Earth Day free transit rides offered in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The celebration of Earth Day 2024 comes with free transit rides.

Passengers are enjoying this complimentary service in Santa Barbara County and some routes in Ventura County.

Five local transit agencies are involved. This one-day effort promotes cleaner air, reduce carbon footprints, and gives the public a chance to choose more sustainable transportation options for the day and in the future.

Participating transit agencies include SBCAG Clean Air Express, Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD), Santa Maria Area Transit (SMRT), Santa Ynez Valley Transit (SYVT), and Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC). 

For those whose daily commutes are served by other systems, such as COLT or Guadalupe Flyer, SBCAG extends the opportunity for the public to ride free by signing up in advance with the Try Transit program. 

In a news release, many transit providers encouraged riders to hop on a bus for the day.

“By choosing public transit over personal vehicles, community members can play an important role in lessening their environmental impact and contributing to a healthier planet," said Aaron Bonfilio, director of multimodal programs for Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG).

“We are all about SM(a)RT travel options. Budget friendly and ecological ones,” said Gamaliel Anguiano, transit manager, City of Santa Maria. “Earth day is the perfect time to get on board!”

"If you aren’t a regular transit rider—Earth Day is a great time to give it a try,” said Hillary Blackerby, planning and marketing manager at Santa Barbara MTD. "And for the regular riders who are already doing their part to reduce congestion and emissions by taking the bus, it’s our way of saying ‘thank you!’.”

In Ventura County, all transit operators, including VCTC, are offering free rides on Earth Day. Riders can use any bus service at no cost.