[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6631221,"mediaKeyId","2679992-5790a8d268ee7d44e9445ae1143aabe3","parentId",2679992,"title","MTD outlines Terminal 2 recommissioning, zero‑emission goals and soft launch of on‑demand service; staffing and funding are constraints","audioSeconds",2541,"startMs",1813000,"endMs",4354000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2679992-5790a8d268ee7d44e9445ae1143aabe3&start=1813&end=4354","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2679992-5790a8d268ee7d44e9445ae1143aabe3/thumbnail_1813000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6631221/Goleta/Santa-Barbara-County/California/MTD-outlines-Terminal-2-recommissioning-zeroemission-goals-and-soft-launch-of-ondemand-service-staffing-and-funding-are-constraints","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631221-679615484e9f605c0d0e0c887855d832/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450789&Signature=WJd2LUp6tgscCXzSWa~ttsn5wqzAXDKn5G-3PF85VxFctuY2enzlWlfa3HuG49tuiYzzg3wgpYj4D97CZujz2PcFSdsyOM9uAsdCeuUfClBugBngrdPzsGUpgZmYrGEqOKOgDEM-LWzq5-3jlrq3CP1YuN1vl2YnhbNfkHhEkWbq6DLaPJhqESZK1P4ldtCxL67xxZ9aB0y3TM7N6Ge4fogkPhlceobxaR2061qjVg~l55~MQUTl6Aa3vQP70xUu2PiwgnumQEPW7a96UcriMy6aQlkBz33KDzN3AjAodTiuwzgB0jpyOz-nXRdgtVv1FJW-OUHlcWQQ2R8Uy3R5Fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Goleta, CA","date","2025-03-19T04:11:36.887Z","article","Representatives of the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) updated the Goleta City Council on March 28 about ridership recovery since the pandemic, progress on zero‑emission buses, recommissioning of Terminal 2 on Overpass Road and plans to pilot a Wave on‑demand microtransit service in April.

“Today, what I'd like to provide you an update on is, 1, our ridership,” MTD General Manager Jerry Estrada told the council. He summarized long‑term ridership figures: pre‑pandemic South Coast ridership was about 6,400,000 annual rides; in 2021 ridership fell to about 2,300,000; by last June it had recovered to about 4,600,000 rides.

Estrada and MTD staff stressed two constraints on service restoration: workforce availability and funding. MTD reported a net loss of bus operators compared with pre‑pandemic levels (staff said the agency remains down roughly 24% in operator FTEs versus the baseline) despite recent hiring; the agency has retained about 87% of hires in recent years but still needs more operators to restore service. MTD also said federal and state COVID‑era funding and other sources are covering operations through 2028 but projected a current annual operating deficit of about $4,000,000 on a roughly $30,000,000 budget.

On facilities and fleet, Estrada said MTD’s active fleet is about 100 buses, of which 23 are zero‑emission and 17 are hybrids, and the agency has nine new zero‑emission “Flyer” buses in service. He described Terminal 2 on Overpass Road, where Phase 1 recommissioning — perimeter fencing, landscaping, repaired bus wash and apron work — is substantially complete and MTD expects to begin operations from that site as soon as this summer. “We expect construction to be completed this month by the end of the month,” Estrada said of Phase 1. Phase 2, funded in part by state grants, would replace a 6,600‑square‑foot building with a 10,000‑square‑foot operations and maintenance building and replace canopies; MTD estimated the site ultimately could operate about 25 vehicles and reduce deadhead by roughly one‑third.

MTD also described customer‑facing improvements: increasing bike capacity on buses from two to three racks, work on bus‑stop shelters and traffic signal priority projects, and a new fare policy to take effect in August. Staff highlighted a TAP (electronic fare) program intended to provide fare‑capping that can help riders who pay as they go.

On microtransit, MTD planning manager Hillary Blackerby said the Wave on‑demand pilot is slated for a soft launch in April, dependent on available operators. The pilot will operate within geo‑fenced zones to fill gaps in fixed‑route service; MTD emphasized it is not intended to replace fixed routes but to supplement them.

