Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District#Downtown Waterfront Shuttle

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.{{Cite book |last=Everett |first=William B. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/11743439 |title=Mule car and trolley: the story of the Santa Barbara street railway |date=1984 |publisher=Institute for American Research |year=1984 |isbn=0-911773-04-5 |location=Goleta, Calif. |oclc=11743439}}{{Cite web |last=City of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Works |date=May 31, 1996 |title=Pedestrian Master Plan |url=http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/Government/Departments/PW/Pedestrian_Master_Plan_Table_of_Contents.htm |website=Pedestrian Master Plan Final Draft |format=PDF |accessdate=March 4, 2007}}

In the late 1950s and 60s, Santa Barbara Transit was losing revenue, and repeatedly threatened to go out of business.{{Cite news |date=December 18, 1960 |title=Santa Barbara Bus Line to quit service on Jan 1 |pages=H4 |work=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite news |last=Bush |first=Thomas |date=March 19, 1967 |title=Bus Lines Tired of Parking in Red |pages=I1 |work=Los Angeles Times}}

Strikes were also a problem, as the company could not afford to pay its employees.{{Cite news |date=May 11, 1961 |title=Santa Barbara Seeks Solution in Bus Strike |pages=B7 |work=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite news |date=December 3, 1964 |title=Vote Averts Santa Barbara Transit Strike |pages=A10 |work=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite news |date=March 2, 1965 |title=Week-Old Bus Strike in Santa Barbara Settled |pages=A2 |work=Los Angeles Times}}

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.{{Cite news |date=March 21, 1965 |title=Santa Barbara Moves to Form Transit District |pages=F8 |work=Los Angeles Times}}{{Cite news |date=April 2, 1965 |title=New Transit District in Area Sought |pages=C6 |work=Los Angeles Times}}

Voters approved the formation of the MTD in 1966.{{Cite news |date=December 24, 1966 |title=Santa Barbara Transit District Ready to Move |pages=B5 |work=Los Angeles Times}}

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.

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

Services operate weekdays only.

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.{{Cite news |date=July 27, 2021 |title=Contactless payment options introduced on Santa Barbara County public transit systems |work=Mass Transit (magazine) |url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/technology/fare-collection/press-release/21231999/santa-barbara-metropolitan-transit-district-contactless-payment-options-introduced-on-santa-barbara-county-public-transit-systems |access-date=July 29, 2021}}

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• [http://www.sbmtd.gov/ Santa Barbara MTD homepage]

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Category:Bus transportation in California

Category:Public transportation in Santa Barbara County, California

Category:Santa Barbara, California

Category:Goleta, California

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