluation were then tabulated to generate an overall project score for each corridor.
Based on the overall project scores, the bikeway
projects were sorted into three tiers. For funding and
implementation purposes, the proposed bikeway projects
were organized into three tiers based on score. The first tier of bikeway projects is composed of those scoring in the top quarter percentile of project options, while the third tier is composed of bikeway projects scoring in the bottom quarter percentile. The second tier of bikeway
projects composes the remaining projects scoring in
between. Table 3 provides the project options scored
by tier. Further description of the scoring approach is attached in Appendix B.
It is noted that scoring was not conducted for Class
III facilities. Class III facilities generally have the lowest implementation costs and there is less value in prioritizing those projects. Furthermore, the City implements Class
III striping and signage as part of the Annual Pavement Rehabilitation Projects, allowing Class III infrastructure to be installed in tandem with other improvement efforts.
It should be noted that certain facilities require varying levels of maintenance over their lifetime depending on the materials chosen and their interaction with motorists. Striping associated with bike facilities will deteriorate more quickly in intersections and in close proximity to vehicle turning movements, though thermoplastic will last longer than paint.
Similarly, Class IV protected bikeways will require more frequent maintenance as delineators and bollards will require replacement if struck by vehicles, while any vegetation associated with landscaped medians will require upkeep.
Impacts to street cleaning should also be considered.
41 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
Facility From Street To Street Class Length
(Miles)
Construction
Cost Score
Tier 1
Driver Avenue Easterly Road Colodny Road II 0.5 $220,000 152 Forest Cove Lane
Thousand Oaks
Boulevard Rainbow Crest Drive II 0.3 $20,000 135
Agoura Road Western City Limits Liberty Canyon Road Class II Striping Improvements
4.2 $470,000 131
Reyes Adobe Road Lake Lindero Road 700 feet north of Lake Lindero Road
I 0.1 $800,000 130
Medea Creek Bike Path Agoura Road Northern City Limits I 2.0 $13,280,000 130 Thousand Oaks
Boulevard Kanan Road Carell Avenue II 0.3 $20,000 125
Tier 2
Liberty Canyon Road Country Glen Road Southern City Limits II 0.4 $140,000 120 Kanan Road Thousand Oaks
Boulevard Northern City Limits IV 1.0 $400,000 117
Reyes Adobe Road Agoura Road Passageway Lane II 0.3 $600,000 110 Agoura High School
Connection
Thousand Oaks
Boulevard Fountain Place I 0.35 $2,500,000 105
Tier 3
Thousand Oaks
Boulevard Western City Limits Kanan Road IV 2.0 $1,500,000 96 Reyes Adobe Road Thousand Oaks
Boulevard Passageway Lane Class II Striping Improvements
0.4 $80,000 90
Ladyface Greenway Cornell Road Whizin Market Square
Driveway
I 0.1 $640,000 85
Cornell Road and
Cornell Way Agoura Road Kanan Road II 0.4 $4,000,000 76 Medfield Path Derry Avenue Lewis Road I 0.2 $1,000,000 75 Table 3: Project Options Table1
1 Project prioritization was conducted for Class I, Class II, and Class IV facilities. The full recommended bike network is included in Figure 4.
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 42
5.2 Funding Sources
This section explores various funding opportunities that will support the implementation of the recommended
bicycle network. The City of Agoura Hills will pursue
funding for costs associated both with physical
infrastructure as well as for programmatic education,
enforcement, and evaluation needs. Potential funding
sources from federal, state, and regional sources are
listed as well as an explanation for how the City plans to incorporate development fees into funding for
project implementation. All prospective projects are
recommended for implementation within the next
10 years as funding becomes available, though more
expensive and complicated projects may take longer to
implement. In addition, many funding sources are highly competitive, and it is not possible to determine exactly which projects will be funded by which sources and to
what degree.
5.2.1 Federal Sources
The following is a list of federally administered funding sources that may be applicable for implementation of
recommended projects.
» Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Program (CMAQ) - Federally designated
air quality containment areas receive funding
by formula to program local and regional
projects. A large percentage of projects funded
by this program include active transportation
infrastructure and programming.
» Federal Transportation Improvement
Program (FTIP) - The Transportation
Improvement Plan (TIP) is a federally mandated
listing of transportation projects that will be funded
with federal, state or local funds over the next four
years. The TIP includes regionally significant and/
or federally funded transit, highway, local roadway,
bridge, freight, bicycle, and pedestrian capital and
non-capital projects. All transportation projects
must be listed in an approved TIP in order to
access federal or state funding.
» Highway Safety Improvement Program
(HSIP) - The HSIP is federally allocated to the
state for roadway safety projects through a
competitive program administered by Caltrans.
» Safe Routes to School (SRTS) - There are two
Safe Routes to School Programs, one federally
funded, and the other state funded. The federal
version of this grant program funds state, local,
and regional agencies. Non-profit organizations,
school districts, public health departments, and
Native American tribes are eligible in partnership
with a city, county, metropolitan planning
organization, or a regional transportation planning
agency. Targeted beneficiaries are K-8 schools.
» Safe Streets and Roads for All - This
program provides funding directly to local and
tribal governments for improvements to reduce
crashes and fatalities, especially for bicyclists and
pedestrians.
» Surface Transportation Block Grants - This
program provides funding that may be used by
states and local agencies for a wide range of
projects to preserve and improve the condition
and performance of surface transportation,
including highway, transit, intercity bus, bicycle,
and pedestrian projects.
5.2.2 State Sources
The following is a list of State-administered funding
sources that may be applicable for implementation of
recommended projects.
» Active Transportation Program (ATP) -
This program is intended to encourage increased
use of active modes of transportation and funds
bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects with
funds prioritized for projects in disadvantaged
communities or that improve local equity.
Eligible projects include bicycle and pedestrian
improvements and planning. SB 1 augmented
the ATP with an extra $100 million annually to the
program.
43 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
» Local Partnership Program (LPP) - This
“self-help” program provides local and regional
transportation agencies that have passed sales
tax measures, developer fees, or other imposed
transportation fees to fund road maintenance
and rehabilitation, sound walls, and other
transportation improvement projects. Most
transportation improvements are eligible.
» Local Streets and Roads - Cities and counties
receive funds for road maintenance, safety
projects, railroad grade separations, complete
streets, and traffic control.
» Recreational Trails Program (RTP) - This
program provides funds annually for recreational
trails and trails-related projects and is administered
at the federal level by the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and the state level by the
California Department of Parks and Recreation
(DPR). Motorized projects are administered by
the Department’s Off-Highway Motor Vehicle
Recreation Division and non-motorized projects
are administered by the Department’s Office of
Grants and Local Services.
» Safe Routes to School (SRTS) - The state
version of this program only funds city and county
applicants. The target beneficiaries of the state
program are students K-12.
» Sustainable Transportation Planning
Grants - Funded by Caltrans, these grants
are awarded to cities and counties to begin
or complete planning for resilience, to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, and sometimes just to
get up to speed with state climate goals.
» Office of Traffic Safety Grants (OTS) - OTS
grants target educational programs that raise
awareness of traffic safety for drivers, pedestrians,
and bicyclists.
5.2.3 Municipal Sources
The following is a list of locally administered funding sources that may be applicable for implementation of
recommended projects.
» City/County Local Gas Taxes - City/County
Local Gas Taxes are subventions local agencies
receive directly from the state gas tax and are used
for transportation-related purposes.
» Developer Fees - In order to satisfy state
mandates to mitigate increases in vehicle miles
traveled from new development, the City can
collect an exaction from the private sector for new
developments constructed in their jurisdiction to
help fund improvements on the regional active
transportation system. The City charges the
following Transportation Impact Fees (TIF):
Single-Family Residential $8,443 per unit
Multi-Family Residential $4,581 per unit
Multi-Family Mixed Use $2,900 per unit
Shopping Center $33,639 per 1,000 bldg. sq. ft.
Retail/Service $19,704 per 1,000 bldg. sq. ft
Hotel/Motel $5,463 per room
Business Park/Mfg. $6,715 per 1,000 bldg. sq. ft
Business Pk-Office/Retail $11,556 per 1,000 bldg. sq. ft Mixed Use Commercial/
Residential
$17,733 per 1,000 bldg. sq. ft
Commercial Recreation $2,359 per acre
» General Fund Revenues - The General Fund
and miscellaneous local road funds are general
fund revenues dedicated for transportation
purposes. These revenues are based on
information provided in the State Controller’s
annual reports for local street and road
expenditures and revenues.
» Measure R/Measure M Funds - under Los
Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority's
(Metro) voter-approved sales tax initiatives, certain
percentages of collected taxes are returned to local
municipalities to be used for a variety of localized
projects. These projects include street repairs,
local bus service, signal improvements, sidewalk
repairs and expansion, and new or improved bike
infrastructure.
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 44
5.3 Project Life Cycle
This section describes the typical life cycle process that transportation projects undergo from conception to
completion. The four general phases that are discussed
here are: Planning and Evaluation, Preliminary Design and Environmental Review, Final Design, and Construction.
A fifth phase, Operations and Maintenance, is important for more complicated transportation projects but does
not typically apply to local active transportation facilities.
While this process is sequential in nature, each phase is interdependent and not intended to exist in isolation.
Work on each task often overlaps and proceeds in
tandem to ensure continuity and collaboration.
Below is a brief overview of each phase and the tasks
that are relevant to the implementation of projects
recommended in this plan.
5.3.1 Planning And Evaluation Phase
The goal of this phase is to determine existing conditions, solicit public input, and propose future developments
through a formal plan. This plan will ultimately lead to specific projects for which grant funding can be applied for to proceed to the next phase.
5.3.2 Preliminary Design &
Environmental Review
Preliminary design is the stage in which general project design concepts are determined. It includes all that
is necessary to determine project feasibility, consider alternatives to the project and decide upon a project
alignment, and consider any environmental impacts and
possible mitigation of said impacts. Another round of
public outreach is done to address concerns and ensure
support for the project design.
5.3.3 Final Design
The final design stage comprises the preparation of
construction plans and detailed specifications for
construction work to be performed. This includes the
acquisition of any needed right-of-way for the project
alignment, the identification of any utilities that will be affected by the construction process and require
relocation, and the publication of final cost estimates for completion of work.
5.3.4 Construction
The construction phase involves the final stages necessary to realize the project on the ground. This includes posting a request for proposals (RFP) for contractors to bid on, selecting a contractor, the physical construction process, and final inspections and delivery of the project.
Planning and
Evaluation Phase
Preliminary Design &
Environmental Review Final Design Construction
» Purpose & Need
» Draft Plan Document
» Public Outreach
» Plan Adoption
» Grant Applications
» Project Scoping &
Identification
» Feasibility & Alternatives
Analysis
» Preliminary Design Plans
» Environmental Impact Review
» Public Outreach
» Final Design Plans
» Right-of-Way Acquisition
» Utility Relocation
» Final Cost Estimates
» Bidding & Contracts
» Physical Construction
» Inspections & Delivery
45 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
APPENDIX A
A.1 Class I Bikeway Concept Plans
FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 46
AGOURA RD
US 101 FREEWAY
CANWOOD ST OAK CREEK LN
KANAN RD
HILLRISE DR
BUFFWOOD PL THOUSAND OAK BLVD
RUSTLINGS OAKS DR
LARO DR
SHADY CREEK DR
FOUNTAINWOOD ST
MEDEA CREEK TRAIL
CITY OF AGOURA HILLS
VENTURA COUNTY
CARELL AVE
THOUSAND OAK BLVD
EASTERLY RD
FOUNTAIN PL
ARGOS ST
NORTH
SHEET 01 OF 13
AGOURA HILLS BIKE MASTER PLAN - CLASS I BIKEWAY
KEY MAP
FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 47
TYPICAL SECTION A
TYPICAL SECTION B
TYPICAL SECTION C
TYPICAL SECTION D
SHEET 02 OF 13
AGOURA HILLS BMP - TYPICAL SECTIONS
FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 48
TYPICAL SECTION E
TYPICAL SECTION F
TYPICAL SECTION G
TYPICAL SECTION H
SHEET 03 OF 13
AGOURA HILLS BMP - TYPICAL SECTIONS
FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 49
MEDEA CREEK CHANNEL
AGOURA RD
CANWOOD ST
ROADSIDE DR
US-101 FREEWAY
MEDEA CREEK
SHEET 04 OF 13
CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - MEDEA CREEK
A
02 B
02 FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 50
MEDEA CREEK
OAK CREEK LN
MEDEA CREEK
SHEET 05 OF 13
CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - MEDEA CREEK
C
02 C
02 FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 51
KANAN RD
MEDEA CREEK CHANNEL
MEDEA CREEK TRAIL
HILLRISE DR
SHEET 06 OF 13
CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - MEDEA CREEK
A
02 FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 52
THOUSAND OAKS
BLVD
MEDEA CREEK CHANNEL
MEDEA CREEK CHANNEL
SHEET 07 OF 13
CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - MEDEA CREEK
A
02 A
02 FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 53
MEDEA CREEK CHANNEL
SHEET 08 OF 13
CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - MEDEA CREEK
A
02 D
02 FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 54
RUSTLINGS OAKS DR
SHADY CREEK DR
LARO DR
SHEET 09 OF 13
CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - MEDEA CREEK
E
03 F
03 D
02 FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 55
SHADY CREEK DR
WOODCREEK CT
SHADY CREEK DR
MEDEA CREEK TRAIL
WATERTREE CT
SHEET 10 OF 13
CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - MEDEA CREEK
F
03 F
03 FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 56
FOUNTAINWOOD ST
SHADY CREEK DR
CITY OF AGOURA HILLS
VENTURA COUNTY
SHEET 11 OF 13
CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - MEDEA CREEK
D
02 E
03 D
02 FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 57
THOUSAND OAKS BLVD
ARGOS ST
THOUSAND OAKS BLVDCARELL AVE
SHEET 12 OF 13
CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - AHS CONNECTION
H
03 G
03 FINAL REPORT | JULY 2025 58
EASTERLY RD
FOUNTAIN PL
SHEET 13 OF 13
H
03 CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT PLANS - AHS CONNECTION
59 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
APPENDIX B
B.1 Project Scoring Criteria
(Based on: Los Angeles
County Bicycle Master Plan)
Sixteen different criteria were used to assign scores for each project. The criteria fall under two main category themes: Utility and Implementation. Next to the scores
listed in Table I-2 through Table I- 4 are two sub-scores which display the breakdown between Utility score and
Implementation score.
The first category, Utility Criteria - for which there are 10 inputs for a maximum of 145 points - considers a project’s usefulness toward enhancing the current bicycle network and providing service to key land uses. The second
category, Implementation Criteria - for which there are 6 inputs for a maximum of 50 points - considers projects
with fewer implementation obstacles.
B.1.1 Utility Criteria
Connects to Existing Bikeway Facility (0, 15,
or 20 points)
Points were awarded if a project makes a connection to
an existing bicycle facility. For projects connecting to an existing Class I facility, the full 20 points were awarded. For projects connecting to existing on-street bicycle facilities, 15 points were awarded.
Connects to Proposed Bikeway Facility (0 or
10 points)
Points were awarded to projects connecting with other
proposed bicycle facilities.
Alternative Route Availability (0 or 10
points)
Points were awarded if a project did not have a parallel existing facility running along a similar span for the
extent of the project within a distance of several blocks.
If a bicycle project was proposed over an existing bicycle facility (for instance, if an existing Class III were proposed to become a Class II), points were not awarded.
Connects to Transit (0 or 20 points)
Points were awarded if a proposed project was adjacent
to a public transit stop or if a proposed project provided an extension of an existing facility adjacent to a transit stop.
Connects to K-12 School (0, 10 or 20 points)
Points were awarded if a proposed project was adjacent
to a K-12 School. If multiple schools were adjacent to a proposed project, then the full 20 points were awarded. If a single K-12 school was adjacent to a proposed project, then 10 points were awarded.
Connects to Park, Library or Recreation
Center (0, 10 or 20 points)
Points were awarded if a proposed project was adjacent
to a park, library or recreation center. If more than one of these land uses were adjacent to a proposed project, then the full 20 points were awarded. If only one of these uses was adjacent to a proposed project, then 10 points were awarded.
Collision Analysis (0 or 5 points)
Proposed bicycle projects were scored for this criterion by summing together all of the bicycle crashes which fall along the extent of the proposed project to obtain a total number of crashes along the project extent. To normalize, the total number of crashes was divided by the length of the project, to obtain a crash per mile figure.
After this data was collected for all proposed projects, the totals were divided into five categories separated by Natural Breaks, and the projects within the top quantile of the natural breaks categories received the points.
Community Support (0 to 10 points)
Points were awarded if a proposed project was recognized by at least one community member as a priority. If
more than one comment was received supporting the
proposed project, then 10 points were awarded. If only
one comment was received supporting the proposed
project, then 5 points were awarded. Community support
input was collected through the public comment process
undertaken for the preparation of this Plan.
60 CITY OF AGOURA HILLS | BICYCLE MASTER PLAN
Gap Closure (0 or 30 points)
Points were awarded if a proposed project helps
connecting two existing bicycle facilities and hence closes a gap.
Existing Bikeway (0 or 20points)
Points were awarded if there is no existing bikeway on the roadway segment.
B.1.2 Implementation Criteria
Project Cost (0-20 points)
Points were awarded to proposed projects on the basis
of project cost. Points and project cost were assigned an inverse relationship-projects received higher points for being lower cost. Points were awarded as shown in Table
1. Cost of Proposed Project Point Received
$100,000 or less 20
$100,001 to $500,000 15
$500,001 to $1,500,000 10
$1,500,000 to $3,000,000 5
Greater than $3,000,000 0
Table 1: Project Cost Scoring Criteria
Project Coordination (0 or 10 points)
Projects were awarded with points for this criterion
if jurisdictional coordination was not required for
implementation of the project.
Requires Travel Lane Removal (0 or 5
points)
Projects were awarded points if travel lane removal was not required.
Requires Reduction in Width of Landscaped
Median (0 or 5 points)
Projects were awarded with points if the median width
reduction was not required.
Requires Street Widening of Paved Surface
(0 or 5 points)
Projects were awarded with points if widening the
roadway was not required.
Requires Parking Removal (0 or 5 points)
Projects were awarded with points if parking removal was not required.
