The Santa Barbara Metropolitan District hasn’t used its Goleta site since 2003, but after 20 years the transit agency is recommissioning the property, known as Terminal Two, at 5353 Overpass Road.
The site will accommodate a future zero-emissions fleet, improve operational efficiencies, and reduce capacity restraints experienced at Terminal 1 in downtown Santa Barbara.
MTD has maintained ownership of the property and leased it out for many years.
“In the intervening years, MTD’s service levels and fleet have grown and particularly in the Goleta and Isla Vista area, and originating buses out of Goleta for that service will greatly reduce driving time, fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Hillary Blackerby, MTD’s planning and marketing manager.
The site will need to be renovated to accommodate the transit agency’s goals. The plan is to break construction into phases, with the first one beginning in the next few months and lasting for 12 to 18 months, Blackerby said.
Offsite work for phase one will include adding a public sidewalk along Overpass Road, a new driveway, and landscaping.
Onsite work will include installing a new above-ground 12,000-gallon renewable diesel fuel tank, a new steel-framed canopy adjacent from the fuel tank for a new fare collection vault, and renovating the bus wash.
Maintenance repairs include repairing the gypsum board, replacing countertops in the break room, replacing plumbing fixtures in the office bathrooms, replacing light fixtures in the maintenance bay, and security upgrades.
Blackerby said these improvements will allow MTD to move some of its operations to Terminal Two on an interim basis prior to phase two construction.
Menemsha Development Group has been chosen as the contractor for the project after submitting the lowest bid. Construction for phase one is estimated to cost $3,999,265.
The project will be paid for by federal grants, including Measure A, California Transportation Commission (CTC) funding, and an anticipated Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) allocation, according to the MTD staff report.
Phase two of construction will include replacing overhead canopies that can support a photovoltaic solar system, and rebuilding the operations and maintenance building on the property.
Blackerby said that MTD has just started planning phase two, and it is unclear how long construction of phase two will take.