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

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.