FINAL REPORT | AUGUST 2025 61
Project Scoring Criteria Table1
Facility
UTILITY CRITERIA IMPLEMENTATION CRITERIA
Score
Connects
to Existing
Bicycle
Lane
Connects
to Future
Bicycle
Lane
Alternate
Route
Availability
Connects to
Transit
Connects
to Park/
Library/Rec
Center
Collision
Analysis
Connects to
K-12 School
Community
Support
Gap
Closure
Existing
Bikeway Cost Project Coordination
Requires
Travel Lane
Removal
Requires
Reduction
in Width of
Landscape
Median
Requires
Street
Widening
Requires
Parking
Removal
CLASS I
Medea Creek Bicycle Path 15 10 10 20 10 0 10 5 0 20 0 10 5 5 5 5 130 Ladyface Greenway 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 5 0 20 10 10 5 5 5 5 85 Reyes Adobe Road 15 10 10 0 0 0 0 10 30 20 10 10 5 5 0 5 130 Medfield Path 0 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 10 10 5 5 0 5 75
Agoura High School
Connection 0 10 10 0 10 0 10 10 0 20 5 10 5 5 5 5 105
CLASS II
Agoura Road
(Enhancements) 15 10 10 20 20 1 0 10 0 0 15 10 5 5 5 5 131 Reyes Adobe Road
(Enhancements) 15 10 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 15 10 5 5 5 5 90 Reyes Adobe Road (South
of Passageway Lane) 15 0 10 0 0 0 0 10 30 20 10 0 5 0 5 5 110 Driver Avenue 15 10 10 0 10 2 10 5 30 20 15 10 5 5 5 0 152 Thousand Oaks Boulevard
e/o Kanan Rd 15 10 10 0 0 0 10 10 0 20 20 10 5 5 5 5 125 Forest Cove Lane 15 10 10 20 10 0 0 5 0 20 20 10 5 5 5 0 135 Cornell Road and Cornell
Way 0 10 10 0 0 1 0 10 0 20 0 10 5 5 0 5 76
Liberty Canyon Road 15 0 10 20 10 0 0 5 0 20 15 10 5 5 5 0 120
CLASS IV
Thousand Oaks Boulevard 15 10 0 20 10 1 0 10 0 0 10 0 5 5 5 5 96 Kanan Road 15 10 0 20 10 2 20 10 0 0 10 0 5 5 5 5 117
1 Project prioritization was conducted for Class I, Class II, and Class IV facilities. The full recommended bike network is included in Figure 4.
RESOLUTION NO. 26-2132
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING A GENERAL PLAN
AMENDMENT (CASE NO. PZ-2026-61-GPA), AMENDING
CHAPTER 3: INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY
SERVICES, WITH TEXTUAL REVISIONS TO REFERENCE AND
MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY WITH THE BICYCLE MASTER PLAN,
AND AMENDING THE GENERAL PLAN BIKEWAYS EXHIBIT
(FIGURE M-7) TO PROVIDE AN UPDATED OVERVIEW OF THE
BICYCLE NETWORK WITHIN THE CITY. WHEREAS, in June 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 20-1942, updating the transportation thresholds of significance for the purposes of analyzing transportation impacts under CEQA, pursuant to State law, including a Transportation Demand Mitigation program that developers can choose to implement to reduce VMT by strategies that include implementing bicycle infrastructure; and WHEREAS, in the Fall of 2021, the City of Agoura Hills began developing the draft Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) to build upon the City’s existing bicycle routes and bicycle lanes, developing a citywide network that ensures residents have access to safe bicycle facilities, meets both commuter and recreational needs, provides connectivity to regional bicycle facilities, and provides standard design details for typical bicycle facility types and treatments; and
WHEREAS, in August 2025, the final draft BMP was released. The BMP proposes a vision of a diverse network of interconnected bicycle corridors and support facilities that aim to link local and regional destinations and make biking more practical and desirable for a broader range of people. The BMP proposes 30.1 miles of new bikeways and bikeway improvements to build upon the City’s existing 1.3 miles of bicycle routes and
9.2 miles of bicycle lanes; and
WHEREAS, in connection with the adoption of the Bicycle Master Plan and Transportation Demand Mitigation program, the City of Agoura Hills also has initiated legislative actions to update the General Plan 2035 to amend Section A. Mobility (M), of Chapter 3: Infrastructure and Community Services and amend the General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7) to graphically depict an updated overview of the existing and planned bicycle network within the City of Agoura Hills (the Bicycle Master Plan, the VMT Mitigation Exchange and Banking Program, and the General Plan Amendments are collectively referred to as the “Project”); and
WHEREAS, on May 7, 2025, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution 26- 1320; A Resolution of the Planning Commission of the City of Agoura Hills recommending that the City Council of the City of Agoura Hills: 1) Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, certify and adopt the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Report for the Bicycle Master Plan, the Vehicle Miles Traveled Mitigation Exchange and Banking Program, and general plan amendments, and adopt the Findings of Fact, the Statement of Overriding Considerations, and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; 2) Adopt the Bicycle Master Plan; and 3) Adopt a general plan amendment (Case No. PZ-2026-61-GPA) to amend Chapter 3: Infrastructure and
Community Services, with textual revisions to reference and maintain consistency with the Bicycle Master Plan, and to revise the General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7) to provide an updated overview of the bicycle network within the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Agoura Hills, California hereby resolves as follows:
Section 1. General Plan Amendment. Pursuant to Section 9821 of Article IX (Zoning) of the Agoura Hills Municipal Code (AHMC), the City Council finds that the proposed General Plan Amendment is needed to ensure consistency between the BMP and the General Plan. The proposed amendments to the Infrastructure and Community Services Element, found in Chapter 3 of the General Plan, as well as the updated General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7) are consistent with the other General Plan Elements, and therefore the proposed General Plan Amendment maintains internal consistency. The proposed revisions to the Infrastructure and Community Services Element, found in Chapter 3 of the General Plan, are attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and hereby incorporated by reference. The updated General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7), which shall replace the existing General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7), is attached hereto as Exhibit “B” and hereby incorporated by reference.
Section 2. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to CEQA, the City provided public notice of availability and intent to certify and adopt an Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) for the Project, in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15089 and 15090. On May 7, 2026, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Final PEIR and MMRP. Following the close of the public hearing, and after reviewing the Final PEIR, public comments, and the administrative record, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 26-1320, recommending that the City Council certify and adopt the Final PEIR, Findings of Fact, MMRP, and Statement of Overriding Considerations. On May 27, 2026, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation, the Final PEIR, Findings of Fact, MMRP, and Statement of Overriding Considerations, and all public testimony and written comments. Based on the entire record before it, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-_____, certifying and adopting the Final PEIR, Findings of Fact, MMRP and Statement of Overriding Considerations for the Project. Resolution No. 26-____ and all findings and exhibits attached thereto are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
Section 3. Based on the findings set forth above, the City Council hereby approves General Plan Amendment Case No. PZ-2026-61-GPA, which consists of: 1) amendments to Chapter 3 of the General Plan, attached hereto as Exhibit A and hereby incorporated by reference, to ensure consistency with the BMP; and. 2) amendments to the General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7), attached hereto as Exhibit “B” and hereby incorporated by reference, to graphically depict an updated overview of the existing and planned bicycle network within the City of Agoura Hills consistent with the BMP.
PASSED, APPROVED, ADOPTED this 27th day of May, 2026, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: ( )
NOES: ( )
ABSENT: ( )
ABSTAIN: ( )
________________________________
Jeremy Wolf, Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Kimberly M. Rodrigues, MMC, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________
Candice K. Lee, City Attorney
Exhibit “A”
Textual Changes to General Plan Chapter 3
Exhibit “B”
Updated General Plan Bikeways Exhibit (Figure M-7)
Source: City of Agoura Hills.
Date revised: October 2023.
CITY of AGOURA HILLS
Bikeways
General Plan Update
Existing Class I Bikeway (Bike Path)
Existing Class II Bikeway (Bike Lane)
Existing Class III Bikeway (Bike Route)
Proposed Class I Bikeway (Bike Path)
Proposed Class II Bikeway (Bike Lane)
Proposed Class III Bikeway (Bike Route)
Proposed Class IV Bikeway (Separated
Bikeway)
Agoura Hills City Boundary
Legend
Figure M-7
REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
DATE: MAY 27, 2026
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: NATHAN HAMBURGER, CITY MANAGER
BY: ROBBY NESOVIC, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: CONDUCT A PRESCREEN REVIEW OF A PROPOSED SIGN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT In accordance with state law and the City's Affordable Housing Overlay, on April 23, 2024, City staff approved an application submitted by Greystar (developer) for a 278-unit apartment complex with 38 low- and very low-income units and approximately 1,000 square feet of new commercial space and a parking garage (AHO-2023-0002) located at 29045 Agoura Road. The application showed two proposed monument signs along the Agoura Road and Cornell Road frontages, in compliance with the City's signage regulations. The project is currently under construction and is anticipated to be complete in the summer/fall of 2027.
The developer, Greystar, is now proposing a wall sign along the building facade facing the U.S. 101 freeway and Roadside Drive, however, the City's sign regulations do not currently allow wall signs for multi-family uses. For that reason, Greystar submitted a prescreen application to obtain non-binding feedback from the City Council on a proposed legislative amendment to the City's signage regulations to allow wall signs on multi-family projects, subject to certain limitations.
The proposed legislative amendment proposes to add a new section 9655.8.A.2 to the City's Sign Ordinance. The new language aims to mirror some of the Sign Ordinance's existing language, particularly in regards to size requirements. The new proposed language is below, and is attached to this report in legislative format. 9655.8. – Permanent sign entitlement by land use.
A. Residential land use districts.
2. Wall signs for Multi-family developments. Each multi-family development shall be allowed one (1) wall sign integrated into the design of the building. Except as otherwise provided by this part, the following sign area limitations shall also apply:
a. Multi-family developments shall be limited to one (1) wall sign. b. One (1) square foot of signage is allowed per each linear foot of primary building frontage. c. For buildings located within one hundred (100) feet of any public or private street the maximum sign area shall not exceed fifty (50) square feet. For buildings located more than one hundred (100) feet from any public or private street, the maximum sign area shall not exceed seventy (70) square feet. d. Freeway facing signage. Subject to approval of a sign program, all Multi-family developments, which either directly back or side upon Highway 101, may be permitted a total of one (1) freeway-facing sign, which shall not exceed twenty-five (25) square feet in size. The freeway-facing sign may be increased up to fifty (50) square feet in size in lieu of a sign intended to be on the primary frontage. This provision does not apply to those buildings or uses, which are separated by a public frontage road from the freeway.
As you can see above, the proposed amendment would allow one 50 square foot or 70 square foot wall sign for multi-family buildings depending on their proximity to the public right-of-way. For signs facing the U.S. 101, a 25 square foot wall sign would be allowed, or a 50 square foot sign would be allowed in lieu of a wall sign on the primary frontage. This provision would not apply to the Greystar development at 29045 Agoura Road since the site is separated from the U.S. 101 freeway by Roadside Drive.
For your consideration, Greystar has provided renderings showing what the project would look like from Roadside Drive with and without a proposed 50-foot wall sign. The renderings are attached to this report.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item will not have an impact on the 2025-26 Fiscal Year Budget since the required review fees were paid by the applicant.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff respectfully recommends the City Council review the proposed legislative amendments and provide nonbinding feedback to the applicant.
Attachments
Proposed Amendment to Signage Regulations.pdf
Renderings with signage.pdf
Renderings without signage.pdf
9655.8. – Permanent sign entitlement by land use.
A. Residential land use districts.
1. Monument Signs for Multi-family developments. One (1) monument sign, maximum forty-eight (48) square feet and six (6) feet in height, may be erected on each public street frontage upon which the complex has public access. In addition, interior signs which are visible from any public right-of-way, may be approved by the director provided that such signs do not exceed six (6) square feet in area and four (4) feet in height. Interior signs not visible from any public right-of-way shall not be subject to the requirements of this paragraph.
2. Wall signs for Multi-family developments. Each multi-family development shall be allowed one (1) wall sign integrated into the design of the building. Except as otherwise provided by this part, the following sign area limitations shall also apply:
a. Multi-family developments shall be limited to one (1) wall sign. b. One (1) square foot of signage is allowed per each linear foot of primary building frontage.
c. For buildings located within one hundred (100) feet of any public or private street the maximum sign area shall not exceed fifty (50) square feet. For buildings located more than one hundred (100) feet from any public or private street, the maximum sign area shall not exceed seventy (70) square feet. d. Freeway facing signage. Subject to approval of a sign program, all Multi-family developments, which either directly back or side upon Highway 101, may be permitted a total of one (1) freeway-facing sign, which shall not exceed twentyfive (25) square feet in size. The freeway-facing sign may be increased up to fifty (50) square feet in size in lieu of a sign intended to be on the primary frontage.
This provision does not apply to those buildings or uses, which are separated by a public frontage road from the freeway.
B. Commercial, business park and planned development land use districts.
1. Wall signs for business park, office and retail uses. Each tenant shall be limited to one (1) wall sign per primary frontage integrated into the design of the building.
Except as otherwise provided by this part, the following sign area limitations shall also apply:
a. Office buildings shall be limited to one (1) sign.
b. One (1) square foot of signage is allowed per each linear foot of storefront, tenant space, or primary building frontage.
c. For each tenant located within one hundred (100) feet of any public or private street the maximum sign area shall not exceed fifty (50) square feet. For each tenant located more than one hundred (100) feet from any public or private street, the maximum sign area shall not exceed seventy (70) square feet. d. For tenants located in a multi-tenant building or center, the maximum sign length shall not exceed sixty-five (65) percent of the length of the tenant space in order to provide clear definition between signs and avoid a crowded appearance.
Each sign shall be generally centered over the storefront or tenant space. e. Major tenants in shopping centers. The maximum allowable wall sign area for major tenants in shopping centers, which have a frontage greater than one hundred (100) feet, shall not exceed one (1) square foot of sign area for each foot of primary building frontage. In no event, however, shall the sign exceed two hundred (200) square feet.
f. Businesses located on second floor in shopping centers. Businesses maintained exclusively on the second floor of a two-story commercial center building may be allowed one (1) wall sign, provided that the square footage of the wall sign not exceed one-quarter of the tenant frontage, or a maximum of ten (10) square feet, whichever is greater.
g. Frontage on two (2) or more streets. A business located in a commercial or business park building having frontage on more than one (1) street may use the applicable maximum allowable wall sign area in section 9655.8.B.1. on one (1) frontage and one-half of the allowance on the second frontage. Said allowance shall only be utilized on the frontage on which the allowance is based. h. Two (2) or more public entrances. A business with a public entrance on a secondary frontage on a parking lot may have a sign located on such frontage which does not exceed ten (10) square feet.
i. Freeway facing signage. Subject to approval of a sign program, all buildings in commercial, business park, or planned development land use districts, which either directly back or side upon Highway 101, may be permitted a total of one (1) freeway-facing sign, which shall not exceed twenty-five (25) square feet in size . The freeway-facing sign may be increased up to fifty (50) square feet in size in lieu of a sign intended to be on the primary frontage. A maximum of one (1) freeway-facing sign shall be allowed for a tenant occupying multiple buildings in a business park or commercial complex. This provision does not apply to those buildings or uses, which are separated by a public frontage road from the freeway.
REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
DATE: MAY 27, 2026
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: NATHAN HAMBURGER, CITY MANAGER
BY:
RAMIRO ADEVA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
MARY HADDAD, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
SUBJECT: DISCUSSION TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN (CWPP) In July 2024, the City began the Community Wildfire Risk Assessment (CWRA) process to identify specific local fire vulnerabilities, high-risk areas, and neighborhood-level safety needs. Completed in October 2025, the CWRA served as the foundational scientific framework for the City. The Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is the next step in this process, turning that data into an actionable roadmap for vegetation management, home hardening, public education, and emergency preparedness.
This process was conducted in partnership with Jensen Hughes, a consulting firm. Community feedback was also central to developing the plan. The City gathered 371 public survey responses and hosted public workshops throughout the process. On March 17, 2026, the City held a dedicated CWPP community workshop with about 60 people in attendance. In addition to this feedback opportunity, the CWPP was available for public review on the City's website from March 9, 2026 - April 7, 2026. This process brought in over a hundred comments.
The City and Jensen Hughes then met with the Agency Working Group consisting of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lost Hills Sheriffs Station, the Santa Monica Mountains and Agoura Hills Fire Safe Councils, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy, California State Parks, National Park Service, Southern California Edison, and the Community Fire Brigade. Additionally, the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Ad Hoc Subcommittee, consisting of Councilmember Kate Anderson and Councilmember Penny Sylvester, was also included to discuss the CWPP and provide comments and feedback throughout its development process.
All feedback was included into the final document, and the final step is receiving approval from the City Council at the May 27, 2026 City Council meeting.
The Agoura Hills Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) Agency Working Group identified priority wildfire resiliency actions focused on improving emergency communications and infrastructure, expanding public education and community outreach, and supporting strategic fuel reduction and vegetation management efforts throughout the City. The group’s feedback emphasized the importance of practical, achievable projects that improve preparedness, strengthen defensible space education, support local Fire Safe Councils, and explore coordinated fuel treatment methods such as grazing and prescribed fire, while also advancing long-term resiliency initiatives related to insurance, infrastructure, and wildfire mitigation policies.
The attached CWPP for the City of Agoura Hills provides a clear, community-informed roadmap to reduce wildfire risk and strengthen the City’s long-term resilience. The plan outlines practical strategies to help the City, partner agencies, homeowners’ associations, and residents prepare for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from wildfire events. Pending Council approval, staff will begin exploring funding opportunities for projects related to emergency preparedness recommendations.
Representatives from Jensen Hughes will also be in attendance for the presentation to Council and to answer any questions.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no immediate impact on the City’s General Fund; the preparation of this plan was fully funded by a grant from CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program. Adopting this plan will also make the City highly competitive for future state and federal hazard mitigation grants to fund upcoming safety projects.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff respectfully recommends the City Council:
1. Approve the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP); and
2. Authorize staff to implement the strategies, priorities, and recommendations identified within the CWPP, as funding becomes available and based on future City Council direction and priorities.
