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.
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…
Over the last ten years, ridership had been declining, but in the last 2 years, ridership began to rebound until COVID-19.
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.
Service Improvements
Linking Lines 23 & 25 to provide a reliable one-seat ride through western Goleta.
New or Modified Services
New Line 19x providing direct weekday service between SBCC, East SB, and Carpinteria.
The Wave microtransit on-demand service in Carpinteria. Termination of Line 36. Ride The Wave instead.
The Wave microtransit on-demand service in Goleta. Termination of Line 10. Ride The Wave instead.
Newly designed Downtown-Waterfront Circulator for consideration. Termination of Line 37. Ride Lines 1 & 2 instead.
Bus Priority Projects
To provide faster bus service, MTD needs to collaborate with local partners to give buses priority. Over 75% of riders support transit signal priority.
Use signal priority on key corridors and intersections to move more people more efficiently.
Use priority road treatments to give buses an easier time traveling through corridors and intersections.