Transit providers across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties are working together to offer free rides for Santa Barbara’s Earth Day Festival weekend, April 2-27.
The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) is partnering with the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) and the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) to promote sustainable transportation and encourage festival attendees to go car-free by taking advantage of free bus rides all weekend.
Throughout the weekend, the public can ride free on all Santa Barbara MTD buses and routes; and, all VCTC Coastal Express routes between Ventura County and Santa Barbara will be free to ride.
“We’re proud to support an exciting partnership between our local transit operators in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties to make the Earth Day festival weekend more accessible and sustainable for our community,” said Marjie KIRN, executive director of SBCAG.
“By offering free bus rides to the festival and throughout our community, we’re not only reducing our environmental footprint but also encouraging the use of public transportation as a cleaner, greener option for everyone,” Kirn said. “We are thrilled to be a part of this collaboration.”
The Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival at Alameda Park is produced by the Community Environmental Council and CarpEvents.
“Santa Barbara has always been at the forefront of environmental advocacy, and today, it is exciting to see that legacy continue through initiatives like free transit to celebrate our Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival,” said Randy Rowse, Santa Barbara mayor and SBCAG Board chair.
“I am proud to support these free fares for the entire weekend, making it easier for residents and visitors to honor our rich history and participate sustainably in the celebrations,” he said.
Santa Barbara MTD has been a forerunner in battery-electric buses, having run the first battery-electric bus fleet in the United States in 1991, The MTD now boasts a fleet that is 23% zero-emission.
“Earth Day weekend is a great opportunity for residents and visitors to give the bus a try, whether to the festival, to work, or to the grocery store. Any trip on transit is good for the Earth,” said Jerry Estrada, MTD general manager.
VCTC shifted to renewable fuel for its bus fleet in 2022, helping to reduce emissions and contribute to a cleaner transportation system.
“Sustainability has long been a core value at VCTC,” said Martin Erickson, VCTC executive director. “We are pleased to partner with SBCAG and Santa Barbara MTD and to offer free rides on the Coastal Express.
“We encourage those attending the Earth Day Festival and visiting other destinations to take advantage of public transit.”
The public is also urded to explore other sustainable travel options for the festival, such as biking, carpooling and rail.
Festival attendees can plan their visit on the Santa Barbara Earth Day website to come car free by bike, bus, shuttle or train. The webpage is equipped with SBCAG’s trip planner and carpool matching tool.
Travelers using rail can receive a 20% discount on AMTRAK Surfliner tickets to visit Santa Barbara. For more about the discount, visit sbcag.org/projects/traveler-services/visit/.
Free bike valet service will be available for festival attendees to park their bikes.
“Whether it is for a nine-to-five daily commute or to attend popular community events like the Earth Day festival, SBCAG is committed to reducing congestion and pollution, and helping people get where they want to go,” said Aaron Bonfilio, director of multi-modal programs for SBCAG.
To view routes and schedules, visit Santa Barbara MTD at sbmtd.gov, VCTC Coastal Express at goventura.org/routes, or call 805-963-7283.
The free fare weekend is funded by the State of California’s Low Carbon Transit Operations Program.