Attachments
20260515_Agoura_Hills_CWPP_Final.pdf
jensenhughes.com Copyright ©2026 Jensen Hughes, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.T0123
REPORT
COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN
City of Agoura Hills
COMMUNITY WILDFIRE
PROTECTION PLAN
CITY OF AGOURA HILLS
May 2026
Prepared by the City of Agoura Hills & the Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council with Jensen Hughes
Funding for this project provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) Wildfire Prevention Grants Program as part of the California Climate Investments Program.
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Acknowledgements
The following organizations and agencies provided invaluable time, resources, and feedback in the development of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the City of Agoura Hills, as well as support during site visits, public outreach and other engagement activities. + City of Agoura Hills – Ramiro Adeva, Louis Celaya, Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Subcommittee
+ Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council (SMMFSC) – Pauline Allen, Danielle Picciano + Agoura Hills Fire Safe Council (AHFSC) – Peter Fehler + Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD)– Chief Drew Smith, Megan Currier, Brad Weisshaupt, Daniel Sanchez, Haddee Hammoud
+ Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Captain Dustin Car, Lieutenant Roman Foss + Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) – Sarah Kevorkian + Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy (SMMC) – Rorie Skei + California State Parks Service – Richard Fink
+ National Park Service (NPS) – Tony Sandrini, Mark Wilson This plan was prepared by the City of Agoura Hills, in partnership with LACoFD, SMMFSC, AHFSC, LA County Sheriff’s Department, MRCA, SMMC, California State Parks Service, NPS, and by an external consultant, Jensen Hughes.
Funding for this project provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) Wildfire Prevention Grants Program as part of the California Climate Investments Program.
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Disclaimers
This CWPP is not a legal document and is not intended to be an all-encompassing fire planning, wildfire resiliency or disaster risk management plan for the City of Agoura Hills. The CWPP is a living document that serves as a road map for planning and prioritizing wildfire mitigation activities throughout the Planning Area, while also providing a resource to help increase public awareness and engagement in wildfire safety principles and preparedness at the individual, household, and neighborhood levels. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of any governmental agency, organization, corporation or individual with which the authors may be affiliated.
As a living document, the CWPP is a work in progress and is anticipated to be monitored, evaluated and updated over the next several years, as wildfire hazards and risks evolve, human development increases, community needs change, and the social, economic, and regulatory landscape change with time.
Recommended actions identified in this CWPP should not be interpreted as a project “activity” as defined under the “Community Guide to the California Environmental Quality Act, Chapter Three; Projects Subject to CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act].” Because the CWPP does not legally commit any public agency to undertake a specific course of action or conduct, the plan and associated recommendations are not a project subject to CEQA or NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act). Before any work described in this CWPP begins—whether supported by state or federal grant funding or requiring discretionary permits—the lead agency must determine if the activity is subject to CEQA or NEPA. If so, the agency is responsible for completing the appropriate environmental review prior to implementation.
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Executive Summary
The Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the City of Agoura Hills provides a clear, community-informed
roadmap to reduce wildfire risk and strengthen the City’s long-term resilience. The plan outlines practical strategies to help the City, partner agencies, homeowners’ associations, and residents prepare for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from wildfire events.
This CWPP builds upon the Community Wildfire Risk
Assessment (CWRA) completed in October 2025, which
established a science-based understanding of wildfire
hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities across Agoura Hills. The CWPP represents the next step by translating those findings into prioritized actions and implementation strategies
tailored to the City’s local conditions.
The plan was developed through a collaborative process
involving the City of Agoura Hills, Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), Los Angeles County Office of
Emergency Services (LACo-OES), California State Parks,
the National Park Service, other land management
agencies, homeowners’ associations, community groups,
and members of the public. It meets the requirements of the 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA), including
identifying and prioritizing fuel reduction activities, addressing structural ignitability, and ensuring meaningful stakeholder collaboration.
The City of Agoura Hills is located within a fire-prone environment shaped by its Mediterranean climate, steep
terrain, wildland–urban interface (WUI) setting, and fireadapted vegetation. While wildfire is a natural part of the region’s ecosystem, risks are heightened by the presence of residential neighborhoods, limited access and evacuation routes in some areas, accumulated vegetation, and the
increasing impacts of climate change—such as prolonged
drought and more frequent extreme fire weather conditions.
CAL FIRE identifies the City as a Community-at-Risk (CAR), underscoring the importance of coordinated wildfire planning and mitigation.
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Using high-resolution topography, fuels, weather data, and values-at-risk information, this CWPP identifies areas
where wildfire hazards pose the greatest threat to people, homes, infrastructure, natural resources, and community assets. The plan prioritizes mitigation actions across a range of strategies, including:
+ Strengthening pre-fire planning and interagency
coordination
+ Enhancing wildfire preparedness and evacuation
readiness
+ Expanding public education and outreach efforts
+ Implementing strategic vegetation management and
fuel reduction projects
+ Promoting and enforcing defensible space and home
hardening measures
This CWPP provides a structured framework to guide
implementation, monitor progress, and pursue funding
opportunities that support wildfire resilience efforts
throughout Agoura Hills. It aligns with the California Fire Plan, the City’s General Plan Safety Element, and the Los Angeles County Strategic Fire Plan.
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What do residents need to know?
1. What is the risk to Agoura Hills from wildfire?
• Wildfire risk in Agoura Hills is real, but it is manageable with preparation and coordinated action. The greatest risks to the community come from a combination of dry vegetation, steep terrain, wind-driven fire behavior, and homes located near wildland areas. Embers can travel long distances during a wildfire, meaning that even homes not directly adjacent to open space may be at risk.
2. What can I do to protect my home and community from wildfires? The most effective wildfire protection begins at the home and neighborhood level. Residents play a critical role in reducing wildfire risk by:
• Maintaining defensible space around their homes
• Removing flammable vegetation and debris, especially within the first 0–5 feet of structures (Zone 0)
• Hardening homes by addressing vents, roofs, windows, and other ignition-prone features
• Participating in Firewise or neighborhood-level wildfire preparedness efforts • Staying informed about evacuation routes and emergency notifications
3. What is the City of Agoura Hills and fire and emergency partners doing to help make Agoura Hills wildfire resilient?
• The City of Agoura Hills and its partners are working to identify priority fuel treatment areas, improve coordination and emergency communications, and pursue funding to support wildfire mitigation projects.
4. What can I do to help my community become prepared for wildfires? • Wildfire resilience is a shared responsibility. This CWPP provides the blueprint—but its success depends on continued collaboration between residents, community groups, local agencies, and regional partners. By taking action now, Agoura Hills can reduce wildfire risk and protect lives, homes, and the natural environment that defines the community
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Revision Record Summary
Version Date Revision Summary
0A 12/2025 Draft Chapters 1-4 issued to AWG for review
0B 02/2026 Draft Chapters 5-8 issued to AWG for review
0C 02/2026 Draft CWPP issued to City Ad Hoc Committee for review 0D 03/2026 Draft CWPP issued for public review
0 05/2026 Final CWPP issued
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Signatures
The 2026 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the City of Agoura Hills was developed in accordance with the Healthy Forests Restoration Act. The plan was developed collaboratively by stakeholders including the City of Agoura Hills, LACoFD, Agoura Hills Fire Safe Council, Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council, county, state, federal agencies and the general public. The plan includes a prioritized list of hazardous fuel reduction strategies, measures that community members can take to reduce structural ignitability, as well as recommendations on additional studies, policy changes, educational programs and other initiatives that can be undertaken to provide a more holistic wildfire mitigation strategy in all stages of wildfire disaster risk management (i.e., prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery).
The undersigned have reviewed the CWPP and accept this document as the final version.
City of Agoura Hills, City Manager, Nathan Hamburger Date Los Angeles County Fire Department, Chief, Drew Smith Date Los Angeles County Fire Department Forestry Division, Assistant Chief, Brad Weisshaupt
Date
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Malibu/Lost Hills Station Captain, Dustin Carr
Date
Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council, Executive Director, Pauline Allen Date Agoura Hills Fire Safe Council, President, Peter Fehler Date Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills Page X | May 2026 | Final .
Table of Contents
LIST OF ACRONYMS................................................................................................................................... XIII
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................15
1.1 Purpose of Plan ........................................................................................................................15
1.2 Goals & Objectives ...................................................................................................................15
1.3 Development Team ..................................................................................................................18
1.4 Policy and Regulatory Framework ...........................................................................................19
1.5 Funding for CWPP Development .............................................................................................20
1.6 Glossary of Terms ....................................................................................................................20
2.0 CWPP DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ......................................................................................................23
2.1 Overview...................................................................................................................................23
2.2 The Collaborative Approach.....................................................................................................24
2.2.1 Core Project Team ................................................................................................................24
2.2.2 Agency Stakeholder Working Group.....................................................................................24
2.2.3 Stakeholder and Public Engagement Approach ...................................................................25
2.2.4 Broader Stakeholder Outreach .............................................................................................26
2.2.5 Public Outreach.....................................................................................................................27
3.0 COMMUNITY OVERVIEW......................................................................................................................33
3.1 Overview...................................................................................................................................33
3.2 Fire Hazard Severity Zones......................................................................................................34
3.3 The Wildland-Urban-Interface (WUI)........................................................................................37
3.4 Communities at Risk.................................................................................................................39
3.5 Values at Risk...........................................................................................................................39
3.5.1 Human Life and Health..........................................................................................................39
3.5.2 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure.......................................................................................42
3.5.3 Private Residential Property & Commercial Businesses ......................................................48
3.5.4 Environment and Natural Resources ....................................................................................49
3.5.5 Cultural and Historical Resources.........................................................................................52
3.5.6 Recreation .............................................................................................................................53
3.5.7 Local Economy......................................................................................................................53
3.6 Land Use / Zoning ....................................................................................................................54
3.7 Fire Protection Responsibility...................................................................................................54
3.7.1 Fire Agencies in Agoura Hills ................................................................................................55
3.7.2 Direct Protection Area (DPA) ................................................................................................56
3.7.3 Fire Protection Agreements and Plans .................................................................................57
4.0 DEFINING THE WILDFIRE PROBLEM..................................................................................................61
4.1 Fire History ...............................................................................................................................61
4.2 Fire Ecology..............................................................................................................................66 Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills Page XI | May 2026 | Final .
4.3 Vegetation and Fuels................................................................................................................68
4.4 Climate and Climate Change....................................................................................................69
4.5 Topography ..............................................................................................................................79
5.0 WILDFIRE HAZARD AND RISK ASSESSMENTS.................................................................................81
5.1 Wildfire Behavior Modeling.......................................................................................................83
5.1.1 Software ................................................................................................................................84
5.1.2 Landscape Data ....................................................................................................................84
5.1.3 Weather Data and Analysis...................................................................................................84
5.1.4 Fuel Characteristics & Fuel Models ......................................................................................86
5.2 Wildfire Hazard Assessment ....................................................................................................91
5.2.1 Simulated Fire Frequency .....................................................................................................91
5.2.2 Fine-Scale Fire Severity........................................................................................................92
5.2.3 Fire Flow Paths .....................................................................................................................95
5.2.4 Potential Crown Fire..............................................................................................................98
5.2.5 Flame Length ......................................................................................................................100
5.2.6 Ember Exposure..................................................................................................................102
5.3 Community Risk Assessment.................................................................................................105
5.3.1 Quantitative Risk Assessment ............................................................................................106
5.3.2 Community Vulnerabilities...................................................................................................109
5.4 Community Input on Hazards and Risks ................................................................................118
5.4.1 CWRA Development: Community Input on Hazards and Risks .........................................118
5.4.2 Feedback from Individuals & Households...........................................................................119
5.4.3 Feedback from Community Groups ....................................................................................120
6.0 COMMUNITY WILDFIRE RESILIENCY STRATEGY...........................................................................122
6.1 Protecting Life Safety .............................................................................................................124
6.1.1 Public Safety .......................................................................................................................124
6.1.2 Firefighter Safety .................................................................................................................124
6.2 Property Protection.................................................................................................................125
6.2.1 Structural Hardening ...........................................................................................................125
6.2.2 Retrofit Resources & Other Local Resources .....................................................................127
6.2.3 Defensible Space ................................................................................................................128
6.2.4 Communal Defensible Space..............................................................................................131
6.3 Critical Infrastructure Protection .............................................................................................132
6.3.1 Water Infrastructure.............................................................................................................132
6.3.2 Communications Infrastructure ...........................................................................................134
6.3.3 Electrical Infrastructure........................................................................................................134
6.3.4 Transportation Infrastructure...............................................................................................135
6.4 Natural Resources Protection ................................................................................................135
6.5 Fuels Mitigation Strategy ........................................................................................................135
6.5.1 Proposed Fuel Treatments..................................................................................................136 Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills Page XII | May 2026 | Final .
6.5.2 Fuel Treatment Prioritization ...............................................................................................137
6.6 Wildfire Detection and Warning Systems ...............................................................................141
6.7 Public Notification and Communication..................................................................................142
6.7.1 Area Notification Systems ...................................................................................................143
6.7.2 Social Media........................................................................................................................144
6.7.3 Other Public Information Sources .......................................................................................145
6.8 Evacuation..............................................................................................................................145
6.8.1 Before a Wildfire Event........................................................................................................145
6.8.2 During a Wildfire Event........................................................................................................146
6.9 Public Education and Awareness Programs ..........................................................................149
6.9.1 County & Regional Programs..............................................................................................149
6.9.2 Local Programs ...................................................................................................................150
6.10 Fiscal Resources ....................................................................................................................155
7.0 CWPP RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ....................................................................................................160
7.1 Recommended Actions – City-Wide.......................................................................................162
7.2 Recommended Actions – Planning Units ...............................................................................176
8.0 IMPLEMENTATION & MONITORING ..................................................................................................186
8.1 Overview.................................................................................................................................187
8.2 Plan Implementation...............................................................................................................188
8.2.1 Organizational Structure .....................................................................................................189
8.2.2 Project Development and Prioritization Process.................................................................189
8.2.3 Operationalizing the Action Plan .........................................................................................191
8.3 Plan Maintenance...................................................................................................................191
8.3.1 Semi-Annual Meeting..........................................................................................................192
8.3.2 Annual Meeting ...................................................................................................................192
8.3.3 5-Year Review.....................................................................................................................192
8.4 Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) ..............................................................................................193
8.4.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................193
8.4.2 Monitoring & Tracking Progress..........................................................................................194
8.4.3 Measuring Effectiveness .....................................................................................................195
8.5 Review & Update....................................................................................................................200
9.0 REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................202 APPENDIX A – GLOSSARY......................................................................................................................... A-1 APPENDIX B – FIREFIGHTING CAPACITY & FIRE BEHAVIOR ............................................................... B-1 APPENDIX C – FUEL TREATMENT GUIDELINES & TECHNIQUES......................................................... C-1 APPENDIX D – COMMUNITY OUTREACH RESULTS............................................................................... D-1 APPENDIX E – PUBLIC WORKSHOPS....................................................................................................... E-1 APPENDIX F – AWG PROJECT PRIORITIZATION .................................................................................... F-2 Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills Page XIII | May 2026 | Final .
List of Acronyms
AHFSC Agoura Hills Fire Safe Council
AHJ Authority Having Jurisdiction
CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CAR Community at Risk
CEQA California Environmental Quality Act
CCR California Code of Regulations
CWPP Community Wildfire Protection Plan
ESHA Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FHSZ Fire Hazard Severity Zone
FRA Federal Responsibility Area
FRAP Fire and Resource Assessment Program
GIS Geographic Information System
HFRA Healthy Forest Restoration Act
HIZ Home Ignition Zone
HOA Homeowners’ Association
IBHS Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
LACoFD Los Angeles County Fire Department
LACo-OEM Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management LANDFIRE Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Project LRA Local Responsibility Area
MRCA Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
MTT Minimum Travel Time
NFP National Fire Plan
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
NIMS National Incident Management System
NPS National Park Service
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PRC Public Resources Code
RAWS Remoted Automated Weather Station
SMMC Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
SMMFSC Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council
SRA State Responsibility Area
WUI Wildland Urban Interface
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
1.0 Introduction
Agoura Hills has a long history of wildfires that has caused substantial impact to human health and safety, the built environment, local economies, the natural environment, and cultural and historical resources. Wildfires have generated a wide range of short- and long-term social impacts, including effects on community well-being, vulnerable populations, and capacity for local recovery. While government agencies play an important role in developing and implementing a range of wildfire hazard and risk mitigation activities, wildfires cannot be fully prevented. Fire is a natural ecological process that supports soil health, nutrient cycling, habitat renewal, pest and disease control, and overall biodiversity. Recognizing both the risks and ecological benefits of fire, it is essential for the whole community to work together to build the capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to, and recover from major wildfire events. Because wildfires are an inevitable part of life in Agoura Hills and neighboring cities such as Calabasas and Westlake Village, the question is not if a wildfire will occur, but when—and how prepared and resilient the community will be to reduce potential impacts.
The 2026 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the City of Agoura Hills considers all areas within city limits. The Planning Area is bounded by Oak Park to the north, Westlake Village to the west, the Santa Monica Mountains to the south and Calabasas to the east.
The CWPP is the result of a community-wide planning effort to quantify and evaluate wildfire threat to the Planning Area and to develop mitigation strategies that enhance protection of human life safety and a range of community values from wildfires. This plan meets the requirements of the 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act and better positions the City and other relevant agencies and organizations to apply for and have a higher likelihood of obtaining state and federal grants for additional studies and implementation activities identified in the action plan. This plan incorporates the latest wildfire science and engineering tools, as well as industry best practices, to holistically mitigate the risks of wildfires across the Planning Area.
1.1 PURPOSE OF PLAN
The primary purpose of the CWPP is to minimize the wildfire threat to human life and wellbeing and reduce the wildfire risk to community values/assets such as residential structures, critical infrastructure, businesses, the natural environment, recreation and historic/cultural resources across Agoura Hills.
The CWPP provides guidance for future actions of the City, local fire safe councils, LACoFD, county, state, and federal agencies, HOAs, residents, and other interested parties in their individual and collective efforts to reduce the potential wildfire threat to the communities in the Planning Area. Successful implementation and long-term sustainability are subject to available funding, the collective action and engagement of all community stakeholders, other City/County priorities, collaboration between Stakeholder groups on private and public lands, and environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) or National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).
