As Santa Barbara County-area educational institutions plan to restart in-person classes this fall and more commuters head back to work, some public transportation operators will offer new services and amenities.
The Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District, a public transit provider for more than 50 square miles of the South Coast, is rolling out some changes starting this month.
With the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Santa Barbara City College and UC Santa Barbara about to start a new academic year, Santa Barbara MTD is bringing back service on its booster lines and lines 15x (SBCC/UCSB Express), 16 (SBCC shuttle) and 28 (UCSB shuttle).
Lines 15x and 28 will be coming back with lower levels of service than pre-coronavirus pandemic, and Line 27 (Isla Vista shuttle) will remain on the “UCSB out” level of service, said Hillary Blackerby, MTD’s planning and marketing manager.
The changes will go into effect Aug. 16, she said.
Santa Barbara MTD serves Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Montecito, Summerland and Isla Vista. The agency provides 6.4 million passenger trips annually, and operates a fleet of more than 110 transit vehicles.
The Clean Air Express is operating a limited schedule due to COVID-19, with 18 one-way trips each weekday, down from 26.
Ridership levels are down by 48% as of this June, compared with the same month in 2019.
The number of Clean Air Express passengers has been increasing every month since the start of the year.
The service carried more than 7,300 riders in June.
The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments will continue to monitor ridership increases on the Clean Air Express to determine whether additional routes should be restored, said Lauren Bianchi Klemann, SBCAG’s public information manager.
The Clean Air Express is operated by SBCAG and funded by Measure A, the region’s local transportation sales tax measure that passed overwhelmingly in November 2008.
The commuter bus program serves North County residents who are commuting to jobs in Goleta and Santa Barbara on the South Coast.
The Clean Air Express features a fleet of 17 charter-style buses.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains have been operating on a limited schedule since March 2020 because of a pandemic-related drop in travel demand, according to a news release.
Service levels were reduced to six one-way trips serving Santa Barbara and Goleta, from 10 such trips.
The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner plans to increase service in October, with one additional round trip to Santa Barbara, according to a representative from the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency.
The intent is to have the additional round trip make all stops up to San Luis Obispo.
The number of riders on Pacific Surfliner trains plunged to nearly 27,500 people in January during the pandemic.
Monthly ridership on the Pacific Surfliner has been trending upward over a recent five-month period, with trains serving nearly 34,600 riders in February, more than 50,600 in March, nearly 65,000 in April and more than 83,000 in May.
In June, about 101,810 people got on trains.
The Pacific Surfliner travels along a 351-mile coastal rail route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged locally in March 2020, the Ventura County Transportation Commission’s Coastal Express served an average of 15,600 riders each month. The Coastal Express stops in Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and Goleta.
The Coastal Express did not have any pandemic-related service reductions, according to VCTC.
The service operates 21 round trips each day between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Like many transit operators during the pandemic, VCTC experienced declines in ridership on its intercity bus routes, including the Coastal Express.
From January to March 2021, ridership on the Coastal Express increased compared to the previous three months.
Contactless Payment Options
Passengers aboard SBCAG’s Clean Air Express and select Santa Barbara MTD buses have the option to use contactless payments.
Starting this week, a new tap-to-ride payment system is being offered on the Clean Air Express and several Santa Barbara MTD buses serving lines 12x and 24x, according to a news release.
Bus lines 12x and 24x serve the areas of UCSB, downtown Santa Barbara, Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta and Old Town Goleta.
“Older fare collection systems create unnecessary barriers for people to ride and choose transit,” Marjie Kirn, executive director of SBCAG, said in a statement.
“With the new contactless payment system, customers can now pay their fare the same way they can buy a coffee or groceries by simply tapping a credit, debit card, or using a mobile wallet on a smartphone or watch with no registration or account setup needed.”
Registration or account setup will not be required to use the contactless payment technology.
An online portal is available to customers who pay with a card and need a receipt or desire to check their rides and fare payments.
The Clean Air Express and Santa Barbara MTD still accept physical passes and cash payments.
The new fare payment system is part of a six-month demonstration with the California Integrated Travel Project — an initiative of the California State Transportation Agency and state Department of Transportation — to simplify travel by increasing access to public transit, including faster payments via contactless fare payment options.
“Much of our goal is a more modern and consistent transportation experience throughout California,” Caltrans director Toks Omishakin said.
“Allowing riders to pay for transit with the same methods they use elsewhere not only increases efficiency and mobility, but also reduces barriers to using public transportation.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
