Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District

Public transit agency in Santa Barbara County, California

An MTD bus at UCSB in 2007.

Founded| 1968
Headquarters| 1020 Chapala Street
Santa Barbara, California
Service area| Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Goleta, Montecito, Summerland, Isla Vista
Service type| Transit bus
Routes| 37
Fleet| 113 buses
Daily ridership| 16,900 (weekdays, Q1 2025)[1]
Annual ridership| 4,832,900 (2024)[2]
Fuel type| CNG, battery electric
Website| sbmtd.gov

The Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) is a public transit agency providing bus service in the southern portion of Santa Barbara County, California. It serves the cities of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Goleta as well as the unincorporated areas of Montecito, Summerland, and Isla Vista. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 4,832,900, or about 16,900 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025.

## History

[edit]

Mule-powered street railways were implemented in 1875 and were gradually replaced by electric streetcars in 1896. The streetcars made their last run on July 1, 1929; about a month later, the Santa Barbara Transit Corporation company started providing local bus service (H.A. Spreitz, its owner, already operated another bus company that served the suburban areas of Goleta and Carpinteria.[3][4] In the late 1950s and 60s, Santa Barbara Transit was losing revenue, and repeatedly threatened to go out of business.[5][6] Strikes were also a problem, as the company could not afford to pay its employees.[7][8][9]

At first, the City of Santa Barbara considered subsidizing the transit company, but since service was needed to Carpinteria and Goleta as well, a transit district was thought to be a better choice, because it would also be able to levy taxes on separately.[10][11] Voters approved the formation of the MTD in 1966.[12]

Over the years, service has expanded, particularly on routes serving the University of California, Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College. Bus schedules were being distributed from 1983 onwards.

In August 2012 MTD implemented peak-hour commuter service (Coastal Express Limited) between Ventura and the Santa Barbara/Goleta area.

## Routes

[edit]

### Local routes

[edit]

All routes serving Downtown Santa Barbara begin and end at the Transit Center

Route  | Terminals  | via  | Notes

|
|
|

1  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Santa Barbara

Modoc Rd & Portesuello Av

| San Andres St  |
2  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Santa Barbara

Punta Gorda St & Salinas St

| Anapamu St  |
3  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Santa Barbara

Foothill Rd & Cieneguitas Rd

| State St  |
4  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara City College

| Carrillo St, Cliff Dr  |
5  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Santa Barbara

State St & La Cumbre Rd

| Cliff Dr  |

* Serves Santa Barbara City College

6  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Goleta

Hollister Av & Storke Rd

| State St, Hollister Av  |
7  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Goleta

Hollister Av & Kellogg Av

| US-101 |
11  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Goleta

Storke Rd & Hollister Av

| State St, Hollister Av  |

* Serves Santa Barbara Airport and UC Santa Barbara

14  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Montecito

Jameson Ln & Sheffield Dr

| Valley Rd  |
16  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara City College

| Cliff Dr  |

* Temporarily Suspended

17  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara City College

| Carrillo St  |
20  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Carpinteria

Via Real & Mark Av

| Via Real  |
23  | Goleta

Storke Rd & Hollister Av

| Goleta

Winchester Canyon Rd & Bradford Dr

| Calle Real  |
25  | Goleta

Hollister Av & Storke Rd

| Goleta

Calle Real & Winchester Pl

| Hollister Av  |
27  | Isla Vista

UC Santa Barbara

| Goleta

Santa Felicia Dr & Marketplace

| Storke Rd  |

* Isla Vista Shuttle

28  | Isla Vista

UC Santa Barbara

| Goleta

Santa Felicia Dr & Marketplace

| El Colegio Rd  |

* UCSB Shuttle

### Express routes

[edit]

Route  | Terminals  | Via  | Notes

|
|
|

12X  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Goleta

Hollister Av & Kellogg Av

| US-101  |
15X  | Isla Vista

UC Santa Barbara

| Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara City College

| US-101  |
19X  | Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara City College

| Carpinteria

Carpinteria Av & Palm Av

| US-101  |
24X  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Goleta

Storke Rd & Hollister Av

| US-101  |

* Serves UC Santa Barbara

### School supplementary routes

[edit]

Services operate weekdays only.