1.2 GOALS & OBJECTIVES
The goals and objectives of the CWPP were developed in collaboration with the Agency Working Group and other stakeholders through a combination of meetings, open forum workshops and online feedback. The goals represent broad-based visions for the CWPP and provide general long-term guidelines to drive the desired endFundamental to any CWPP is the engagement and collective action
of all community Stakeholders in
protecting the things that are of
value, addressing the specific
challenges of the local context
and developing comprehensive
risk management strategies that
work for the whole community.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
states for the city. The objectives define strategies or implementation steps to attain the identified goals. They are both specific and measurable and will have defined completion dates as determined by the respective, responsible stakeholder. Common themes identified for the 2026 CWPP goals and objectives include:
+ Protect people first
+ Protect homes, infrastructure and community assets
+ Prepare for a changing climate
+ Turn the plan into action
The goals and objectives of the CWPP development process are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1. Goals & Objectives of the 2026 CWPP for the City of Agoura Hills Goals Objectives
Minimize the wildfire threat to life safety • Reduce human caused ignitions. • Assess wildfire hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities within the Planning Area and utilize assessments to set priorities to reduce threats to life safety.
• Review existing public alert programs and evacuation
resources for wildfires and make recommendations as
appropriate.
• Improve collective action in reducing wildfire risk through enhancements to community engagement, participation, and education programs.
• Assess community-level coping capacities to prevent,
mitigate, respond to and recovery from wildland fire disaster events (e.g., communication systems, evacuation planning, people management, emergency power supplies, short-/longterm recovery resources).
Reduce the wildfire threat to values
and assets at risk
• Identify values and assets at risk from wildfire in the Planning Area.
• Utilize wildfire hazard, risk, and vulnerability assessments to develop prioritized mitigation strategies to reduce the threat to physical, social, environmental, and economic assets.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of existing vegetation treatment codes, local ordinances, and guidance documents.
• Summarize guidance and provide local/state references for fuel treatment methods and strategies for adequate defensible space of structures and critical infrastructure (e.g.,
transportation routes) in all types of locally relevant wildland fuels.
• Map existing, planned, and proposed vegetation treatments. • Review existing mitigations for Agoura Hills and other relevant agency stakeholders
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Goals Objectives
• Identify and promote citizen-based actions that enhance structure hardening and the development of effective
defensible space within the City
• Identify regional strategies to reduce structure ignitibility while protecting the environmental integrity of Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHAs) and consider land
preservation (including but not limited to using nature-based solutions where possible, promoting the use of native/climate appropriate plants, and consideration of CEQA and NEPA
requirements).
• Identify recommendations for enhancing critical infrastructure (e.g., COMMS, water infrastructure, electrical infrastructure) protection from wildfires and reducing any ignitions sources caused by these facilities or equipment (e.g., electrical utilities).
Enhance the resiliency of Agoura Hills
future climate change impacts
pertaining to wildfire.
• Determine potential impacts of climate change on the local fire environment and how these impacts may influence wildfire hazard and risk into the mid-21st century.
• Assess potential future climate scenarios for the city. • Provide recommendations at the local scale to assist in mitigating potential increases in wildfire and post-wildfire hazard, risk, and vulnerabilities in the future.
Improve accountability, public trust,
and efficiency in implementation of
action items identified in the CWPP
• Implementation Objectives:
o Identify responsible parties to carry out action items and establish accountability for actions through annual reporting.
o Support initiatives to identify funding sources available for smaller organizations/entities to carry out
mitigation actions.
o Develop a standard approach for relevant
stakeholders to collaborate on obtaining funding for
wildfire mitigation initiatives.
• Tracking/Monitoring Objectives:
o Create a method to monitor, track, and document
completed action items identified in the CWPP.
o Establish an approach and plan for measuring the
success of implementing action items in achieving the
goals identified in the CWPP (e.g., measurable
reduction in risks).
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
1.3 DEVELOPMENT TEAM
This section identifies the agencies, parties and other organizations who were involved and/or provided input into the development of the CWPP. The roles and responsibilities are indicated Table 2 below:
Table 2. CWPP Project Roles and Responsibilities.
CWPP Development Entities Roles/Responsibilities
Lead Organizations:
City of Agoura Hills
Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council
+ Manage day-to-day CWPP development and consultants
+ Form and coordinate Stakeholder Working Group
+ Coordinate Core Project Team and public outreach
+ Provide guidance and support for CWPP development
+ Distribute media releases about the CWPP
+ Conduct direct outreach
+ Coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions
+ Identify and obtain grant funding for the CWPP
Stakeholder Working Group: 10 members
See Section 2.2.2 for full list of members
+ Represent a wide range of agencies, organizations, and entities in Agoura Hills
+ Approve CWPP goals and objectives and any planning
unit boundaries
+ Provide general feedback, expertise, and local context for CWPP development and associated products
+ Identify gaps in CWPP development process
+ Support public outreach activities
+ Support site visits
+ Develop, implement, and maintain long-term operations of CWPP strategy and actions
General Public and Other Interested Parties
+ Attend public workshops
+ Provide responses to online survey
+ Provide input on values to protect, areas of concerns, community projects and ongoing grass-roots initiatives
CWPP Consultant: Jensen Hughes
+ Support the development of the CWPP
+ Provide fire science, engineering and subject matter
expertise, data analysis, and guidance on current wildfire research
+ Facilitate and support stakeholder outreach and
engagement
+ Provide supporting materials and content for public
outreach activities (e.g., CWPP development page, Story Map, public survey)
+ Develop CWPP implementation and monitoring plan
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
1.4 POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Federal
+ Disaster Mitigation Act (2000–present)
+ Healthy Forests Restoration Act (2003)
+ National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management
Strategy (Amended 2023)
+ National Fire Plan (NFP) 2000
+ NFPA Standards (NFPA 1, NFPA 1140)
+ National Incident Management System (NIMS)
State
+ California State Hazard Mitigation Plan (2023)
+ CAL FIRE California Strategic Fire Plan (2024)
+ California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Guidelines (updated 2025)
+ California Fire Code (2025)
+ California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (2025)
+ California Code of Regulations Title 24 (2025)
+ California Residential Code Chapter 3 (2025)
+ California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action
Plan (2021)
+ Public Resource Code: 4123.7, 4124, 4125-4137,
4114.3, 4201-4204, 4290, 4291, 4292-93, 4296,
4296.5, 4421-4446, 4741
+ California Code of Regulations - 1299.1, 1256
+ Government Code 51175-51189, 65302.5,
8593.3.5
+ California Health and Safety Code: DIVISION 12
+ California Health and Safety Code Section 18931.7,
13159.5
+ California Civil Code 1102.6f, 1102.19, 1103.C.3
+ California Public Utilities Coded 8386
+ California Emergency Services Act - Chapter 7,
Section 8550-8551 (CESA)
+ California Regional Water Quality Board
+ California Air Resources Board
+ Senate Bills: 160, 167, 190, 465, 560, 670, 901,
979, 1260
+ Assembly Bills: 38, 836, 1054, 1877, 1956, 2911
+ 2023 California Green Innovation Index, 15th
Edition
County & Regional
+ Los Angeles County All-Hazard Mitigation Plan
(2025)
+ Los Angeles County Operational Emergency
Response Plan (2023)
+ Los Angeles County Fire Department, Overview
Booklet (2020)
+ Los Angeles County Fire Department “Act. Action.
Accomplish.”: 2017-2021 Strategic Plan
+ County of Los Angeles Park Design Guidelines and
Standards (2017)
+ County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and
Recreation Urban Forestry Program Manual
+ South Coast Air Quality Management Plan
+ Southern California Edison 2026-2028 Wildfire
Mitigation Plan
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
+ Los Angeles County General Plan 2035
+ Los Angeles County Regional Planning, SEA
Ordinance Implementation Guide (2020)
+ Los Angeles County, Planning and Zoning, Title 22
+ Los Angeles County Fire Code, Title 32
+ Los Angeles County Building Code, Title 26
Local
+ City of Agoura Hills General Plan (Adopted 2010, updated 2022) + City of Agoura Hills Municipal Code (AHMC)
+ Los Angeles County Fire Code (2023) as adopted by AHMC Article III Section 3100 + Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (2024)
1.5 FUNDING FOR CWPP DEVELOPMENT
Funding for the preparation of this CWPP was provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) Wildfire Prevention Grants Program as part of the California Climate Investments Program.
1.6 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
A glossary of terms can be found in Appendix A.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
CWPP Development Process
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
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Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
2.0 CWPP Development Process
2.1 OVERVIEW
The development of a CWPP is a collaborative process where community stakeholders assess the wildfire threat, identify community values at risk, and ultimately develop prioritized mitigation measures and actions to increase community resilience to wildfire threats. The language in the 2003 HFRA provides maximum flexibility for communities to determine the substance and detail of their CWPP action plan and the procedures they use to develop it. The CWPP planning process provides communities with the opportunity to develop a locally relevant plan that influences where and how federal agencies implement fuel treatment activities on federal land and the distribution of federal funds for projects on non-federal lands. In addition, development of a CWPP positions communities to access other funding sources from State and Local resources for wildfire mitigation projects.
The CWPP planning process brings together broad and diverse local interests to holistically identify common concerns and values related to public safety, sustainability of environmental and natural resources, and longterm resiliency and sustainability of the whole community. The process should provide a positive, solutionoriented environment in which to address the challenges of living in a community at risk to wildfire. Because not all community members will attend workshops or meetings, it is important to provide multiple opportunities for the whole community to provide input, voice issues and concerns, and participate in the process Figure 1.
Figure 1. CWPP Development Process and Timeline
As part of the 2003 HFRA, there are three minimum requirements for a CWPP, including:
+ Collaboration – A CWPP must be collaboratively developed. Local and state officials must meaningfully involve federal agencies that manage land in the vicinity of the community and other interested parties (particularly non-governmental stakeholders) that can work collectively to implement and manage wildfire risk mitigation measures and can help build a “culture of resiliency” at an individual and community-level. + Prioritized Fuel Reduction – A CWPP must identify and prioritize areas for hazardous fuel reduction treatments on non-federal lands and recommend the types and methods of treatment that, if completed, would reduce risk to the community.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
+ Treatment of Structural Ignitability – A CWPP must recommend measures that homeowners and communities can take to reduce the ignitability of structures throughout the area addressed by the plan.
In the development of a CWPP, the more inclusive the group and the greater the diversity of interests involved, the more likely the plan will represent the community as a whole. These three basic requirements, however, do not preclude the community from developing broader wildfire disaster risk management and capacity building efforts (e.g., evacuation/shelter-in-place planning, community emergency communications, early warning detection systems, post-fire recovery services, etc.).
2.2 THE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
The Agoura Hills CWPP was developed collaboratively with the City of Agoura Hills, the Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council, the Agency Stakeholder Working Group (i.e., Los Angeles County Fire Department, County Sheriff’s Department, the Agoura Hills Fire Safe Council, other county-, state-, and federalagencies), community organizations and the general public. As the Agoura Hills CWPP is intended to be a “living” document, the various CWPP coordination and development groups, as well as public outreach was designed to reinforce existing relationships, establish ongoing networks to implement, maintain and monitor the CWPP actions, as well as integrate ongoing mechanisms to obtain community input, promote widespread community education and enable the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the ever evolving wildfire risk landscape (e.g., impacts of changing climate, changes in development, impacts of mitigation activities etc.).
2.2.1 Core Project Team
The CWPP core project team was formed at the start of the CWRA project (July 2024), and was composed of a smaller group of key representatives from:
+ City of Agoura Hills
+ Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council
+ County of Los Angeles Fire Department
+ Fire Consultant: Jensen Hughes
This group was responsible for the day-to-day development of the CWPP, organizing the engagement and participation of a broad range of stakeholders, agencies, organizations, and individuals, forming the Agency Stakeholder Working Group, monitoring project progress, facilitating public outreach, and reviewing key documents and project deliverables.
The group considered input from all relevant plans, community groups, agencies, and local organizations. The objective was to facilitate city, county, state, and federal participation to work cooperatively to help protect life, property, and natural resources from wildfires.
2.2.2 Agency Stakeholder Working Group
The Agency Stakeholder Working Group (AWG) was identified and formed at the start of the CWRA project in August/September 2024. This group continued to provide oversight and guidance to the CWPP development process and included representatives of relevant local-, state- and federal-government agencies, community groups, non-profit organizations and other entities (see below). The AWG served as an advisory group to the CWPP development process to provide local context and subject matter expertise. This included identifying Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
project gaps, assistance with public outreach activities (as needed), site visit coordination, and providing general feedback on the CWPP development process and products (as requested).
Members:
+ County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) – Division 7 + County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) – Forestry Division + County of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
+ Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) + Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy (SMMC)
+ State Parks Services (Angeles District of Parks)
+ National Park Service
+ Agoura Hills Fire Safe Council (AHFSC)
+ Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council (SMMFSC)
+ Las Virgenes Unified School District
+ Southern California Edison
The AWG met six times over the course of the CWRA and CWPP development process. During the CWRA process, the AWG met four times which included key meetings such as the kickoff meeting (held November 14, 2024), a 1-day site visit (held March 7, 2025), prior to the draft CWRA (June 24, 2025) and when the final CWRA was produced (Sept 2025). During the CWPP development process, the AWG met two times which included key meetings on the development and review of the CWPP draft recommendations, (February 10, 2026) and the final CWPP product (April 21, 2026).
2.2.3 Stakeholder and Public Engagement Approach
Participation and engagement of a broad range of community stakeholder groups was a critical component in the development of a comprehensive CWPP for the City of Agoura Hills. The Core Project Team and Jensen Hughes identified a strategy for engaging the community and stakeholders regarding the CWPP development that considered multiple avenues for participation. This strategy considered engaging the public at public events or common places for gathering, providing project updates to the city elected-officials and opening dialogue for input, and promoting the CWPP development through various outreach channels such as the city’s website, FSCs newsletters, etc. This process also helped ensure that recommendations developed as part of the CWPP through stakeholder and public engagement will be implemented and sustained over time.
The primary goals and objectives of the outreach process were as follows:
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
(1) Provide various opportunities for community stakeholders and the general public to participate, collaborate and engage throughout the CWPP development process. (2) Gather feedback on a broad range of concerns regarding wildfire hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities at various scales (e.g., city, neighborhood, parcel, individual). (3) Gather feedback from community members that will guide goal setting, action items and prioritization across the Planning Area.
(4) Identify key project participants and key working group members as part of the process. (5) Identify appropriate levels and methods of stakeholder engagement. (6) Raise awareness of wildfire hazards and risks across the Planning Area, as well as the range of existing, planned, and proposed wildfire resiliency plans, programs, and projects.
Framing the stakeholder outreach efforts were a set of guiding principles, based upon discussions amongst the Core Project Team and literature.
+ Accessible – Stakeholders must be aware and be provided with a variety of engagement opportunities and formats to participate in the process.
+ Participatory – Creating an environment to facilitate the expression and the participation of different and diverse actors, such as oral communication, written communication, and schematic or visual representations. Promote a culture of participation with programs and activities that support ongoing engagement and ownership.
+ Informative – Help all involved to listen to each other, explore new ideas, learn, and apply information in ways that generate new solutions, methods, or opportunities. + Collaborative – Support and encourage participants, government and civil society groups, and other interested parties to work together to advance the common good. + Representative – Equitably incorporate diverse people, voices, ideas, and information to lay the groundwork for quality outcomes and democratic legitimacy.
To effectively engage various Stakeholder groups and the general public, several engagement tactics were identified to solicit the desired input or feedback specific to the targeted audience. See the following sections for an overview of engagement for different groups.
2.2.4 Broader Stakeholder Outreach
2.2.4.1 Stakeholder Survey
As part of the CWRA process, an online stakeholder survey was administered over a two-month period to gather information on major wildfire-related concerns, active and proposed activities/projects (including fuels reduction projects, emergency planning, and outreach), and any geospatial data and/or relevant plans/reports from a broad set of community stakeholders. This included stakeholders from infrastructure, governmental agencies, residential/commercial property-owners, and community groups. A total of 13 agencies and organizations provided responses to the stakeholder survey, either online or in paper form. These responses Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
were used to gather information on major wildfire concerns and proposed activities/projects that will be included in the CWPP development.
A summary of broader stakeholder comments can be requested from the City of Agoura Hills.
2.2.4.2 City Council Ad Hoc Committee Meetings
During the CWRA development process, the CWRA Core Project Team engaged with the City of Agoura Hills’ City Council and Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Subcommittee regarding the CWRA Project. The CWRA Core Project Team held meetings with the City Council and Subcommittee at City Hall. City Council and Subcommittee meetings about the CWRA public survey were held on December 16th, 2024 (Subcommittee), January 21st, 2025 (City Council), January 23rd, 2025 (Subcommittee), February 26th, 2025 (City Council).
At the conclusion of the CWRA development process, the CWRA Core Project Team brought the CWRA results to the City Council for their awareness of the findings. The meeting took place on October 22, 2025 at City Hall where City Council members received a presentation from the Core Project Team about the CWRA development process, outreach and engagement with stakeholders and community, and CWRA findings and recommendations. The City Council unanimously approved and filed the CWRA report.
The Core Project Team agreed that it was essential to continue engagement with the City of Agoura Hills elected leaders. This included engagement with the City’s CWPP Ad Hoc Committee through two meeting presentations. The first meeting was held on March 4, 2026 where the Committee received a presentation from City staff and Jensen Hughes about the CWPP draft recommendations and results from the public survey that initially completed during the CWRA process. The second meeting took place on April 16, 2026 where the Subcommittee received a presentation from City staff and Jensen Hughes about the final CWPP draft and collected feedback and input from the Subcommittee.
2.2.5 Public Outreach
A priority for the City was to get broad community participation and engagement in the development of the CWPP. This was accomplished through public workshops and a public survey, both of which were started during the CWRA process and continued throughout the CWPP development process.
2.2.5.1 Public Survey
A community survey was administered from February 20, 2025 to May 12, 2025 during the first step of the CWRA process. The survey was intended to gather feedback from the general public regarding broad and more nuanced information to better tailor community-based activities, educational programs, services, policies, and other action items that not only help mitigate wildland fire risks, but also are locally relevant, inclusive, and sustainable. Additional analysis of the survey results was completed during the CWPP development process that will be incorporated into the CWPP action plan. Refer to Appendix D for greater detail.
2.2.5.2 Public Workshops
During the first phase of the CWRA and CWPP development process, two public workshops were held at Agoura Hills Recreation and Event Center.
