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SANTA BARBARA – After outreach in the Spring and a Board of Directors decision in May 2026, Santa Barbara MTD bus service changes will go into effect at the beginning of the day on Monday, August 17, 2026.
With a growing budget deficit and a fiscal cliff drawing nearer, this reflects a 3.6 percent reduction in service. The deficit is largely due to changes from the 2020 Census which caused a loss of 30% of the agency’s federal operating funds. Even with these reductions, MTD is facing a $4.9 million shortfall in Fiscal Year 2026-27. While there are currently still funds from federal pandemic assistance to cover that gap, those funds are shrinking as the deficit grows in future years. Below is a table with a description of these changes:
The details of the service changes can be found at http://www.sbmtd.gov/servicechanges and the complete new schedule guide can be found online here.
For questions on the changes, the public may contact Santa Barbara MTD at 805-963-3366 or email info1@sbmtd.gov.
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