On Monday, August 29, a new commuter bus service will begin operation in the area, and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) — which is pioneering the new routes — will offer it free of charge for the first three days.
There will be two direct lines from Ventura to Santa Barbara — the 86 and 87, which make up the new Coastal Express Limited service — each with two departure times in the morning and evening. (Go here for the full schedule.) The buses will leave from the Ventura County Government Center on Thille Street, and drop off at a variety of locations in downtown Santa Barbara and along the Hollister corridor in Goleta. The return service offers two departure times for each line.
The operation is being run by MTD in partnership with SBCAG. According to Jim Kemp, SBCAG executive director, “Customers have been asking for commuter bus service that gets right on the freeway and heads straight to where they work.”
Kemp continued, “The demand for commuter bus service in the 101 corridor is more than we can currently meet,” but he’s “excited to be able to secure funding for this pilot program.”
Complete schedule and fare information is available at sbmtd.gov/coastal or by calling 883-4276.