+ Workshop #1 – The first workshop was in-person and held on May 20, 2025 (See Figure 2). Members of the public were invited and attended the workshop via public announcements on the City’s website, social media accounts, email blasts, and calendar, as well as direct communications with key stakeholders and Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
community groups. Attendees included local residents, homeowner association representatives, City officials, Fire Safe Council representatives, and other interested parties. In addition to learning about and providing feedback on the CWRA process, participants also had the opportunity to examine the results of initial wildfire hazard assessments and identify areas of specific concern. Throughout the presentation, stakeholders were given the opportunity to provide targeted comments and questions on specific topics of interest or concern via notecards that were collected at the end of the workshop.
Figure 2. First public workshop held on May 20th, 2025 at the Agoura Hills Recreation and Event Center. + Workshop #2 – Upon completion of the CWRA development process, a final workshop was held on July 29th, 2025 to review the results of the overall risk assessment and recommendations. Participants learned about Agoura Hills’ values and risks, community vulnerabilities, and results from various outreach and engagement from stakeholders and the general public regarding Agoura Hills’ wildfire risks. In addition, participants were able to ask questions regarding the CWRA development process and provide input to the CWRA draft recommendations.
+ Workshop #3 – In addition to the CWRA Workshops, a final in-person workshop was held on March 17, 2026 upon completion of the CWPP development process to review the overall work and recommended action plan for the City of Agoura Hills, LACoFD, and other key stakeholders for the next 5-10 years.
Members of the public were invited to the workshop via public announcement on the CWPP website, social media accounts, email blasts, as well as direct communications with key stakeholders and community groups.
+ A summary of all workshops, meeting notes and stakeholder comments is available in Appendix E.
2.2.5.3 Community Tabling Events
In coordination with the City of Agoura Hills, SMMFSC, and AHFSC, tabling events were implemented at various events either hosted by the City, SMMFSC/AHFSC or both. This helped facilitate ongoing coordination and collaboration across the Core Project Team and various community organizations to enhance information sharing and engagement with community members. At these tabling events, community members were educated and informed about the CWPP development process, opportunities for engagement, and feedback process for CWPP drafts.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
2.2.5.4 CWPP Webpage
The Core Project Team developed a dedicated CWPP development webpage on the City of Agoura Hills website. The webpage served as a central hub for community members to gain access to pertinent information about the CWRA and CWPP development process. This included a high-level overview of the purpose of the CWPP, the overall development process, schedule of events, and opportunities to participate. The webpage also served as a means for local fire safe councils (i.e., the SMMFSC and AHFSC) to disseminate information to residents via their existing networks.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
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Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Community Overview
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
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Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
3.0 Community Overview
3.1 OVERVIEW
The City of Agoura Hills, with an estimated population of 19,429, is in western Los Angeles County and north of the Santa Monica Mountains (Figure 3). The City is bordered by Westlake Village to the west, Hidden Hills and Calabasas to the east, Oak Park to the north, and unincorporated Los Angeles County land to the south. It is approximately 8 square miles in area and is considered a Community at Risk (CAR) by CAL FIRE.
Historically, wildfires have been a major part of the area’s natural ecosystem. The climate, surrounding topography, suburban-rural landscapes and fire-adapted vegetation creates an environment for periodic burns.
Increasing effects of changing climate (e.g., increasing frequency and severity of droughts, extreme storms, flooding, increased number of fire danger days, etc.), as well as areas of overgrown vegetation have left Agoura Hills with an increased risk of wildfire.
Figure 3. The Planning Area for the CWPP is the City of Agoura Hills boundary.
Several communities across the City, particularly the longer established communities, have narrow roads with significantly overgrown, dense vegetation along the roadways. These conditions can expose both residents and Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
first responders to unsafe and/or dangerous conditions such as increasing the likelihood of fire encroachment, high temperatures, poor visibility, untenable conditions, congestion and blocked roadways. In addition, the city has a variety of other characteristics including intermixed, overgrown vegetation, structures constructed pre-WUI code, variable compliance with defensible space, communication dead-zones, need for large animal evacuation, and other characteristics that increase susceptibility to loss from wildfire threats.
3.2 FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES
Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps identify geographic areas of significant fire hazard in both State and Local Responsibility Areas as defined by CAL FIRE. The zones are based on factors that influence wildfire behavior including vegetation, topography and weather. The fire hazard severity model for wildland fire has two key elements:
probability of an area burning and expected fire behavior under extreme fuel and weather conditions. The zones reflect areas that have similar burn probabilities and fire behavior characteristics. The factors considered in determining fire hazard within wildland areas are fire history, flame length, terrain, local weather, and potential fuel over a 50-year period. Outside of wildlands, the model considers factors that might lead to buildings being threatened, including terrain, weather, urban vegetation cover, blowing embers, proximity to wildland, fire history, and fire hazard in nearby wildlands.
All State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) are classified into one of the three categories – moderate, high, and very high. As FHSZs are based on wildfire hazards over a 30- to 50- year period, they do not consider how recent wildfire activity or fuel modifications may influence potential fire severity. CAL FIRE is required to produce FHSZ maps under the California Public Resources Code 4201-4204, California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 1280, and California Government Code 51175-89.
While FHSZs do not predict when or where a wildfire will occur, they do identify areas where wildfire hazards are likely more severe and of greater concern. As such, FHSZs identify areas where increased wildfire safety provisions for various building and site components (e.g., maintained defensible space, fire or ignition resistant materials, including vents, decks, and windows) are required for all new construction per California Building Code Chapter 7A. The FHSZ designation of a property is used by local governments to support wildfire risk analysis and hazard mitigation planning1.
Based on the most current FHSZ maps (LRA effective 3/24/25 and SRA effective 4/1/24), most of the City (77.7%) is in an LRA-designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VH FHSZ). There are no SRA or Federal Responsibility Area (FRA) lands located within the City limits (Table 3, Figure 4). Most homes and structures in the City are in a VH FHSZ (57.4%) (Table 4).
1 https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/divisions/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/wildfire-preparedness/fire-hazard-severity-zones/ FHSZs are based on wildfire
hazards over a 30- to 50-year
period and therefore do not
consider how recent wildfire
activity or fuel modifications may
influence potential fire severity.
Most of Agoura Hills is
in a Very High Fire
Hazard Severity Zone
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ): What You Need to Know
1. What does it mean if my home is in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
• It means your home is in an area where wildfire conditions such as vegetation, terrain, and wind could support more intense fire behavior if a wildfire occurs. It does not mean a wildfire is guaranteed to happen. It means that preparation and mitigation are especially important.
2. Am I required to maintain defensible space?
• Yes. California law requires homeowners in fire-prone areas to maintain defensible space around their homes (up to 100 feet, or to the property line where parcels are smaller). This includes:
o Removing dead vegetation and combustible materials
o Trimming trees and shrubs
o Keeping roofs and gutters clear of debris
o Reducing flammable materials within 0-5 feet of the home (Zone 0) • Defensible space inspections are usually conducted by your local fire department, in this case the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
3. Will this affect my insurance?
• Fire Hazard Severity Zones may influence how insurance companies evaluate wildfire risk. Insurers consider multiple factors including defensible space, home construction, claims history, and regional wildfire exposure. Homes that are located in higher zones may experience:
o Higher premiums
o Defensible space documentation verification
o Detailed inspections
• Improving defensible space and home hardening can help demonstrate reduced risk to insurers.
4. How can I find out what zone my home is in?
• You can look up your property’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone designation through CAL FIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps or the City of Agoura Hills wildfire preparedness webpage.
5. What can I do now to reduce my risk?
Regardless of your hazard designation, you can:
• Maintain defensible space
• Focus particularly on the first 0–5 feet around your home • Upgrade vents, roofing, and windows when possible
• Participate in Firewise or neighborhood wildfire preparedness efforts • Stay informed about emergency alerts and evacuation routes.
Small improvements can significantly reduce the chance of home ignition during a wildfire.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Table 3. Percentage Breakdown of Fire Hazard Severity Zones in the Planning Area Responsibility Area
Fire Hazard Severity Zone (% of total
Planning Area)
Direct
Protection
Area in acres
(% of total
area)
Very
High High Moderate NonBurnable2
FRA3
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
SRA N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
LRA 77.7% 8.3% 7.7% 53.7% 5,003 (100%)
Total 77.7% 8.3% 7.7% 53.7% 5,003 (100%)
Table 4. Structure Breakdown of Fire Hazard Severity Zones in the Planning Area Responsibility Area
Fire Hazard Severity Zone (# of Structures) Direct
Protection
Area
(# of
Structures)
Very
High High Moderate NonBurnable2
FRA3
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
SRA N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
LRA 3,631 839 809 1,047 6,326
Total 3,631 839 809 1,047 6,326
2 Five landscape features are classified as non-burnable; Urban/Suburban, Snow/Ice, Agricultural Fields, Open Water, Bare Ground. The current fire behavior models can only simulate fire spread in wildland fuel, therefore these areas are classified as non-burnable. 3 The federal government has a different fire hazard scoring system to CAL FIRE’s FHSZ classification system and is not applicable to the Percentage Breakdown of Fire Hazard Severity Zones in the Planning Area table.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 4: Fire Hazard Severity Zones
3.3 THE WILDLAND-URBAN-INTERFACE (WUI)
The wildland-urban interface, commonly called the WUI, is defined as the line, area, or zone where structures and other man-made development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels (NWCG, 2018). The WUI is often perceived as only rural areas where uninhabited wildlands (primarily timbered forests) meet individual structures or homes. This misconception has led many who live in more suburban and urban areas “near the WUI” to believe they are not at risk from wildfire, because they are not exactly at the interface of wildlands or they live adjacent to large open spaces of primarily grass and shrub-lands (instead of forests) [FEMA, 2022].
Most of Agoura Hills is
in wildland-urban
interface (WUI) where
embers—not flames—
are the biggest threat
to homes.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
To help protect people and property from potential
catastrophic wildfire, the 2000 National Fire Plan (NFP) required the identification of communities in the WUI.
WUI zones across Agoura Hills are shown in Figure 5.
There are three WUI designations, all of which are
considered at risk and susceptible to wildland fires. The WUI zones are:
1. Wildland-Urban Interface: dense housing development adjacent to vegetation that can burn in a wildland fire.
2. Wildland-Urban Intermix: housing development interspersed within an area dominated by wildland vegetation subject to wildfire.
3. Wildland-Urban Influence Zone: wildfire susceptible vegetation up to 1.5 miles from Wildland-Urban Interface and/or Intermix areas.
Figure 5. Wildland Urban Interface Zones for Agoura Hills The National Wildfire Coordinating Group
(NWCG, 2009) defines the WUI as “the line,
area, or zone where structures and other
human development meet or intermingle with
undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels.”
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
3.4 COMMUNITIES AT RISK
Communities at Risk (CAR) are a special designation originating from the Federal government to identify communities that are at high risk of damage and/or loss from wildfire, and which abut federal lands. These areas were identified as CARs in the Federal Register in 2001 (National Archives and Records Administration Federal Register, 2001), which was intended to facilitate fuel treatments on federal and adjacent lands to help protect local communities from wildfires. Over time, responsibility for maintaining this list was then turned over to the states.
In California, CAL FIRE is responsible for managing the CAR list and uses three main factors to determine communities to be added to the list as follows: 1) high fuel hazard, 2) probability of a fire, and 3) proximity of intermingled wildland fuels with urban environments. Additional communities may be added to the list of CARs by CAL FIRE based on changes in risk and understanding of risk. Existing and new communities on land designated as WUI or very high FHSZ may also be added as CARs. CAL FIRE has also expanded the definition to include communities which are not adjacent to federal lands. The City of Agoura Hills is designated a CAR.
3.5 VALUES AT RISK
The City of Agoura Hills is an important location for both locals and visitors with its trailheads, shopping and dining opportunities, agriculture and livestock operations, historic and cultural resources, government facilities and services, and educational facilities. Attempts to capture all the City’s measurable and intrinsic values are difficult. As such, the CWPP only considers those values that can be most readily impacted by wildfire.
Community values at risk to wildfires are often considered to be life safety, private property and critical infrastructure. However, impacted values can also include human health, natural resources, sensitive species and habitats, cultural and historical resources, viewscapes and other intangibles (e.g., social capital, community culture, livelihood). Although not all values can be protected directly through wildfire mitigation measures, actions can be taken to indirectly protect those values by developing strategies that reduce the wildfire threat overall. An ongoing challenge is to balance the level of hazard mitigation work needed to protect one set of values without compromising others.
The following values or assets have been identified by the Agency Stakeholder Working Group, Agoura Hills residents and other community stakeholders for the purposes of this CWPP:
3.5.1 Human Life and Health
The highest priority for agencies and organizations in Agoura Hills is life safety. Historically, large fires in the region have resulted in injuries and deaths of both firefighters and civilians, with the 2018 Woolsey Fire and 2025 Palisades Fire having serious impacts to human life and health, as well as to property, in and near Agoura Hills. The Palisades Fire resulted in the deaths of 12 people, with an additional 7 people missing, and other direct and indirect injuries.
Human Life
and Health
Critical
infrastructure
Private
Property
Environment
& Natural
Resources
Cultural &
Historical
Resources
Recreation Local
Economy
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
The City of Agoura Hills presents numerous direct and indirect life safety challenges during wildfires including:
+ Large number of people and structures in very high fire prone areas + Various access and functional needs population(s) and other vulnerable groups (e.g., limited English proficiency, low income, elderly, medical baseline persons).
+ High percentage of existing building stock with deficient structural hardening and resistance to ember and smoke/ash infiltration
+ Limited and/or deficient defensible space in certain neighborhoods + Limited emergency public communication coverage, consistent messaging and physical resiliency
+ Limited number, capacity, and separation of travel routes during evacuations for certain neighborhoods + High number of neighborhoods with poor access/egress for residents, firefighters, and law enforcement While all these factors contribute in varying degrees to the risk wildfires present to life-safety in the Planning Area, the factors that are considered foundational to life safety risks relate to human characteristics (e.g., how many people are at risk, where people are located relative to hazards, what vulnerabilities people may have to preparedness, response, and recovery).
Based on 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data, the City of Agoura Hills has a population of just over 20,000 people (not including transient populations and tourists) with the highest concentrations of individuals located near the major roadways of Thousand Oaks Blvd and Kanan Rd, in Liberty Canyon and in Old Agoura, see Figure 6. Due to the many large open spaces in and around Agoura Hills, nearly all neighborhoods are within the wildlandurban interface and/or CAL FIRE very high fire hazard severity zones.
Though all people face challenges during an emergency event, vulnerable or functional needs populations have special needs and may have limited capacities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a wildfire incident.
These individuals are also less likely to undertake wildfire mitigation activities (Ojerio, 2008). As a proxy for individual-level vulnerability data, key population statistics for Agoura Hilla from the 2020 U.S. Census (U.S.
Census Bureau, http://data.census.gov) were assessed to identify potential vulnerable populations. These data were as follows:
+ Population: 20,299 and 7,621 housing units
+ Ethnicity distribution: 72.6% White, 11.4% Hispanic, 8.7% Asian, 1.2% Black or African American, 0.1% American
Indian or Alaska Native, 0.03% Native Hawaiian/Pacific
Islander, 6.0% Other/Two or More Races
+ Spanish-speaking at home: An estimated 7.6% of the
population of Agoura Hills
+ Disabilities: 9.0% of the population
+ Vulnerable age groups: 19.8% 65 years and older
+ Poverty: 5.7% of the population live below poverty level These population statistics suggest that segments of the population may have vulnerabilities which affect their ability to prepare, respond, and/or recover from a wildfire event.
Physical and cognitive limitations can potentially reduce these individual’s capacities to independently evacuate in a disaster. Limited access to financial resources may hinder the ability of lower-income populations to invest Life safety includes
the protection of
both life and
physical well-being
for all people in a
community.
Vulnerable or functional needs
populations include those who are
physically and/or mentally disabled
(e.g., blind, cognitive disorders,
limited mobility), limited or nonEnglish speaking, culturally isolated, medically or chemically dependent,
homeless, Deaf and hard-of-hearing,
frail or elderly, lack of digital
services, and children
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
in emergency preparedness and mitigation measures, as well as recover from losses. Language barriers can present major challenges to effectively receiving emergency notifications, evacuation instructions, and/or support services. In addition, visitors can be particularly vulnerable to wildfire incidents, as they are less likely to be familiar with the risks of wildfires, local response management practices, emergency resources, public communication channels and other support services. Planning for vulnerable or functional needs populations is critical to providing a holistic wildfire mitigation preparedness plan that works for the entirety of the community.
Figure 6. Population Density of Agoura Hills
Figure 6 illustrates population density across the City of Agoura Hills, with darker blue areas representing higher concentrations of residents. When viewed alongside FHSZs and WUI areas, many of the City’s more densely populated neighborhoods are also located in or adjacent to high and very-high fire hazard areas.
This overlap has direct implications for life safety and evacuation planning. Higher population density in fireprone areas means:
+ A greater number of people may need to evacuate simultaneously. + Evacuation routes may experience congestion or bottlenecks.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
+ Emergency responders may need to prioritize densely populated neighborhoods during fast-moving wildfire events.
+ Earlier evacuation notifications may be needed in certain areas to reduce traffic and improve safety.
In wildfire incidents across Southern California, delayed evacuation in densely populated areas has contributed to dangerous traffic congestion and increased risk to both civilians and first responders. Understanding where larger concentrations of residents intersect with wildfire hazard helps inform evacuation sequencing, traffic management strategies, and public communication planning.
Population density alone does not determine risk, however, when combined with hazard exposure, limited access/egress routes, and vulnerable population characteristics, it becomes a foundational life-safety planning.
3.5.2 Critical Facilities and Infrastructure
General Description: Critical facilities and infrastructure are the structures, facilities, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, that are considered essential to maintaining the normalcy of daily life and overall functionality of a community or society. As such, they are essential for the efficient functioning, and delivery, of basic services provided in cities, towns, and rural areas.
According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), the California Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) and FEMA, destruction, disruptions, or interruptions in critical facilities and infrastructure, including health and education facilities, could lead to cascading effects across sectors and sometimes across borders.
