Guide to New MTD Schedule
MTD staff held a series of public meetings in order to gather feedback. Santa Barbara residents called, emailed and used social media to express their opinions and suggestions. “It was helpful to hear from riders about the routes they utilize on a daily basis,” said David Damiano, manager of Transit Development and Community Relations.
One potentially eliminated route was Line 22, which serves the Old Mission, the Museum of Natural History and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. After a great deal of supportive feedback from the organizations served as well as riders and other residents, Line 22 was given a reprieve for another year.
Recent reductions in service to the Crosstown Shuttle as well as a Downtown/Waterfront and Seaside Shuttles fare increase were a result of the State’s elimination of Redevelopment Agency funding.
New Schedule Guides are available now at various locations throughout Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria, at the downtown Transit Center (1020 Chapala), the MTD business office (550 Olive St.) and on buses and shuttles. Passengers seeking route information may also go online, or use the new Google Transit option on the MTD website homepage.
The Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD), with its focus on passenger service, provides a reliable, safe and comfortable means of mobility to those who lack other transportation, including students, seniors and individuals with disabilities. MTD also provides an attractive transportation option for commuters and shoppers who might otherwise drive a car. MTD provides more than 27,000 passenger trips each weekday resulting in 22,676 cars being left at home on weekdays. MTD provided almost 8,000,000 passenger trips last fiscal year. Santa Barbara is recognized as a transit intensive community and is ranked in the top ten in the nation for per capita bus usage. MTD operates North America’s largest fleet of 100% battery electric buses. Additionally, MTD was the first in California to operate its fleet of diesel and diesel-electric buses with a bio-diesel blend of fuel.