Council members asked about several local concerns raised during the public comment period earlier in the meeting: a proposed removal of 13 parking spaces on Overpass Road related to a site plan (a public commenter and Santa Barbara County Animal Services Director Sarah Aguilar had urged caution), and whether EV charging infrastructure will be installed at Terminal 2. Estrada said Phase 2 planning includes a photovoltaic system and charging infrastructure; MTD is coordinating with Southern California Edison for vehicle charging. On the parking question, council members said staff would follow up; MTD staff replied the recommissioned Terminal 2 will initially operate a small number of buses and employees will park on‑site.

MTD also summarized service improvements implemented last August — for example, extended span and frequency increases on the 15X and Isla Vista shuttles — and reported ridership gains tied to those changes. The agency warned that restoring additional services will depend on closing the fiscal gap and hiring more operators. MTD’s board adopted a fare increase plan that begins in August, which staff said is a first step toward addressing the projected fiscal shortfall but will not be sufficient on its own.

No formal action was taken by the council on MTD items; council members expressed support and asked staff to work with MTD on outreach, transit access to the temporarily relocated Goleta Valley Library (opening in summer 2025 at 6500 Hollister Avenue) and potential coordination on microtransit to serve library users, seniors and students.

Public commenters who had raised concerns about Overpass Road earlier in the meeting included a resident who warned that no parking demand study had been completed for a proposed parking removal and Sarah Aguilar, Santa Barbara County’s animal services director, who warned about impacts on shelter access for seniors and people with limited mobility.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Goleta - City Council Meeting of March 18, 2025 Part A","oneSentenceSummary","Santa Barbara MTD updated the Goleta City Council on ridership recovery, fleet electrification goals, Terminal 2 recommissioning on Overpass Road and a planned soft launch of a Wave on‑demand microtransit pilot. MTD said workforce shortages and a projected fiscal gap will constrain service expansion.","taxTitle","Goleta, Santa Barbara County, California","taxId",57867,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6631226,"City of Goleta reports lower speeds, fewer collisions after Hollister interim striping; parking use and neighborhood traffic remain under review",5372,4754000,10126000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2679992-5790a8d268ee7d44e9445ae1143aabe3&start=4754&end=10126","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2679992-5790a8d268ee7d44e9445ae1143aabe3/thumbnail_4754000.jpg","/articles/6631226/Goleta/Santa-Barbara-County/California/City-of-Goleta-reports-lower-speeds-fewer-collisions-after-Hollister-interim-striping-parking-use-and-neighborhood-traffic-remain-under-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6631226-2ebf9ed69adfe7a6602e7e4588e8e744/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450789&Signature=b~a3rJc0NNl1IZzwhY3NT6SHu0T-QghBjSY9OJOvBRvu9kTKKpjNzFqOuyCcXnoM-jEyteazkQh8WfbAtHmtAdYDpBgoMvcRQh7ZiKDOF24MbFkKCw~vJAd5CsVjkxhyLQpOwmrrMX-bbjRM9P5XGVDV-MkreEWVfRiNqmlzbtrDcinZIKs206ejGxsWBab6C~jsiNwICI8RYqnNnWTbQpQZcKQ2EH-82xVj8d3DnCXzoNQiBb8Izr6lPOKtdc5o2MM13W5DXol7m6H8LIqWUkJj27x2bwy1WADrPkf0P2c9GAT0UZwilFqVPBce~N78nyUm2UeUQW81XTG9f6wllQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City of Goleta staff told the City Council on March 28 that an interim striping project on Hollister Avenue in Old Town has reduced vehicle speeds and, in a short-term snapshot, coincided with fewer collisions, while parking patterns and side‑street traffic shifts require continued monitoring.

The project team said the interim striping — installed as a lower‑cost, adjustable change order to Project Connect and completed in July 2024 — used rubberized asphalt, added marked bike facilities, altered curb and parking geometry on portions of Hollister, and added 19 on‑street spaces on the north side of the corridor. “The interim striping project was constructed as a change order to Project Connect,” Project Manager Melissa Angeles told the council.