Per the CAL OES, critical facilities and infrastructure consist of nine sectors:
1) Emergency Services
2) Government Facilities
3) Healthcare and Public Health
4) Energy
5) Water and Wastewater Systems
6) Communication Systems
7) Chemical
8) Transportation
9) Food and Agriculture
As the facilities and infrastructure supporting these sectors can be in or near high-fire prone areas, the potential direct and indirect impacts of wildfires can cause significant damage, destruction and/or disruption to these essential public services. These major facilities and infrastructure are priority locations for hazard reduction and wildfire hardening projects. Note: Wildfire mitigation actions to protect critical infrastructure are often the responsibility of the entity operating these facilities or services.
The following is a brief description of critical infrastructure identified as part of the CWPP planning process.
Figure 7 depicts critical infrastructure within and adjacent to the Planning Area.
3.5.2.1 Emergency Services
General Description: The emergency services sector is defined by dispatch centers, law enforcement facilities (e.g., police stations, sheriff offices), fire stations, emergency operations centers, and office of emergency services.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
+ Law Enforcement Facilities: Law enforcement in Agoura Hills is provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Lost Hills Station which is located just east of Agoura Hills in Calabasas. + Fire Stations: Fire protection in Agoura Hills is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD). LACoFD Station 89 (Battalion 5 Headquarters) is located in Agoura Hills. Refer to Section 3.7.1 for more details on firefighting resources.
+ Emergency Operations Centers: The County of Los Angeles’ EOC is operated by the County Office of Emergency Management and is located outside of the Planning Area. + Search and Rescue: Search and Rescue is provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department.
Refer to Figure 7 for the general locations of emergency services across the Planning Area.
3.5.2.2 Government Facilities
General Description: The government facilities sector is defined by schools, military facilities, jails and prisons, homeless shelters, community centers, senior centers, independent living centers (as defined by the California Department of Rehabilitation), municipal and county owned facilities, voting centers, and vote tabulation facilities.
+ Schools: The City of Agoura Hills is served by the Las Virgenes Unified School District. There are three public elementary schools, one public middle school, one public high school, and one public continuation high school. There are also three private schools. See Table 5 for more information. Note: Headquarters for home school and online learning programs are not included in this summary or in the list below.
Table 5. Private and Public Schools in the City of Agoura Hills School Type Location
Agoura High School 9 – 12 (Public) Agoura Hills
Lindero Canyon Middle 6 – 8 (Public) Agoura Hills
Sumac Elementary School K – 5 (Public) Agoura Hills
Willow Elementary School K – 5 (Public) Agoura Hills
Yerba Buena Elementary School K – 5 (Public) Agoura Hills Mariposa School of Global Education K – 8 (Private) Agoura Hills IIan Ramon Day School Pre-K – 5 (Private) Agoura Hills
Montessori School of Agoura Pre-K – K (Private) Agoura Hills + Military Facilities: There are no military facilities in the Planning Area. + Federal Facilities: Federal facilities consist of the United States Postal Service (USPS) facilities and lands and offices associated with the NPS’s Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. No major federal military or courthouse facilities are located within city limits. + Jails and Prisons: There are no jails, prisons, or other corrections facilities in the Planning Area.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
+ Homeless Shelters: There are no homeless shelters in the Planning Area. The City of Agoura Hills works with several agencies throughout LA County and provides the public seeking resources by calling the LA County 2-1-1 line or visiting the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) website. + Community Centers: The City of Agoura Hills has one community center known as the Event Center of Agoura Hills that provides a range of facilities and services for socializing, participating in recreation or education activities, and seeking city resources and information. + Senior Centers, Independent Living Centers and Retirement Communities: The Event Center of Agoura Hills is a city-owned community center that provides senior resources, programming, and events.
There are three independent living centers in the City which include: (1) Oakmont of Agoura Hills, (2) Meadowbrook of Agoura Hills, and (3) Leisure Living, two of which (Oakmont and Meadowbrook) are located in southern Agoura Hills. This presents a risk, as this area is more prone to fires, and seniors may need more time to evacuate.
+ Voting Facilities: There are typically several voting centers located throughout the City of Agoura Hills during elections. However, the specific location of these facilities can change. Typically, this includes community centers and government offices. Ballots are processed in the Los Angeles County Election Center which is in the City of Industry.
+ City, County and State-Owned Facilities: Beyond the facilities listed above, there are many other city, county and state-owned facilities within the City of Agoura Hills. These include city hall, Agoura Hills Public Library, municipal government buildings, and park spaces for Agoura Hills.
Refer to Figure 7 for the general locations of government facilities across the Planning Area.
3.5.2.3 Healthcare and Public Health
General Description: The healthcare and public health sector is defined by public health departments, cooling (or warming) centers, temporary facilities established for public health emergencies, and medical facilities, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, blood banks, healthcare facilities, dialysis centers, and hospice facilities, but excluding doctor offices and other nonessential medical facilities.
There are no full-service hospitals located in the Planning Area but there are nearby hospitals which include Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks and West Hills Hospital and Medical Center in West Hills.
Other medical facilities in the City of Agoura Hills include (1) Centurion Surgical Center, (2) Providence Medical Institute Primary Care, and (3) AFC Urgent Care. As mentioned in the previous section, there are several independent living centers and retirement communities that provide assisted living care for seniors in the Planning Area. The City has one designated cooling center at the Agoura Hills Public Library. The City Event Center serves as a Community Resource Center during PSPS events.
Refer to Figure 7 for the general locations of healthcare facilities across the Planning Area.
3.5.2.4 Energy
General Description: The energy sector is defined by public and private facilities vital to maintaining or restoring normal service, including but not limited to interconnected, publicly owned utilities and electric cooperatives. Additionally, electricity providers may undertake Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) during high hazard wildfire conditions, which has the potential to impact other critical infrastructure such as communications systems and transportation infrastructure.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
+ Electric Utility: Electricity is provided to the City of Agoura Hills by Clean Power Alliance (CPA), which purchases and generates power from renewable sources. Southern California Edison (SCE) is responsible for the physical delivery of power through its energy infrastructure. There are several aboveground and partially underground electrical transmission lines spanning about 24 miles that run through Agoura Hills.
There are five nearby substations including the Crater Station, Thousand Oaks Substation, Newbury Substation, Royal Substation, and Potrero Substation. All substations are owned by SCE and are outside of Agoura Hills city limits.
+ Pipelines: The City of Agoura Hills receives natural gas services from the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas). A SoCalGas high pressure distribution line passes east to west through Agoura Hills and branches north towards Oak Park.
Refer to Figure 7 for the general locations of energy infrastructure across the Planning Area.
3.5.2.5 Water and Wastewater Systems
General Description: The water and wastewater sectors are defined by facilities associated with the provision of drinking water or processing of wastewater, including facilities used to pump, divert, transport store, treat, and deliver water or wastewater.
+ Water Delivery: The City of Agoura Hills receives its water directly from the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD). The LVMWD is a member agency of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and receives nearly all its drinking water from MWD. MWD imports water from Northern California via the State Water Project and from the Colorado River via the Colorado River Aqueduct. The LVMWD spans a 122 square-mile service area with mountainous and steep terrain, with potable water systems that includes 25 tanks, 24 pumping stations, 394 miles of main lines, the Las Virgenes reservoir of over 10,000 acre-feet, and the Westlake Filtration Plan that produces over 15 million gallons of water a day. + Wastewater Treatment: The LVMWD treats over 7 million gallons of wastewater daily through the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility, and processes biosolids removed during the wastewater treatment process at the Rancho Las Virgenes Composting Facility.
In addition, LVMWD formed the Las Virgenes Triunfo Pure Water Project, as part of a joint-powers authority (JPA) effort with the Triunfo Water & Sanitation Districts, to treat wastewater within the Malibu Creek Watershed. To increase water supply for the region, the Las Virgenes Triunfo Pure Water Project is in beginning stages of construction for the Advanced Purification Facility (AWPF) to purify recycled water to drinking water standards that would be supplied to customers of the district. It is currently in a review process by the general public.
3.5.2.6 Communication Systems
General Description: The communication sector is defined by carrier infrastructure, including selective routers, central offices, head ends, cellular switches, remote terminals, and cellular sites. + Cellular Service: The City of Agoura Hills is generally well covered by cellular communication networks which include Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, all of which provide 4G/5G services There are no standard cellular towers in the City of Agoura Hills. However, there are three standard nearby cellular towers in Oak Park, Calabasas and Thousand Oaks.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
+ There are six microwave service towers in Agoura Hills, three owned by TowerStream Corp and three owned by the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System. In addition, there are nineteen private land mobile towers that are leased by the following entities who operate the towers on private land:
City of Agoura Hills (2)
City of Calabasas (1)
State of California (1)
Las Virgenes Unified School District (5)
County of Los Angeles (6)
Oakmont of Agoura Hills, LLC (1)
Teradyne, Inc. (2)
Tesla, Inc. (1)
While locating communications infrastructure on ridgelines is often ideal from a service coverage perspective, these areas can be at a higher risk of wildfire, which poses a vulnerability to communications systems. Alternative methods of communication will need to be evaluated for wildfire risk mitigation actions and public notification during wildfires.
3.5.2.7 Chemical, Industrial and High Hazard Facilities General Description: The chemical sector is defined by facilities associated with the provision, manufacture, maintenance, or distribution of hazardous materials and chemicals.
There are no chemical, industrial or other high hazard facilities in the Planning Area. However, any facilities storing or producing hazardous materials may present a major hazard during wildfire events, if not designed appropriately to limit release of hazardous or toxic chemicals into the natural or built environment. Depending on what is produced or stored at a given facility they can also pose a fire risk to nearby communities and accelerate the spread of wildfire. Any new hazardous materials facilities should be identified for preplanning consideration.
3.5.2.8 Transportation
General Description: The transportation sector is defined by facilities associated with automobile, rail, aviation, major public transportation, and maritime transportation for civilian, freight, and military purposes, as well as traffic management systems. Transportation and the movement of individuals to safety ahead of a wildfire is typically a major challenge for city, county and state governments.
There is one major transportation corridor across the Planning Area. The key highway route is U.S. Route 101, which travels east-west through Agoura Hills. There are several primary and secondary roads in the Planning Area which include Agoura Road, Kanan Road, Lindero Canyon Road, Cornell Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard. There is no rail system that travels into the City of Agoura Hills. Rail systems such as the Southern California Metrolink and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Agency (Metro) can be accessed in other locations outside of the Planning Area (e.g., Simi Valley or North Hollywood). A variety of bus routes travel through the Planning Area operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) and Metro. There are no airports located in the Planning Area, with nearest airports located in Burbank or Van Nuys, California.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
There are some neighborhoods with limited access to major transportation routes as well as some narrow and winding roads throughout the Planning Area (e.g., near Cheseboro Canyon). Depending on the day of week and time of day, evacuation operations could be significantly impacted by vehicles already using roadways throughout the Planning Area.
Protecting the viability of road systems in the Planning Area is critical to the safety of the public and emergency responders during a wildfire. The maintenance of roadside rights-of-way and prevention of neighborhood landscape vegetation from encroaching onto the road networks will be imperative for the resiliency of not only the physical transportation network but also the roadway capacity during a major wildfire event.
Refer to Figure 7 for the general locations of transportation infrastructure across the Planning Area.
Figure 7: Critical Facilities & Infrastructure in Agoura Hills Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
3.5.3 Private Residential Property & Commercial Businesses General Description: The private property sector refers to homes and dwelling units such as singlefamily houses, apartments, condominiums, and mobile homes located on privately owned parcels. In addition, the commercial property sector refers to land and buildings used for business activities, including retail stores, offices, restaurants, hotels, and other service- or employment-based uses.
In August 2022, the City of Agoura Hills updated its General Plan to include the 2021-2029 Housing Element.
The City of Agoura Hills is primarily residential land use (approx. 42%). According to the City of Agoura Hills 2021–2029 Housing Element, the city had 7,639 housing units in 2020, including 5,349 single-family detached homes (70%), 1,249 multi-family units in structures of 2 or more units (16%), and 22 mobile homes/other units (less than 1%), with an overall vacancy rate of 3.4 percent. The Housing Element also identifies vacant singlefamily residential parcels with capacity for 102 additional units across approximately 134 acres, primarily in very low-, low-, and single-family residential and restricted open space designations.
Most housing in Agoura Hills is located in established single-family neighborhoods, including lower-density, large-lot areas such as Old Agoura. Higher-density and mixed-use housing is concentrated in specific “opportunity areas”—primarily along major corridors like Agoura Road and Kanan Road, including the Agoura Village and North Agoura Road planning areas—where the City of Agoura has planned for more compact residential and mixed-use development.
Housing in the Planning Area is aging. About 89% of the City’s housing stock was built prior to 1989, and is now over 30 years old, indicating that these homes are likely to have rehabilitation needs which may include plumbing, roof repairs, foundation work, etc.
Most houses within the Planning Area were built before the adoption of the Chapter 7A requirements in the California Building Code, which increases the risk of ignition in a wildfire situation. The prevalence of older houses also increases the overall available fuel load and likelihood of structure-to-structure home ignition.
In 2022, the median home price in the City of Agoura Hills was around $1.1 million per the City of Agoura Hills 2021-2029 Housing Element. According to CAL FIRE’s 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps and the Agoura Hills CWRA, approximately three-quarters of the City of Agoura Hills (about 78%) lies within a CAL FIRE–designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VH FHSZ), with most of the remaining land mapped as High or Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones (M-, H-, FHSZ). Because residential neighborhoods are distributed across the Planning Area, most existing homes in Agoura Hills are located within the Moderate, High, or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, with most located in the VH FHSZ.
Residential land uses make up the largest share of the Planning Area at approximately 42%, while commercial and industrial/manufacturing uses comprise a smaller portion, at roughly 6% and 5%, respectively. Within the City of Agoura Hills, most commercial, office, and business park uses are concentrated along the US-101 corridor and adjacent major roadways. Based on CAL FIRE’s FHSZ maps and the City’s 2021–2029 Housing Element, a substantial share of these commercial areas lie within or immediately adjacent to mapped wildfire hazard zones, including portions of the VHFHSZ near the community’s hillsides and canyon areas.
While some freeway-adjacent commercial centers fall outside the designated VHFHSZ, they remain near to wildland fuels and residential neighborhoods that are at risk from embers, smoke, and evacuation-related disruption during major wildfires. As a result, nearly all of the city’s key commercial corridors and business Most homes in the City of Agoura
Hills were not constructed to modern
wildfire building standards, making
them more susceptible to ignition.
This presents major challenges due
to the high loss potential and a
higher likelihood of structure-tostructure fire spread.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
districts could potentially be exposed to wildfire impacts. Refer to Figure 8 for structure density across the region.
Figure 8. Structure Density in Agoura Hills. Note: Higher structure density may increase the risk of home-to-home fire spread and increases the importance of communal defensible space.
3.5.4 Environment and Natural Resources
General description: Environmental and natural resources consist of a variety of components including biological resources, historical and cultural resources, air quality, water, recreation, geological and archaeological resources.
As part of any actions associated with the mitigation of a potential wildland fire hazard, there is a need to balance the impacts of the mitigation actions against the level of protection they provide to a value at risk. Actions taken by private property owner on private lands are subject primarily to the protections found in local ordinance of codes. Regulatory direction can be found in the Agoura Hills General Plans.
Large scale fire hazard reduction projects undertaken by local, State and Federal agencies often fall under the auspices of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) or the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
The complexity of the proposed actions and the potential environmental impacts will determine the level of public engagement and analysis required by the laws. Both CEQA and NEPA have exemptions which allow for a less stringent level of environmental analysis. Under CEQA, a Negative Declaration as approved by the jurisdictional regulatory authority essentially is a determination that the project, as proposed, will not cause any significant environmental harm. For federal projects governed by NEPA regulations, a project may be excluded from analysis if the proposed action falls under one of several defined categories. These projects are considered Categorically Excluded from full environmental analysis.
Appendix C offers Best Management Practices (BMPs) for use in fire hazard mitigation projects. Given the jurisdictional complexity of the Planning Area, implementation of resource protection measures will require coordination among multiple agencies and stakeholders. While specific actions on resource management agency lands are not prescribed in this plan, the CWPP supports continued collaboration to implement appropriate resource protection strategies that balance wildfire risk reduction with environmental considerations.
Property owners are encouraged to coordinate with the City Planning Division and relevant resource agencies for site-specific guidance..
Watercourses and Watershed Protections: Within its corporate boundaries, the City of Agoura Hills has several blue-line streams, with the four primary creeks being Medea Creek, Lindero Creek, Chesebro Creek, and Palo Comado Creek. Medea Creek flows through the center of Agoura Hills, encompassing unimproved and improved channels and an open space corridor. Lindero Canyon Creek runs through the canyon in the northwest quadrant of the city and empties into Lake Lindero then surfaces again just south of Agoura Road west of Kanan Road. Palo Comado Creek crosses the northeast section of Agoura Hills, while Chesebro Creek in the City runs along the north side of Agoura Road between Lewis Road and Medea Creek. All of these drainages have been modified by urban development and maintain a mix of native riparian vegetation and nonnative species.
The 2025 General Plan states that “Preserving the watercourse in their natural state, where feasible, is a community priority”. Supporting this priority are specific policies including:
+ NR-4.11 - Creeks and Natural Resources. Support the restoration of creeks and other natural resources with activities that include creek cleanup, erosion and urban runoff control, and weeding of non-native plants.
+ NR-6.1 - Riparian Habitat. Protect and enhance the natural qualities of riparian habitat. + NR-6.4 - Protect Open Space Areas and Water Resources. Conserve undeveloped open space areas and drainage courses and channels for the purpose of protecting water resources in the City’s watershed. + NR-6.6 - Cooperation with Other Agencies. Coordinate and collaborate with other jurisdictions and regional agencies in the watershed to address water quality issues of regional or local importance.
Open Space and Recreation: Known as the gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains, there are approximately 2,000 acres of land that are deed restricted or designated as open space within the city. Some of the larger open space parcels located in Agoura Hills and the adjoining Planning Area are designated restricted open space, where development potential is constrained because of natural habitat, visual and aesthetic value, or ownership by conservation groups. Ladyface Mountain Open Space is managed under a standalone specific plan which addresses potential development standards, oak tree protections, and fuel modification standards.
