Santa Barbara MTD is hosting a set of public outreach meetings this April, and is inviting the public to take a brief survey giving feedback on proposed service changes to local bus service. These meetings are held annually in the spring to receive input on the proposed changes that would go into effect on August 19, 2019.
The current proposal includes a route change and stop changes to the Line 3 which serves the Oak Park and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital area. These changes are due to planned construction and re-configuration of the Cottage Hospital campus, and a City of Santa Barbara project that would change circulation patterns on Bath and Castillo Streets in the area.
Since its inception in August 2016, the Line 28 has seen growing demand and ridership in Isla Vista and at UC Santa Barbara. The operation of Line 28 (UCSB Shuttle) is funded through an agreement with UC Santa Barbara. MTD and UCSB are in discussions to increase frequency and expand capacity on Line 28.
In the interest of improving the express nature of Lines 12x (Goleta Express) and 24x (UCSB Express), MTD proposes to make fewer stops on those two lines. The corridors these lines serve are also served by local Lines 6 and 11, which stop at every stop along the way. Traditionally, express services make fewer stops which makes for a quicker trip. A full list of proposed stop changes can be found at the website listed below.
The proposal also includes minor changes to the schedules of Lines 4, 5, 10, 14, 15x, 17 and 20 to improve on-time performance. Similarly, minor schedule adjustments to several booster services serving La Colina and Goleta Valley Junior Highs and San Marcos and Dos Pueblos High Schools are proposed to make the services more on-time.
MTD has applied for grant funding for a one-year pilot to implement flexible, on-demand, curb-to-curb shared microtransit inside a specified zone using passenger vans for a low flat rate. Rides would be ordered via a smartphone app or by calling the Transit Center. Work is underway to determine the specific service zone for this pilot.
