The Isla Vista Community Services District heard a report from the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District about various service changes going into effect in August, and partnered with Standing Together to End Sexual Assault for their Raise the Bar Campaign at their April 22 meeting.
The Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (SBMTD), the public transportation bus service throughout Santa Barbara County, annually reports on proposed service changes, which normally go into effect in August. Planning & Marketing Manager of the SBMTD Hillary Blackerby, gave the presentation, which included service and fare changes and the start of The Wave microtransit service in Goleta and Isla Vista, among others.
Blackerby discussed the introduction of The Wave, which began operation on April 24 after having been “planned for five years.” The new transportation service, meant to reduce parking issues in I.V., is a “curb-to-curb” service that takes users from two points within a specified zone in a Ford Transit van for a flat fare; $3 for a regular one-way fare, and $1.50 for disabled or those 65 or older. The zones include areas such as UCSB’s bus loop and the Santa Barbara Airport, as well as Storke Plaza and Fairview Center in Goleta.
“If you’re at any of those places or within either of those zones, you can request a ride to go anywhere within those zones or to any of those places,” Blackerby said.
The Wave Microstransit takes users from two points within a specified zone and began operation on April 24 in Goleta and Isla Vista. Courtesy of SBMTD
The Wave will operate Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Users can access a bus ride through the smartphone app TransLoc, or a call to the transit center.
SBMTD is initiating a fare change on Aug. 18, which is the first in 16 years, according to Blackerby. Regular cash fares will be increased from $1.75 to $2.50, with the 10-Ride Pass option being increased from $11.50 to $17.5o and the 30-day Ride Pass being increased from $52 to $80. Youth and Senior/Disabled prices have also been increased.
The Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District presented its first fare changes in 16 years which will be initiated on Aug. 18. Courtesy of SBMTD
Old or partially used passes will not be usable when the fare change is put in place. They can be traded in for score credit to buy a new pass until Sept. 30 after the fare change is put in place.
Elsa Granados, the executive director of Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESA), introduced the Raise the Bar Campaign, which plans to implement an ordinance to achieve “bystander intervention and education” on the correlation between sexual assault and the overconsumption of alcohol. STESA provides services to survivors of sexual assault and their families.
STESA has received funding from the California Department of Public Health for five years to conduct this community mobilization project. According to Granados, STESA had previously trained Santa Barbara’s nightlife industry in 2015 and 2016 to teach bar owners and staff about sexual assault and identifying vulnerabilities.
“We were told bar staff see those vulnerabilities, see various people walking out, they’ve over consumed alcohol and they are walking out with somebody that they don’t know, and sometimes sexual assault occurs. So we conducted an educational campaign with the nightlife industry,” Granados said.
Granados asked if any members of Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) would be interested in being stakeholders for STESA. Other stakeholders of STESA include UCSB’s Associated Students (A.S.) and Marisela Márquez, the Executive Director of A.S.
IVCSD President Spencer Brandt confirmed that IVCSD would be interested in partnering with STESA.
“We’d love to be a part of this effort in whatever advising role you find helpful, and we look forward to continued partnership,” Brandt said.
A version of this article appeared on p. 4 of the May 1, 2025 edition of the Daily Nexus.