Figure NR-1 of the 2025 General Plan (Figure 9) provides a map of the designated open space resources.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 9: Open Space Resources (source: Agoura Hills General Plan) A significant muti-user trail system exists within and directly adjacent to the city. Many of these trails are managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) and the National Park Service.
These trails often lead into the undeveloped wildland areas of Chesebro/Palo Comado Canyons, Liberty Canyon, and Ladyface Mountain. Other trails or trailheads that provide recreational opportunities include, the Medea Creek, Liberty Ridge, Liberty Canyon, and the Chesebro Canyon Equestrian.
The city maintains six designated parks, all of which include irrigated lawns and ornamental vegetation. Dense surface vegetation, such as that at Forest Cove Park, particularly along Forest Cove Lane, Rainbow Crest Drive, and Adelina Court, may act as receptive fuelbeds for embers during times of extreme fire weather. Vegetation conditions at other parks, particularly Old Agoura Park, could also pose a risk of ember ignition.
Open space areas in Agoura Hills contain continuous natural vegetation that can carry wildfire under dry and windy conditions.
During Santa Ana wind events and other extreme fire weather, fires often originate in or move through undeveloped areas before impacting nearby neighborhoods. In many Southern California fires, Fires often move from
open space into nearby
neighborhoods during
wind events.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
homes are ignited not by direct flames, but by wind-driven embers that travel ahead of the fire front and land in vulnerable areas around structures.
For neighborhoods adjacent to open space such as the WUI means that defensible space, vegetation management, and home hardening are especially important. Open space itself is not the problem but rather an interaction between natural vegetation, weather, and built environments that shapes wildfire risk. Protecting homes near open space requires coordinated efforts across public lands, private property, and community-wide planning.
Sensitive Habitats and Species: Several sensitive animals and plants live within the Planning Area of the CWPP. These sensitive species and habitats are in many cases protected by state, federal, and local ordinance.
The County of Los Angeles has identified two Significant Ecological Areas (SEAs) within portions in Agoura Hills; the Las Virgenes SEA #6 and Palo Comado Canyon SEA #12. The Las Virgenes SEA is located southeast of the Kanan and Agoura Road Intersection, while the Palo Comado SEA is in the northeast corner of the city.
The SEA program establishes the permitting, design standards, and review process for development within SEAs, balancing preservation of the County’s natural biodiversity with private property rights. Through goals and policies, the SEA help guide development within SEAs. The County’s General Plan goals and policies are intended to ensure that privately-held lands within the SEAs retain the right of reasonable use, while avoiding activities and developments that are incompatible with the ability of SEAs to thrive in the long term (Los Angeles County Planning website accessed November 2025).
3.5.5 Cultural and Historical Resources
General description: Cultural and historical resources include archaeological sites, historical buildings and sites, and other areas of historical significance which are important community values.
The area surrounding Agoura Hills is laden with points of cultural importance varying from artifacts associated with the first peoples of California and their use of the land, to influence of Spanish and Mexican land grants and the associated historic ranching and farming activities. These cultural features are scattered throughout the Planning Area and may not be easily recognized by those without professional backgrounds in cultural resources identification and preservation. The California State Office of Historic Preservation reviews and comments on thousands of federally sponsored projects annually pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and state programs and projects pursuant to Sections 5024 and 5024.5 of the Public Resources Code. Any proposed projects should be vetted with these cultural resource professionals and tribal entities to assure compliance with State and Federal requirements for the protection of cultural resources.
The following sections are a summary of some known cultural resource values.
Indigenous Peoples: For thousands of years before European contact, the Chumash people thrived in the Conejo Valley, a portion of their ancestral territory which stretches from Malibu north to San Luis Obispo. A sophisticated society, their lives were deeply intertwined with the land.
Few of the Chumash lived in the Agoura Hills area permanently, since year-round food sources were more prevalent near the coast. However, each autumn groups of Chumash traveled inland and camped in the area to harvest acorns and to hunt deer and small game.
In 1769, a Spanish land expedition led by Gaspar de Portola left Baja California and reached the Santa Barbara area where five Spanish missions were established in Chumash territory. The Chumash population was all but Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
decimated, due largely to the introduction of European diseases (https://chumash.gov/chumash-history, accessed December 12, 2025). By 1831, the number of mission-registered Chumash numbered only 2,788, down from pre-Spanish population estimates of 22,000.
The Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks, the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park, and the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center provide excellent resources for better understanding the Chumash culture and history.
After mission secularization in 1834, Mexican authorities failed to live up to their promises of distributing the remaining land among the surviving Chumash, but rather large tracts of land were granted to individuals, leading to the establishment of large ranching and farming operations in the Conejo Valley.
3.5.6 Recreation
General description: Recreational resources consist of a variety of components including parks, golf courses, gardens, hiking trails, scenic roads, and more. They are an important community value.
The City of Agoura Hills has many parks and open spaces for the general public to gather in and recreate. There are 6 city-owned parks: Chumash, Forest Cove, Morrison, Old Agoura, Reyes Adobe, and Sumac. There are nearby hiking trails in and near the Planning Area which include the Cheeseboro Canyon Trailhead, which is managed by the NPS as part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
There is one golf course in the Planning Area, the Lake Lindero Golf Course, and near the golf course is Lake Lindero, a man-made lake surrounded by communities in the Planning Area. Outside of, but near, the Planning Area are Mullholland Highway which is considered a scenic road that runs about 50 miles through the Western Santa Monica Mountains from US 101 in Calabasas to SR 1 near Malibu that provides the general public with opportunity to drive from the inland mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Parts of Mullholland Highway, between Sierra Creek and Kanan, have recently been reopened to the public after being closed due to the Woolsey Fire in 2018.
3.5.7 Local Economy
General description: Elements of the local economy, such as key established and emerging industries, and important community values that may be negatively impacted by wildfire.
There are a variety of industries in the City of Agoura Hills that contribute to the local economy. The top 3 employment sectors for the City include professional and management (31.7%), education (15.6%), and leisure (11.7%) followed by retail trade (11.2%) and finance (10.2%). The top 5 employment sectors make up 60% of the jobs in the City of Agoura Hills. Top employers within the Planning Area include Las Virgenes Unified School District, Bank of America, Penny Mac, Cydcor LLC, and Teradyne Inc. A diverse local economy increases potential resilience to wildfire threats, because the local economy can rely on other industries if one is disproportionately affected by wildfire.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
3.6 LAND USE / ZONING
The Community Conservation and Development chapter of the Agoura Hills General Plan 2035 is intended to guide development of Agoura Hills’ built environment to the year 2035. Agoura Hills’ land use policies have adapted over time, as the City is now almost fully developed. Therefore, policies now focus on how population and employment growth can be managed to preserve the qualities of the City’s neighborhoods, business districts, and open spaces.
The City of Agoura Hills is primarily residential land use (approx. 42%), as demonstrated in Figure 10. Parks and open space make up the second most common land use (approx. 28%), and planned development the third most common (approx. 16%). Business and manufacturing and commercial use make up the least amount of acreage, at roughly 6% and 5%, respectively.
Figure 10. Land Use for Agoura Hills
3.7 FIRE PROTECTION RESPONSIBILITY
The ability to muster a timely and robust response to a wildland fire can influence the eventual impact of that fire on a community. The City of Agoura Hills has fire services provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD). LACoFD has multiple jurisdictional responsibilities besides wildland fire suppression, including Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
emergency medical services, structure fire suppression, hazardous materials incidents, swift water and water rescue, inspection and permitting, and code enforcement. In 2024, LACoFD responded to a total of 11,539 fires county-wide out of a total of 455,722 calls for services. The fire workload, of which wildland fire is only a small proportion, represents approximately 2.5% of the department’s total workload (Los Angeles County Fire Department Statistical Summary, 2024).
3.7.1 Fire Agencies in Agoura Hills
The Agoura Hills Planning Area is in one of the most firefighting resource dense areas of the nation. LACoFD staffs 175 fire stations with a total of 228 front line engines. The County also staffs 35 trucks, 13 water tenders and 10 fire dozers and 17 hand crews, including nine crews managed by the California Department of Corrections.
A large array of aircraft is available for use on wildland fires, including 10 total helicopters, five Sikorsky S-70 Firehawks, five Bell 214 helicopters and the department also leases a Chinook CH-47 helitanker, considered the world’s larger firefighting helicopter, during fire season. In addition to the helicopters, the department also leases two CL-415 “Superscoopers” to augment their aerial fire suppression capabilities.
The firefighting resources maintained by the County are augmented through mutual aid agreements with Los Angeles City Fire, Ventura County Fire Protection District, and the federal fire agencies which assure that the closest available resources are dispatched to the report of a wildland fire. The sheer size of LACoFD and their fire cooperators enables reinforcements to be rapidly deployed to an emerging wildfire using not only departmental resources, but also those of the cooperating fire agencies.
The three cooperating fire protection agencies in and around Agoura Hills can muster an aggressive initial attack on any report of a wildfire. Using Agoura Hills High School as a center point for the community, these fire agencies can deploy 10 engines within 15 minutes of a dispatch to this location. Travel times and the closest resources will vary with the exact location of a reported fire, but Table 6 shows the speed at which ground based fire resources can be on the scene of a fire.
Fire crews for Los Angeles County Fire may be delivered by helicopter to a reported fire. The closest “fly crew” is stationed at Camp 8, located on the ridgeline above Malibu and has a response time to Agoura Hills of less than 10 minutes. The closest ground crews to Agoura Hills are based at Los Angeles County Camp 13 in Malibu and the CAL FIRE Ventura Camp in Camarillo.
Aviation resources are typically stationed at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima and Camarillo Airport.
Table 6. Closest fire stations and response times to the center of Agoura Hills Station Agency Distance (miles) Travel Time (minutes)
LAC 89 Los Angeles County 1.7 5
VNC 35 Ventura County 1.9 6
LAC 65 Los Angeles County 2.3 6
LAC 125 Los Angeles County 3.7 6
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Station Agency Distance (miles) Travel Time (minutes)
VNC 36 Ventura County 2.7 6
LAC 68 Los Angeles County 6.6 9
LAC 144 Los Angeles County 5.0 10
VNC 37 Ventura County 6.6 13
VNC 31 Ventura County 8.2 13
LAC 67 Los Angeles County 8.2 14
3.7.2 Direct Protection Area (DPA)
Direct Protection Areas define who has fire suppression responsibilities for specific locations within the Planning Area. DPA also defines who has the primary fiscal responsibility for paying for wildland fire suppression.
Three DPA exist within the Planning Area: Local Responsibility Areas, State Responsibility Areas and Federal Responsibility Areas (Figure 11). Within the City of Agoura Hills much of the wildland fire suppression responsibility rests with Los Angeles County Fire who is contracted by the City as their local fire department. Outside of the City on non-federal lands, Los Angeles County Fire is still the responsible fire agency for wildland fire suppression, but on these lands, they are acting as the contracted fire agency for the State of California. On federal lands, such as Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the federal government has wildland fire responsibility, with the National Park Service serving as the principal fire agency for the federal DPA.
+ Local Government – Local Responsibility Areas. Most of the lands within the City of Agoura Hills are Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) for wildland fire suppression responsibility. County Fire is the fire agency with suppression responsibility as they are contracted as the local fire department. County Fire can easily muster a first alarm wildfire response which generally includes five engines, two crews, dozer, water tender and two helicopters. The amount of initial attack equipment dispatched to a reported fire can easily double under the County’s augmented staffing plans or if the reported fire occurs within a mutual threat zone of a fire cooperator. Master Mutual Aid also allows the County to leverage additional fire personnel and equipment from nearby fire agencies in California Office of Emergency Services (OES) Mutual Aid Region 1.
Regardless of
jurisdiction, agencies
coordinate during
wildfire events.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 11: Fire Protection Responsibility Areas for Agoura Hills + CAL FIRE – State Responsibility Areas – State Responsibility Areas, SRA, is where CAL FIRE has the jurisdictional responsibility for the suppression of wildfires. SRA lands are primarily located adjacent to Agoura Hills within the greater Planning Area, but not on federal property. The Los Angeles County Fire Department is contracted by CAL FIRE to perform wildfire suppression services for SRA lands. County Fire, in conjunction with Ventura County Fire, can bring to bear substantial fire resources when a wildfire burns or threatens to burn SRA lands. These resources include engines, helicopters, crews, and dozers, which can augment existing County Fire equipment.
+ National Park Service – Federal Responsibility Areas – Wildlands located in Cheseboro and Palo Comado Canyons and south of the city on Ladyface Mountain are Federal Responsibility Areas. These locations are the protection responsibility of the National Park Service. Because a wildfire spreading from these federal lands can represent a threat to burn SRA or LRA lands, a Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement exist between Los Angeles County Fire and the National Park Service. This agreement provides for initial attack wildfire suppression support within a mutually agreed “threat zone.” While the federal firefighting resources are very limited in the local area, when a wildfire burns within or threatens to burn within these mutual aid area, County Fire can access fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, crews, and other federal fire resources located principally on nearby National Forests. A single Park Service engine is located at King Gillette Ranch approximately seven miles from Agoura Hills.
3.7.3 Fire Protection Agreements and Plans
The fire agencies in and around Agoura Hills have well established protocols for obtaining support from fire cooperators during an escalating wildfire through automatic and mutual aid agreements amongst themselves Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
and with adjoining jurisdictions including neighboring counties, other municipal fire departments, Federal Fire, and the Parks Service.
The following is a summary of existing agreements and mechanisms through which agencies can request assistance for fire suppression operations.
+ Automatic Aid - These agreements with nearby fire agencies assure that the closest available fire resource is dispatched to a reported wildland fire. Currently County Fire maintains a multitude of automatic aid agreements. Locally pertinent agreements exist with Ventura County Fire Department, and Los Angeles City Fire.
+ Master Mutual Aid - Managed by CAL OES, the California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement of 1950 allows local governments to request assistance from other signatories to the Agreement without having to reimburse the supporting departments. This agreement is “reciprocal,” in that County Fire, as a signatory, would not receive reimbursement from other local government departments who might receive their support during a time of need.
+ Assistance by Hire – Where agreements do not exist for firefighting resources, requests for additional suppression capabilities can be placed by field Incident Commanders through the unified ordering point of the incident. These requests will be relayed to the OES Operational Area to be filled or escalated to the OES Coordinator at the Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center if the Operational Area cannot meet the needs of fire commanders. The equipment ordered under “assistance by hire” will be paid for by the requesting fire agency, or the cost of the equipment may be shared in a Cost Share Agreement with other jurisdictionally involved fire agencies.
+ The Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) - Managed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FMAG provides reimbursement to local government agencies for cost they may incur during a wildfire emergency. CAL OES will process FMAG requests for local government who must meet specific criteria to qualify for this cost reimbursement. As a rule of thumb, FMAG will cover 75% of local government cost incurred during a wildfire emergency.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Defining the Wildfire Problem
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
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Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
4.0 Defining the Wildfire Problem
The nature of the wildfire problem is a product of ignition sources, vegetative fuels, topography, and weather.
Understanding the wildfire problem requires an understanding of how these factors interact. Agoura Hills has a complicated wildfire regime, with fire behavior determined by distance from the coast and topography. While only a small fraction of wildfires become large enough to result in significant damage each year, the ability to prevent and suppress these fires depends on a combination of conditions favorable to suppression and the availability of firefighting resources to provide an appropriate response to the fire, especially during the incipient stages of fire development. The wildlands surrounding Agoura Hills have the highest fire frequencies in California in the last century, almost entirely in the autumn months and including a mix of frequent small fires (<500 acre) and infrequent large, prolonged fires (>10,000 acres). This makes the Planning Area highly prone to disastrous wildfires. Wildfires have historically been a major part of Agoura Hills’s ecosystem and will continue to be.
To effectively develop a mitigation strategy to address the potential negative effects of a wildfire within the Planning Area requires an understanding of fire history, fire ecology, climatology, and human interactions with these various elements.
4.1 FIRE HISTORY
Fire history provides a useful tool for fire prevention and preparedness as it provides an understanding of fire frequency, fire season, fire behavior and characteristics, major sources of ignition and portions of the landscape that are the most vulnerable.
There is a significant recent history of large wildfires burning in and around the city. The most impactful of these was the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which damaged or destroyed approximately 2,007 structures total, 31 of which were within Agoura Hills city limits (See Figure 12). While the Woolsey Fire directly impacted the city, multiple recent, larger fires have burned in the general vicinity of the community including:
+ Kenneth Fire – January 2025, burned 1,052 acres northeast of the City in Calabasas. + Palisades Fire – January 2025, burned 23,707 acres southeast of the City in Pacific Palisades and Malibu. + Franklin Fire – December 2024, burned 4,087 acres south of the City in Malibu. + Hill Fire – November 2018, burned 4,310 acres east of Camarillo (burned concurrently with the 96,949-acre Woolsey Fire).
+ Mountain Fire – November 2024, burned 19,904 acres to the north and east of Camarillo. + Springs Fire – May 2013, burned 23,676 acres east of Point Mugu in Ventura County.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 12. Damaged/Destroyed structures during the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
Wildland fire ignitions do not generally start within Agoura Hills itself but spread towards the city from surrounding areas. Most of the recent, large wildfires have occurred around the city, encroaching from the northeast and northwest (See Figure 13 and Figure 14). All of the large wildfires cited above have burned under Santa Ana/offshore wind conditions, including the Springs Fire, which burned in May, a month not typically associated with Santa Ana weather events.
The majority of ignitions occur to the southeast, near Malibu Creek State Park. This can be seen in the “hot spot” or fire cluster map in Figure 15.
These large fires in and adjacent to the city have modified the vegetative structure surrounding Agoura Hills by burning much of the older, denser chaparral. While these plant communities are in the process of recovery, the landscape now primarily supports less dense grass and grass-shrub fuel types. These fuels can burn rapidly under summer and fall fire weather conditions, though typically at lower intensities, which can improve the effectiveness of both aerial- and ground-based firefighting operations. However, during Santa Ana events, high wind speeds can limit or prevent the use of aerial resources, placing greater reliance on ground response.
Throughout Agoura Hills, there are many instances where non-native ornamental vegetation is used in landscaping. Often it is this ornamental vegetation that allows fire to impact a structure, either by providing a receptive fuel for embers or by providing a flammable connection from wildland fuels to a structure.
