Santa Maria Area Transit provides free service due to coronavirus pandemic

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - This week the Santa Maria Area Transit, also known as SMAT, joins other local bus systems in providing free rides due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This comes after Santa Maria received $12,320,580 in federal funds for transit authorities.

SMAT is also expanding its service from five days to seven days per week.

Mark van de Kamp with the City of Santa Maria says while ridership has dropped by 70 percent, many community members still depend on the transit service to get to work.

Riders currently using SMAT also rely on the service to get essential needs at the grocery store or pharmacy.

Hector Camarena feels lucky to still have a job during the coronavirus outbreak. But if it weren’t for the Santa Maria Area Transit he’s not sure how he’d get to work every day.

"Honestly I would probably be on a bike or I would have to hitch a ride," said Camarena.

Since the stay at home order, transit systems including the Santa Maria Area Transit are suffering massive losses of revenue.

"Due to the stay at home order, SMAT ridership has dropped positive development ... it’s down about 70 percent," said Mark van de Kamp with the City of Santa Maria.

Thanks to the coronavirus response bill for California transit authorities, Santa Maria received more than $12 million in federal funds to help keep buses running.

City leaders say the buses are safe to ride and each vehicle is sanitized every night.

We also have given the drivers disinfectant so they can go ahead and clean off all the high touch areas during the routes," van de Kamp said.

Bus systems in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo have already eliminated fares, and require most riders to enter from the rear doors, to avoid getting close to the driver. Some buses will also enforce a passenger limit and may pass by riders waiting at stops if the number already on board doesn't allow for physical distancing.