Santa Maria transit system moving forward with the addition of new state-of-the-art electric buses
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) is continuing to move forward into the future with the unveiling of its latest brand new state-of-the-art electric bus.
Coinciding on Earth Day, SMRT officially debuted the first of four all new New Flyer Xcelsior 35-foot electric buses during a public ceremony that was held at the city's Transit Center on the corner of South Miller Street and East Boone Street.
The additions represent the latest in an series of changes and upgrades with SMRT that have been ongoing over the past two years.
"We are really excited about where we're at today with public transit in Santa Maria," said Gamaliel Anguiano, Santa Maria Transit Services Manager. "We're very excited about where we're going to be with public transit Santa Maria in the years to come. Earth Day is a great day to reflect on what we could be doing to be more environmentally conscious. In my opinion, there's no greater way than using public transit, so if you have a new public transit in the past, today is free rides all day throughout the county. It's a great chance to experience public transit in a way that you probably not imagined before."
The four new buses are the latest all-electric buses that will be added to the city's fleet, joining two others that have been in operation since Nov. 2022.
Angjano noted the new buses will provide passengers with a cutting edge riding experience thanks to a number of advanced technological features.
"I like to think this is not your average bus," said Anguiano. "There was no detail too small or technology too forward thinking that we didn't consider, everything in the realm of, assisting a passenger, like USB charging and a seat, air purification systems that are medical grade antimicrobial contact surfaces to technology, including the form of passenger counters, GPS tracking, and even artificial intelligence."
SMRT has one of the four New Flyer Xcelsior 35-foot electric buses already at its yard and is awaiting the arrival of the other three in the near future.
"This represents the first of four that will be adding into the service, with an additional ten on order to be delivered at some point this year or early next year," said Anguiano. "It's fully our anticipation that Santa Maria will be 100% electric by 2025."
Since 2022, Santa Maria has implemented a number of improvements to its transit system, most notably, undergoing a full rebranding, moving from Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) to Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT).
In addition, there has been a robust adjustment to the routing system, as well as an updating to the fare structure.
Since the moves have been in place for more than a year, Anguiano pointed out the changes have helped make a positive difference within the entire transit system.
"We calculate our ridership is up 125% from its lowest point in the pandemic and is anticipated to continue to grow," said Angiano. "With that growth, we are planning for the future not just to five or 10 years from now, but we're looking at the next 50 years for Santa Maria to come."
Some of the upcoming additions that are planned include an innovative on-demand micro transit system that is expected to be announced within the next couple of months, and even further out, the eventual use of autonomous shuttles.
"(SMRT changes) involves more technology, more electric vehicles, a diversification in our fleet and the type of amenities we offer, as well as investing in our workforce and improvements to our included infrastructure," said Anguiano.
For more information about Santa Maria Regional Transit, click here for the SMRT website.