Route  | Terminals  | Via  | Notes

|
|
|

2010  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| State St  |

* To Alpha Resource Center

2110  | Santa Barbara

San Barbara Junior High School

| Cota St  |

* To MTD Transit Center

2410  | Goleta

Turnpike Rd & Ukiah St

| Santa Barbara

La Colina Junior High School

| Hollister Av  |
2420  | Goleta

University Dr & Patterson Av

| Santa Barbara

La Colina Junior High School

| Cathedral Oaks Rd  |
2430  | Goleta

Hollister Av & San Ricardo Dr

| Santa Barbara

La Colina Junior High School

| Hollister Av  |
2510  | Santa Barbara

Rancheria St & Gutierrez St

| Santa Barbara

San Marcos High School

| San Andres St  |
2520  | Santa Barbara

MTD Transit Center

| Santa Barbara

San Marcos High School

| US-101  |
2530  | Santa Barbara

Carrillo St & San Andres St

| Santa Barbara

San Marcos High School

| San Andres St, Modoc Rd  |
2540  | Santa Barbara

Haley St & Bath St

| Santa Barbara

San Marcos High School

| Cliff Dr, Las Positas Rd  |
2610  | Goleta

Hollister Av & Kellogg Av

| Goleta

Fairview Av & Encina Rd

| Hollister Av  |
2620  | Goleta

Winchester Canyon Rd & Bradford Dr

| Goleta

Cathedral Oaks Rd & Camino Laguna Vista

| Cathedral Oaks Rd  |
2630  | Goleta

Hollister Av & Cathedral Oaks Rd

| Goleta

Goleta Valley Junior High School

| Hollister Av, US-101  |
2650  | Isla Vista

Camino Pescadero & El Colegio Rd

| Goleta

Goleta Valley Junior High School

| Cathedral Oaks Rd  |
2710  | Isla Vista

Camino Pescadero & El Colegio Rd

| Goleta

Dos Pueblos High School

| Storke Rd  |
2720  | Goleta

Hollister Av & Turnpike Rd

| Goleta

Dos Pueblos High School

| Hollister Av  |
2730  | Santa Barbara

State St & La Cumbre Rd

| Goleta

Dos Pueblos High School

| Cathedral Oaks Rd  |
2740  | Goleta

Los Carneros Rd & Karl Storz Dr

| Goleta

Dos Pueblos High School

| Hollister Av  |

## Fare structure

[edit]

### Contactless fare payment

[edit]

Some vehicles are equipped with a contactless fare reading device that allows customers to pay using a credit/debit/prepaid card or a mobile wallet on smart devices.[13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Transit Ridership Report First Quarter 2025" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. May 15, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
3. ^ Everett, William B. (1984). Mule car and trolley: the story of the Santa Barbara street railway. Goleta, Calif.: Institute for American Research. ISBN 0-911773-04-5. OCLC 11743439.
4. ^ City of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Works (May 31, 1996). "Pedestrian Master Plan" (PDF). Pedestrian Master Plan Final Draft. Retrieved March 4, 2007.
5. ^ "Santa Barbara Bus Line to quit service on Jan 1". Los Angeles Times. December 18, 1960. pp. H4.
6. ^ Bush, Thomas (March 19, 1967). "Bus Lines Tired of Parking in Red". Los Angeles Times. pp. I1.
7. ^ "Santa Barbara Seeks Solution in Bus Strike". Los Angeles Times. May 11, 1961. pp. B7.
8. ^ "Vote Averts Santa Barbara Transit Strike". Los Angeles Times. December 3, 1964. pp. A10.
9. ^ "Week-Old Bus Strike in Santa Barbara Settled". Los Angeles Times. March 2, 1965. pp. A2.
10. ^ "Santa Barbara Moves to Form Transit District". Los Angeles Times. March 21, 1965. pp. F8.
11. ^ "New Transit District in Area Sought". Los Angeles Times. April 2, 1965. pp. C6.
12. ^ "Santa Barbara Transit District Ready to Move". Los Angeles Times. December 24, 1966. pp. B5.
13. ^ "Contactless payment options introduced on Santa Barbara County public transit systems". Mass Transit (magazine). July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District.

## External links

[edit]

* Santa Barbara MTD homepage

34°25′16″N 119°42′13″W﻿ / ﻿34.42101°N 119.70348°W﻿ / 34.42101; -119.70348

* v
* t
* e

Public transportation agencies in Southern California

Multi-county agencies|

* Metrolink (Station list)
* Pacific Surfliner (Station list)
* San Joaquins (Station list)
* Amtrak Thruway

Imperial County|

* Imperial Valley Transit
* Yuma County Area Transit

Kern County|

* Arvin Transit
* Delano Area Rapid Transit
* Golden Empire Transit
* Kern Transit
* Taft Area Transit

Los Angeles County|

* Angels Flight
* Antelope Valley Transit Authority
* Beach Cities Transit
* Big Blue Bus
* Burbank Bus
* Carson Circuit Transit System
* City of Commerce Municipal Bus Lines
* City of Santa Clarita Transit
* Culver CityBus
* El Monte Transit
* FlyAway
* Foothill Transit
* GTrans
* Glendale Beeline
* Long Beach Transit
* Los Angeles County Public Works
* LADOT Transit
* Los Angeles Metro
* Montebello Bus Lines
* Monterey Park Spirit Bus
* Norwalk Transit
* Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority
* Pasadena Transit
* Torrance Transit

Orange County|

* Anaheim Resort Transportation
* Orange County Transportation Authority

Riverside County|

* Beaumont Transit
* RidePV
* Riverside Transit Agency
* SunLine Transit Agency

San Bernardino County|

* Mountain Transit
* Basin Transit
* Needles Area Transit
* Omnitrans
* Victor Valley Transit Authority

San Diego|

* North County Transit District
* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

San Luis Obispo|

* San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority
* SLO Transit

Santa Barbara|

* City of Lompoc Transit
* Clean Air Express
* Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District
* Santa Maria Regional Transit

Ventura County|

* Gold Coast Transit
* Thousand Oaks Transit
* VCTC Intercity

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template