Clean Air Express Sees Record Ridership

This September, more than 20,000 used the Clean Air Express commuter bus lines, which connect Lompoc and Santa Maria with Santa Barbara.

Although gas prices have come down over the past few weeks, the month of September saw record numbers of riders-more than 20,000-on the Clean Air Express, the commuter bus line connecting Lompoc and Santa Maria with Santa Barbara, Goleta, and UCSB. According to Traffic Solutions, which runs the Clean Air Express, this is the highest ridership the service has had since it began 18 years ago. The service added an extra trip between Lompoc and the greater Santa Barbara area this summer, bringing the total number of daily trips offered up to 12. The Clean Air Express currently runs seven trips from and to Lompoc and five from Santa Maria.

“Commuting on the Clean Air Express can save someone living in Lompoc or Santa Maria $6,000 a year, and people are realizing that taking the Clean Air Express is an easy way to give yourself a big raise without asking your boss,” said Scott Spaulding, the manager of Clean Air Express, in a press release. “It’s a comfortable, reliable, and stress-free way to get to work, and with our new free wireless internet access, more and more people are shifting some of their workday into their commute, making their commute time productive and helping employers attract and retain employees.”

The Clean Air Express relies on funding from Measure D, the half-cent sales tax set to expire in 2010. Measure A is the half-cent sales tax measure intended to replace Measure D, but it requires a two-thirds majority by voters in this November’s election in order to pass.