The Woolsey Fire
showed how quickly
wildfire can reach
Agoura Hills.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 13. Historical Fire Perimeters in and around Agoura Hills Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 14. Historic Fire Frequency in and around Agoura Hills Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
As seen in Figure 15, the distribution of ignitions across the Planning Area shows that ignitions tend to cluster along travel routes, with US-101, Kanan Road and Las Virgenes Road having the greatest density of ignitions. The most potentially impactful ignition clusters to the city are those located along Chesebro Road, below the Calabasas landfill and along Las Virgenes Road. In these locations, if an ignition were to occur during a Santa Ana weather event, fire would be rapidly pushed into residential areas to the west and south.
Of less concern to the city are the ignition clusters south of the administrative boundary. Under normal southwest winds, burning conditions are typically within the ability of the local fire agencies to successfully suppress these ignitions. Fire history indicates that no large fire has spread into Agoura Hills from the south.
As seen in Figure 14, wildfire frequently flows through Las Virgenes/Chesebro/Palo Comado Canyons, Liberty Canyon, Kanan and Cornell Road south of Highway 101 and to a lesser degree Lindero Canyon. This corresponds with historic wildfire corridors observed by LA County Fire Department. These locations all feature north/south oriented canyons which funnel and accelerate winds during Santa Ana weather events.
Figure 15. Ignition history in and around the Planning Area from 1992 - 2020. Source: USFS Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 16. Ignition Causes in and around the Planning Area from 1992 - 2020. Source: USFS
4.2 FIRE ECOLOGY
The Planning Area is characterized as a Mediterranean landscape due to its climate and the native vegetation that dominated prior to European settlement. Temperatures are generally quite warm in the late summer months and moderate in the winter months due to proximity to the ocean. Agoura Hills is far enough inland with sufficient blocking terrain to experience a slightly weaker marine layer than coastal Oxnard to the west or Malibu to the south, however, the marine layer cloud cover is still sufficiently strong to moderate high temperatures in early-to-mid-summer. Peak high temperatures exceeding 100F are common throughout the late summer (August and September), with the record temperature of 108F observed in early September.
Rainfall is highly variable from year-to-year across the Planning Area. The annual rainfall for Agoura Hills is
16.6” (based on a 1991-2020 climatological average), however, the area received 42” during the record 2005 year, while 20% of winters receive less than 10” of rain. This variability between wet and dry years, known as hydroclimatic “whiplash,” greatly influences the fire ecology of the region (Swain et al. 2025).
The native vegetation of the Planning Area uplands is chaparral shrublands dominated by three primary species: manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.), chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), and California lilac (Ceanothus spp.) (Figure 17). Chaparral is a highly fire-adapted species group that has high levels of volatile oils in its leaves and stems, making it very flammable, and it usually resprouts quickly after wildfire. In the higher-moisture riparian areas along canyons, these shrubs give way to oak, sycamore, and willow trees, which are more Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
resistant to the adverse impacts of wildfire and will either survive relatively undamaged or resprout following the fire. Chaparral species and oaks that characterize the Planning Area have evolutionary characteristics consistent with fire-adapted ecosystems. Some shrub species (e.g., scrub oaks) are obligate resprouters that utilize stored reserves to regenerate from existing stems shortly following the fire event. Thus, they must build up sufficient carbon reserves before the next fire in order for the regenerative machinery to function. Other shrub species are obligate seeders (e.g., some species of ceanothus and manzanita), regenerating only from stored seed bank in the soil or adjacent unburned areas.
Figure 17: Sample images of late stage, dense California chaparral Prior to human expansion in the region, including Indigenous settlement, ignitions were infrequent due to very limited occurrence of lightning, which occurs occasionally in the Santa Monica Mountains. It is likely that there were relatively few small fires, with most area burned associated with infrequent large fires that occurred when a summer lightning ignition spent several months burning slowly across the Santa Monica mountains and eventually burned down a canyon or into the upland areas on the edges of Agoura Hills. Native burning throughout the region is well documented, although this likely decreased as Spanish settlement expanded beginning in the 16th century and then gave way to westward American expansion. The dramatic increase in population in the 20th century in the region further altered the natural fire regime of the region by substantially increasing human ignitions both in number and across the seasons. It also served to convert much of the open space found in parks and other inclusions throughout the city to primarily mixed grass and shrubs. The speed and intensity of fire behavior in these spaces is dependent on the ratio of this mix and the volume of vegetation:
a higher grass component burns faster at lower intensity, while a higher shrub component tends to burn more slowly but with higher intensity and more embers cast. Thus, time since last fire and vegetation management are crucial to assessing potential for disastrous fire outcomes.
Today, the heavily urbanized Planning Area has the highest potential for human ignitions from an elevated level of recreational use of open spaces and trails, such as the Cheseboro use area, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) lands, Liberty Canyon, and the city-owned Medea Creek Park. The US 101 freeway also poses risks for new ignitions. Large private inholdings throughout the Planning Area provide potential opportunities for an ignition to spread rapidly into adjacent neighborhoods due to ingress/egress challenges. Historically, the open areas throughout the city have experienced a “local” (<500 acre) fire approximately once every 3-5 years, while large fires (>10,000 acres) have encroached on Agoura Hills from surrounding areas approximately once every 10-15 years. These include the 2018 Woolsey Fire, the 2005 Topanga Fire, the 1982 Dayton Canyon Fire, the 1978 Kanan Fire, and the 1970 Clampitt Fire.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
4.3 VEGETATION AND FUELS
Vegetation is the primary fuel source for wildfires and, along with weather, is a key factor in determining the risk of wildfire hazards. In the case of Agoura Hills, both wildland vegetation and urban fuels present a hazard. Urban sources of fuel such as combustible structures (e.g., homes, businesses, industrial facilities, outbuildings), combustible non-structural features (e.g., decks, fences), vehicles, etc., can contribute to the fire environment and significantly influence fire behavior in the Planning Area. Locally, adjacency to chaparral and abundance of non-native trees, shrubs, and grasses as landscaping vegetation and screening has a negative effect on the overall wildland fire environment. Thus, the potential risk of a large-scale, destructive wildland fire can be linked to the adjacent chaparral as well as landscaping vegetation and other characteristics.
Table 7 provides a summary of the vegetation types and percentages that occur within Agoura Hills and Figure 18 shows their spatial distribution. The Planning Area consists of a large percentage of urban area, coastal scrub and chaparral, and a relatively small amount of grasslands and woodlands. Within Agoura Hills, most area is urban with coastal scrub and annual grassland around the perimeters of the urban area. Additionally, the vegetated areas to the south have mixed chaparral and those to the northeast have coastal oak woodland.
Table 7. Percentage Breakdown of Vegetation Types in the Planning Area Vegetation Type Acres % of Planning Area
Annual Grassland 398 7.9
Barren 40 0.8
Coastal Oak Woodland 141 2.8
Coastal Scrub 752 15.0
Cropland 6.9 0.1
Lacustrine 14 0.3
Mixed Chaparral 522 10.4
Perennial Grassland 6.4 0.1
Urban 3,012 60.1
Valley Foothill Riparian 60 1.2
Valley Oak Woodland 60 1.2
Total 5,013 100.0
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 18: Vegetation Types for Agoura Hills
4.4 CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE
The City of Agoura Hills has a Mediterranean climate, with 16.6” annual precipitation falling primarily in the winter months. Agoura Hills is impacted by the marine layer, a mass of cooler air and cloud cover that moves inland from the ocean, with the greatest impacts during the spring and early summer. When the marine layer forms, temperatures are moderated and relative humidity increases, diminishing fire danger. The marine layer contributes to average temperatures peaking in later summer in the 100s F, with a relatively moderate range between the summer mean high (92 F) and the winter mean low (47 F) (Figure 19). This supports a moderate maritime climate that occasionally sees extreme temperature and extreme rainfall events. While the hottest month on average is August, the record hottest day (108 F) is in early September.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 19: Annual mean climatology over the 1991 – 2020 reporting period for the Planning Area.
While global climate change is often reported as an average rise in temperature (i.e., warming) for the entire planet, the observed changes are highly variable across the globe and even within states, such as California.
Changes in temperature, precipitation, and other meteorological phenomena are also variable both across the seasons of the year, and in terms of the intensity of extreme events. As wildfire tends to occur under extreme conditions in the Planning Area, it is critical to understand how climate change specifically impacts both the frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events, as well as how it affects the vegetation fueling the fire.
Both fuels and extreme heat events are affected by climate change. Abnormally wet winter-spring periods yield higher than normal fine fuel loads, which are the primary carriers of fire.
In the Planning Area, conditions conducive to producing the most extreme fire behavior, including rapid rates of spread and uncontrollable flames, occur in the autumn and winter months when easterly Santa Ana winds coincide with drought conditions (Figure 20). Winter droughts are expected to increase in frequency and intensity under climate change.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 20: Map adapted from Moritz et al. (2010) showing where the highest Santa Ana winds concentrate and facilitate uncontrollable and extreme wildfires. The Planning Area (white oval) is in an area heavily impacted by strong Santa Ana winds.
Agoura Hills has warmed 2.1° F overall in the last 100 years (Figure 21). However, temperatures are highly variable from year-to-year, with 2014 registering the hottest year for the Planning Area since 1895. Warming has occurred across all four seasons and for both daytime highs and nighttime lows, but the greatest warming trends are the nighttime lows, particularly in autumn.
These trends are consistent with reduced nighttime relative humidity recovery, where it remains dry at night rather than becoming more humid, and support anecdotal observations from fire suppression personnel that fires are more active at night now than they have been in the past. Reduced nighttime humidity recovery across spring, summer, and fall seasons is a contributing factor to an observed trend towards increased fire danger, specifically because fuel aridity is higher and fuels are less resistant to fire spread (Abatzoglou and Williams 2016, Goss et al. 2020)45. When a Santa Ana or Sundowner wind event develops in conjunction with low fuel moisture (i.e., high fuel aridity) there is a greater probability of rapid fire spread and the development of large, longer duration wildfires (Rolinski et al. 2016)6.
4 Abatzoglou, J.T. and Williams, A.P., 2016. Impact of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire across western US forests. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(42), pp.11770-11775.
5 Goss, M., Swain, D.L., Abatzoglou, J.T., Sarhadi, A., Kolden, C.A., Williams, A.P. and Diffenbaugh, N.S., 2020. Climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme autumn wildfire conditions across California. Environmental Research Letters, 15(9), p.094016. 6 Rolinski, T., Capps, S.B., Fovell, R.G., Cao, Y., D’Agostino, B.J. and Vanderburg, S., 2016. The Santa Ana wildfire threat index: Methodology and operational implementation. Weather and Forecasting, 31(6), pp.1881-1897.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 21. Mean annual mean daily temperature for Agoura Hills from 1895-2024, showing departure from the long-term average of 62.3 F.
In contrast to a clear warming trend, annual precipitation in the Planning Area has not changed significantly over the past century (Figure 22). Notably, however, precipitation has declined substantially in the last four decades in Autumn, the season when Santa Ana winds pick up and the fastest spreading wildfires occur (Figure 23).
Moisture availability has also declined due to changes in the coastal influence. The marine layer is a type of coastal fog that develops during the spring and summer, and due to the strong temperature gradient between the cool ocean waters and the superheated land mass. This layer is difficult to measure, but observations from Burbank and Santa Monica airports over the last 50 years show that it appears to be getting weaker and providing less shade (Figure 24), which increases vegetation aridity on the ground (Williams et al. 2018)7.
Continued ocean warming in the future may further decrease the marine layer, potential making the western portion of the Planning Area more susceptible to fire.
7 Williams, A.P., Gentine, P., Moritz, M.A., Roberts, D.A. and Abatzoglou, J.T., 2018. Effect of reduced summer cloud shading on evaporative demand and wildfire in coastal southern California. Geophysical Research Letters, 45(11), pp.5653-5662.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 22: Mean annual water year (Oct. – Sept.) total precipitation for the Planning Area (1895-present).
Figure 23: Decline in Autumn precipitation from 1979-2025.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 24: Summer decline in daytime cloud cover (frequency of stratus clouds observed at airfields including Burbank (BUR), Santa Monica (SMO), and Santa Barbara (SBA)) from 1973-2017 from Williams et al. (2018).
Overall, the rising temperatures and the declining autumn precipitation have increased fire potential in the City, as indicated in trends of Fire Danger indices, most notably the autumn Burning Index (BI; Figure 25).
Figure 25: Autumn (October - December) maximum BI for the Planning Area shows the increase in dry, hot, windy events that are conducive to large fire growth.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Projections of future climate change are modeled based on anthropogenic (i.e., human) emissions of greenhouse gases but also account for natural climate variability. Increases in fire activity across the western United States have been definitively partially attributed to anthropogenic climate change (Abatzoglou and Williams 2016)8, so there is high confidence that projections of future climate will have implications for fire.
These trends aren’t just part of Earth’s natural climate variability.
In the Planning Area, there is a projected temperature increase of an additional 5 to 8° F by 2100, with increases seen across all seasons, and for both maximum and minimum daily temperatures (Figure 26, Figure 27). In contrast to high relative certainty that temperatures will continue to increase, precipitation trends are relatively difficult to predict into the future. What is certain about future precipitation is that extreme precipitation events with high rates of rainfall will become more frequent, even if precipitation ultimately declines. The projected temperature increases, especially the increasing nighttime lows, reduced relative humidity, and the increasing frequency of extreme events, such as heatwaves and dry periods coinciding with autumn and winter Santa Ana winds, drive a substantial increase in the number of days per year where there is Extreme Fire Danger (Figure 28, Figure 29, Figure 30). Although global climate models vary widely, they generally agree on an increase in the number of days of Extreme Fire Danger compared to the historic period, with the most extreme models projecting a doubling of Extreme Fire Danger days. It is worth noting that historically most climate model projections have been fairly conservative and underestimated what has actually happened.
Figure 26: Increasing trends in average daily high summer (Jun-Jul-Aug) temperature for the Planning Area from 1979-present (in gray) and projected into the future to 2100 (pink). The projected increase in maximum temperature is approximately 8 degrees F hotter than today, but the highest temperatures, during heat waves will likely register temperatures substantially greater than 8 degrees difference from today’s hottest temperatures because extremes always exceed averages. 8 Abatzoglou, J.T. and Williams, A.P., 2016. Impact of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire across western US forests. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(42), pp.11770-11775.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 27: Increasing trends in average daily nighttime low temperature for autumn (Sept-Oct-Nov) for the Planning Area from 1979-present (in gray) and projected into the future to 2100 (pink). The projected increase in nighttime low temperature is 8.8 degrees F hotter than today. This is particularly critical for increasing fire danger during autumn Santa Ana wind events.
Figure 28: Projected change in number of days of extreme fire danger annually for Agoura Hills, based on global climate model outputs, for both the early 21st century (the current period) and the mid-21st century (future period 2040-2069) as compared to the historical period of 1971-2000. Each future boxplot represents a range of projections from different climate models, with the white dots representing the projection of a specific model, and the dark blue line in the middle representing the median projection.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
For the future period (2040-2069), the highest projections are for up to 22 days per year of Extreme (97th percentile) fire danger, nearly double the 11 days per year observed in the historic period.
Figure 29: Projected change in average fuel moisture and the average number of days of extreme fire danger for the winter and spring months for Agoura Hills from global climate model outputs.
Figure 30: Projected change in average fuel moisture and the average number of days of extreme fire danger for the summer and autumn months for Agoura Hills from global climate model outputs.
These projections of future conditions indicate a substantial increase in the potential for more severe wildfire behavior on an increasing number of days. If no fuel management occurs, and no changes in how fires are managed as compared to the 20th century, fire models from the state CalAdapt project suggest a nearly 30% increase in annual area burned by the end of the 21st century for the Planning Area (Figure 31). Importantly, these models don’t predict the actual area burned each year, rather, they project the change in a long-term average and show how variable the historic record is from year-to-year. From a planning and management perspective, this means that big fire years will be bigger with more area burned. As no fuel management is assumed in the models, however, these projections also demonstrate the critical need for fuels management to reduce fuel loads in order to mitigate undesirable negative outcomes.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
Figure 31: Projected change in area burned from four different global climate model scenarios (Average, Cool/Wet, Warm/Dry, and Complementary) based on 20th century fire history from CALFIRE and assumptions of no change in fire and fuels management shows a nearly 30% increase in average annual area burned from the baseline historic period (1970-2000) to the end of the 21st century (2070-2100).
Active fuels management would substantially alter the projected outcomes.
What this means for Agoura Hills:
+ More days of extremely high fire danger, especially in autumn months + More high fire danger days in winter and spring, outside of the ‘traditional’ fire season + Longer periods of sustained high fire danger
+ Longer fire seasons
+ More days of hazardous air quality from smoke
+ More frequent Public Safety Power Shutoffs and outages when powerlines burn + Greater potential for sudden “no-notice” evacuations
+ Great potential for post-fire flooding and debris flows due to extreme rainfall on recently burned hillsides
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills
4.5 TOPOGRAPHY
Topography is the configuration of Earth’s surface and is the most stable of the elements in the fire environment.
Topography plays a significant role in wildland fire behavior by sheltering areas from the prevailing wind or by channeling wind through prominent canyons and drainages. Specific elements of topography that affect fire behavior include slope, aspect and elevation with the steepness of slope being the most influential. For wildfire behavior modeling for the CWPP, topographic data was obtained from the LANDFIRE program As seen in Figure 32, three principal drainages bisect the city. These drainages flow from the Simi Hills north of the city and have a general north to south orientation. From east to west, these drainages are Chesebro/Palo Comado, Medea Creek Canyon and Lindero Canyon. It is this north/south orientation that serves to channel and intensify winds during Santa Ana weather events
Figure 32: Topography in and around Agoura Hills
Other than the orientation of these drainages, topography has a limited impact on large fire development in the Planning Area as drainage bottom to ridgetop distances are relatively short, preventing slope driven fires from developing sustained uphill fire runs. Generally, slopes are mild enough to allow for the use of mechanized equipment during fire suppression operations. Most slopes are less than 30%, with the exception of locations south of Highway 101 where slopes can exceed 80%.
Aspects within the Planning Area are divided along Highway 101, with areas to the north of the 101 having a south aspect, and slopes south of the 101, a north aspect. These aspects influence vegetation type, with south aspects supporting grass, grass-shrub dominate fuel types and north facing slopes displaying more chaparral and oak-woodland dominated fuel types.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan City of Agoura Hills