Staff presented traffic, parking, noise and safety measures collected before and after the change. Traffic counts taken in Nov/Dec 2024 and Jan 2025 averaged about 16,500 vehicles per day on Hollister, down from about 18,500 in October 2022 — roughly a 10% reduction (about 2,000 fewer vehicles per day). Speed data show the 85th‑percentile speed dropped about three miles per hour from the 2022 baseline, and extreme speeds (vehicles traveling 10+ mph over the limit) declined in the comparison periods.

The team also reported a reduction in collisions in a 200‑day “before and after” snapshot for the corridor, though staff cautioned that safety trends normally require multi‑year data to confirm lasting effects. Derek Rapp, the city’s contract traffic engineer, noted the limitation: collision analysis typically looks at three years to establish trends. Rapp also cited a single pedestrian fatality on Dec. 24 — “the gentleman, Ricardo Hernandez on December 24, was 1 of 2 pedestrians stuck” — and said staff will review the final sheriff’s report for any engineering changes.

Bicycle counts on Hollister increased in the AM and PM, while pedestrian counts rose more strongly in the PM, when businesses are open. Rapp said the project improved crosswalk visibility and shortened pedestrian crossing distances.

Parking occupancy changed unevenly. Staff compared current counts to a 2012 Walker study and to the 2024/25 counts. Some blocks on the north side (near Orange and Magnolia) showed large increases in occupancy; other north‑side blocks saw occupancy declines that could not be explained solely by the added supply. Public lots added since 2012 — including a newly opened Carson Street lot — provide roughly 70 off‑street spaces in Old Town, and staff reported lots were under 50% utilized in the snapshot used for analysis.

The presentation included economic context using sales tax data. Old Town continues to generate about 23% of the city’s sales tax revenue, with the autos and transportation sector representing roughly half of Old Town’s sales tax receipts. City staff said the quarter‑to‑quarter decline in Old Town sales tax revenue (about 8.5% year‑over‑year for Q3) was driven largely by volatility in auto sales, fuel and temporary closures at one gas station; other sectors including restaurants and building/construction showed growth.

Council members pressed staff on several recurring concerns raised by residents and business owners: whether angled back‑in parking is deterring customers, whether drivers are diverting to neighborhood streets, and whether traffic backups near Kellogg and the 217 ramps are attributable to the striping changes, the Project Connect bridge and roundabout work, or both. Rapp said the highest cross‑traffic volume on the corridor is at the Pine/Nectarine intersection near the interchange and that lane reductions and construction at the interchange contribute heavily to eastbound backups.

Staff recommended continued monitoring, additional outreach to businesses and property owners, signage to direct drivers to public lots, and consideration of targeted modifications where data and community feedback justify changes. Rapp cautioned the council about reading short‑term data as definitive: “Typically, we analyze projects on 3 year increments, to generate any kind of trends with respect to safety,” he said.

Council discussion also covered specific near‑term adjustments already made after the July implementation — small additional angled spaces on the north side, marked spaces on the south side to avoid inefficient parking, and newly created keep‑clear zones to address school bus access at the Goleta Valley Community Center.

The council did not take a final vote on permanent design changes at the meeting; staff said they will return with a follow‑up presentation after additional monitoring and as adjacent Project Connect construction phases progress.

Votes at a glance: the council approved the consent calendar (including item A11 accepting a donation from Yardi Systems Inc. split into two $20,000 agreements for a July 4 drone show and the Goleta Valley Public Library) by roll call vote. Mayor Pro Tem Kasdan moved approval as amended; Mayor Perotti seconded. Council member Reyes Martin, Council member Curiacco, Council member Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Kasdan and Mayor Perotti voted aye.

Looking ahead, staff said permanent streetscape work remains a longer‑term objective that will require additional funding and further community engagement to finalize designs.","City staff presented a data update on the Hollister Avenue Old Town interim striping project showing a roughly 10% drop in daily traffic on Hollister, a decrease in recorded collisions in a 200‑day snapshot and mixed changes in parking occupancy. Council directed continued monitoring and further outreach to businesses and residents.","actionData","errors"]

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MTD outlines Terminal 2 recommissioning, zero‑emission goals and soft launch of on‑demand service; staffing and funding are constraints

City of Goleta reports lower speeds, fewer collisions after Hollister interim striping; parking use and neighborhood traffic remain under review