Community leaders on Thursday celebrated the launch of a new express bus service — MTD’s Line 19x.

The Line 19x (Carpinteria/SBCC Express) provides peak weekday service to Carpinteria, Santa Barbara’s Eastside, and Santa Barbara City College. This service is financially supported by Measure A as part of the Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project to help alleviate congestion and improve the flow of traffic during construction.

Several community leaders boarded the Line 19x bus in Carpinteria and Santa Barbara, and were joined by others at the main SBCC bus stop on Cliff Drive for a brief press conference.

Speakers included Jerry Estrada, Santa Barbara MTD general manager; Marjie Kirn, SBCAG executive director; Carpinteria Mayor Al Clark; First District County Supervisor Das Williams; and Jonathan Abboud, SBCC Board of Trustees president.

“Connecting these important destinations to each other fulfills several requests that we’ve heard for many years,” said Estrada. “With the 19x we’ve brought back peak express bus service back between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara, and we now provide direct service to SBCC for both Eastside residents and Carpinterians.”
 
“We can reduce traffic congestion by trying Santa Barbara MTD’s new direct service between Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, and SBCC,” said Kirn. “The new 19x service is made possible because of the investment of Highway 101 Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project funds.

“This investment helps make the community vision for a sustainable future a reality. We ask the public to try this transportation option and experience the benefits first-hand.”

“We are thrilled with the launch of the 19x, a new express route that can help put an end to the soul sucking traffic between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara City College,” said Abboud. “This is big win for our neighbors, SBCC students and employees, and the environment.”

For details about the Line 19x route and schedule, click here.