WHAT IS MTD MOVES AHEAD?

MTD Moves Ahead is a community process to create a Short Range Transit Plan that will guide bus service development, infrastructure investment, and capital needs for MTD’s bus system over the next five years. How has our region changed recently and what’s likely to happen in the near future? New residential developments, changes to commutes, technology, and the economy all mean a big opportunity to rethink transit on Santa Barbara County’s South Coast.

UPDATE: To review the final Short Range Transit Plan, as adopted by the MTD Board of Directors on November 1, 2022 click the button below.

Adopted Short Range Transit Plan

Short Range Transit Plan Executive Summary

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What is a Short Range Transit Plan?

5-year planning timeframe (changes won’t go into effect immediately)
Planning effort separate from recent service changes
Opportunity for you to provide input for the future of MTD

What We’ve Heard and Seen So Far…

A graphic of a bar graph showing the levels going up and down over time.

Over the last ten years, ridership had been declining, but in the last 2 years, ridership began to rebound until COVID-19.

A graphic of a line graph with the line trending down.

During the worst of COVID-19, MTD lost about 70% of ridership, which has since rebounded significantly.

The lines that lost the most riders were the student-focused lines; the lines that lost the least were 1/2, 6, 14, and 20.

Four lines (1/2 and 6/11) carried over half of all riders.

Graphic that says "You told us that you value:" with a series of progress bars below in blue and teal, with percentages and descriptions above them. Descriptions: 70% Frequency and Flexibility, 64% Faster trips with fewer stops, 59% More connections, faster travel time, 53% All day service

Image that says "Riders want:" above one blue circle with white writing on the right that says "faster trips" and one on the right that says "serves more destinations" there is a teal plus sign between the two circles.

Service Improvements

Maroon colored numbers. One reads "1" and the other reads "2" to indicate bus lines.

Stop watch icon with an arrow pointing to text saying "Every 30 min between 6-10pm" above a sliver moon icon pointing to text saying "Later service until midnight, every 60 min"

One blue circle reads "4" and the other yellow circle reads "17" to indicate bus lines.

Stopwatch icon with an arrow pointing to text saying "Every 30 min between 9am-6pm" above a sliver moon icon pointing to text saying "Later service from 6-9pm, every 35 min"

One salmon colored circle reads "20" to indicate the bus line 20.

Stopwatch icon with an arrow pointing to text saying "Every 15 min between 6-8am & 4-6pm" above text saying "Every 30 min between 9am-3pm"

Two circles, both deep red. One reads "6" and the other "11" to indicate those bus lines.

Stopwatch icon with an arrow pointing to text saying "More consistent frequencies" above a sliver moon icon pointing to text saying "Later service until midnight on Line 11, every 30 min"

Three circles in green, purple and blue with white writing denoting lines 15X, 27, and 28.

Stopwatch icon with an arrow pointing to text saying “Service returned to higher pre-pandemic levels”

A map of Western Goleta showing the Lines 23 and 25 connecting to one another.

Linking Lines 23 & 25 to provide a reliable one-seat ride through western Goleta.

New or Modified Services

A bus map of the proposed Line 19X which has the bus line color of lavender. It shows service between SBCC, East SB, and Carpinteria.

New Line 19x providing direct weekday service between SBCC, East SB, and Carpinteria.

A map of the Carpinteria area shaded red to indicate the availability of microtransit service within that zone.

The Wave microtransit on-demand service in Carpinteria. Termination of Line 36. Ride The Wave instead.

Map of Goleta and Isla Vista showing microtransit zones and points of interest. Points of interest are Goleta Train Station, SB Airport, UCSB Bus Loop, UCSB Elings Hall, Isla Vista Community Center, and El Colegio and Embarcadero del Mar bus stop. One zone area is bounded by Cortona Drive on the West, Hollister Avenue on the South, Aero Camino on the East, and Highway 101 on the North. The other larger zone is bounded by Los Carneros to the west, Highway 101 to the south, Patterson Avenue to the east, and Cathedral Oaks to the north.

The Wave microtransit on-demand service in Goleta. Termination of Line 10. Ride The Wave instead.

Map of the Downtown and Waterfront of Santa Barbara with a circulator route that goes up Chapala, right on Sola, right on Anacapa, right on Gutierrez, left on State, right on Cabrillo, to the harbor, then back down Cabrillo to the Zoo, then up Cabrillo and right on State Street, left on Gutierrez and right on Chapala.

Newly designed Downtown-Waterfront Circulator for consideration. Termination of Line 37. Ride Lines 1 & 2 instead.

Text that reads "Lines 12x and 24x would be renamed Lines 6x and 11x, respectively, for easier understanding of routes.

On the left, two brown circles with white text of "12X" and "24X" each have a black arrow pointing rightward to red circles with white text that read "6X" and "11X".

Bus Priority Projects

Image of an intersection with a bus using a queue jump lane.

To provide faster bus service, MTD needs to collaborate with local partners to give buses priority. Over 75% of riders support transit signal priority.

A photo of a bus in a bus only lane next to a bike lane which is delineated from car traffic.

Use signal priority on key corridors and intersections to move more people more efficiently.

Cross section of a street showing bus only lanes, bike lanes, general travel lanes, and sidewalks.

Use priority road treatments to give buses an easier time traveling through corridors and intersections.

Short Range Transit Plan Process Flow chart reads "virtual listening session & survey: Fall 21" "Draft plan developed Winter 22" "Get community feedback Spring 22" and "MTD board adopts final plan Late 22"

MTD Moves Ahead Fact Sheet