Edhat StaffSource: Santa Barbara MTD
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 20, 2018.
The current proposal includes a route change to the Line 15x, which serves as an express route between Isla Vista/UC Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College. The proposed change would reroute the Line 15x off of the Mesa and would circle around the SBCC main campus. The route would travel in a consistent one-way direction all day from UCSB toward Isla Vista and Camino Real Marketplace, rather than reversing in the afternoon as it currently does. There is also a proposal to make schedule adjustments related to the SBCC/UCSB school calendar.
Lines 20 and 21x currently serve Carpinteria, but due to increased congestion and construction on Highway 101 in recent years, the Line 21x (meant to be an express) can sometimes take longer than the Line 20. For this reason, MTD proposes to improve frequency on the Line 20 by suspending the Line 21x service and reallocating its resources to the Line 20. This reallocation is expected to remain until the Highway 101 HOV lanes are operational. This means that while midday frequency on the Line 20 would remain at 40 minutes, frequencies in the morning and late afternoon peak times will improve to 15 and 30 minutes.
The proposal also includes minor changes to the schedules of Lines 7, 10, and 27 to improve on-time performance.
The public is invited to learn more and to give feedback via an online survey that explains all the proposed changes at www.sbmtd.gov/servicechanges
Community meetings will be held at the following locations and times, and Spanish/English interpretation will be provided:
In addition to the four meetings listed above, a presentation on the proposed changes will be given at the April 24th meeting of the Isla Vista Community Services District Board of Directors. The meeting begins at 6:00pm.
For questions on proposed service changes, the public may contact Santa Barbara MTD at 805-963-3364 or email info@sbmtd.gov.
MTD drivers going out on a sympathy strike for fellow union bus drivers elsewhere in this state a few years ago left a bad taste in people’s mouths. They did not mind inconveniencing everyone here, in order to support for union solidarity some place else. That was low blow.
Why do we hear from every single public agency that “they have no money”. Yet we also see lavish salaries and perks for those very same people. In fact public agencies do have the money. They are merely allocating it for themselves; and not public services. How do we change that?
There’s no service at all from the big north Patterson housing areas except h.s. runs. Closest bus is a mile away and doesn’t cross the freeway to downtown Goleta where there are connecting routes. If that bus ran up Fairview, across C.O. and down Patterson, they’d pick up riders. Currently there’s connection to USCB, La Cumbre or the airport. If other areas are similarly “served” no wonder there’s a problem with ridership. No one’s going to walk a mile and a half and cross major intersections with 101–both ways–unless they have at least a half day to contribute to the trip–each way!