Santa Maria Regional Transit

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Santa Maria Regional Transit
ParentCity of Santa Maria
Headquarters1303 Fairway Drive
LocaleSanta Maria, California
Service typeTransit bus, paratransit
Routes14
Fleet24 buses
Fuel typeCNG, battery electric
OperatorRATP Dev[1]
WebsiteSMRT

Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT), formerly Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT), is a bus service local to Santa Maria, California, providing both intracity service within Santa Maria and intercity service within Santa Barbara County, including routes to Lompoc, Buellton, and Solvang.

History[edit]

Public transit service has been operated by the city of Santa Maria since 1978. That year, Santa Maria contracted the Santa Maria Organization of Transportation Helpers (SMOOTH) to operate a single fixed route along Broadway. A second fixed route was added in 1981, and Saturday operations began in 1982. SMOOTH operated Santa Maria's local service until 2004, when the contract was awarded to MV Public Transportation, Inc.[2]: 2–1  That year, Sunday service was added, along with a fare increase.[3]

First Transit was awarded the operations and maintenance contract in 2009.[4] The Santa Maria Transit Center, which is the origin point for many intracity and all intercity lines, was opened in 2011, at 400 East Boone Street.[2]: 2–1 [5] Santa Maria awarded the operating contract to RATP Dev in 2018.[6]

In December 2021, the Santa Maria City Council approved service changes to commence in January,[7] including route consolidation, two new transfer sites, and the addition of timed transfers at the primary Transit Center hub. Amtrak Thruway buses, however, board across the freeway at 205 South Nicholson Avenue. With the update to the services, the agency was rebranded from Santa Maria Area Transit to Santa Maria Regional Transit.[8]

Routes[edit]

Local routes[edit]

Route Terminals Via Notes
1 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

Hidden Pines Wy & Preisker Ln

Broadway
2 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

Suey Crossing Rd & Donovan Rd

Western Av, Donovan Rd
Santa Maria

Pioneer Valley High School (academic year only)

3 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

Suey Crossing Rd & Donovan Rd

Main St, Suey Rd
Santa Maria

Pioneer Valley High School (academic year only)

4 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

A St & McCoy Ln

Thornburg St, Betteravia Rd
  • Serves Santa Maria Airport
5 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

Lakeview Rd & Orcutt Expy

Miller St, Santa Maria Wy
6 Santa Maria

Bradley Rd & Crossroads Ln

Santa Maria

Blosser Rd & Terrazzo Wy

Bradley Rd
7 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

McCoy Ln & Broadway

Bradley Rd
  • Serves Allan Hancock College
8 Santa Maria

Sandalwood & Black Rd

Santa Maria

Bradley Rd & Crossroads Ln

Mahoney Rd, McCoy Ln
9 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

Suey Crossing Rd & Donovan Rd

Alvin Av
Santa Maria

Pioneer Valley High School (academic year only)

11 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

Bradley Rd & Crossroads Ln

Broadway
20 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Ynez

Chumash Casino Resort

Hwy 101, SR 246
  • Former Breeze 200
  • Serves Allan Hancock College
30 Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Lompoc

Lompoc Transit Hub

SR 1
  • Former Breeze 100
  • Serves Santa Maria Airport

Express routes[edit]

Route Terminals Via Notes
12X Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

Clark Av & Orcutt Rd

Broadway
13X Santa Maria

Santa Maria Transit Center

Santa Maria

Suey Crossing Rd & Donovan Rd

Broadway, Donovan Rd
Santa Maria

Pioneer Valley High School (academic year only)

Fares[edit]

Fare type SMRT Regional Routes
One-way Passes One-way
1-day 7-day 31-day
Regular $1.50 $3.00 $12.00 $31.00 $2.00
Student[a] $1.25
Qualified discount[b] $0.75 $1.50 $6.00 $15.00 $1.00
Children Free Free Free Free Free

Dial-a-ride[edit]

SMRT operates on-demand dial-a-ride paratransit services, covering the same area as the fixed-route local services.[2]: 2–8 

Bus fleet and facilities[edit]

Active fleet[edit]

Make/Model Fleet Numbers Thumbnail Year Engine Transmission Notes
Gillig Low Floor 29' 3018-186 2018 Cummins L9 Allison B400R
Gillig Low Floor 29' 3020-177 2020 Cummins L9 Allison B400R
Gillig Low Floor 35' 3518-178 to 3518-179, 3518-184 2018 Cummins L9 Allison B400R
Gillig Low Floor 35' 3521-202 to 3521-203 2021 Cummins L9 Allison B400R
Proterra ZX5 3522-200E to 3522-201E 2022 Parker GVM310-200 240 kW permanent magnet motor Eaton 4-speed auto-shift EV transmission
New Flyer XE35 3524-208E 2024 Siemens ELFA3 XALT Energy
  • SMRT has one of the four New Flyer XE35 buses already at its yard and is awaiting the arrival of the other three in the near future
Gillig BRT 40' 4010-195 2010 Cummins ISL9 Allison B400R
Gillig Low Floor 40' 4011-160, 4011-168 2011 Cummins ISL9 Allison B400R
Gillig Low Floor 40' 4014-160 to 4014-162, 4014-165, 4014-167 to 4014-168, 4014-174, 4014-176, 4014-180, 4014-194 2014 Cummins ISL9 Allison B400R
Gillig BRT 40' 4017-198 to 4017-199 2017 Cummins L9 Allison B400R

Facilities[edit]

The SMRT Transit Center is at 400 E Boone Street, and has multiple bus bays. There are eight bus bays on the island, serving intercity routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11. The four northernmost bus bays (on the curb side, next to the transit center) serve longer-distance routes (Breeze 100, Breeze 200, Guadalupe Flyer to Guadalupe, and RTA Route 10 to San Luis Obispo).[9]: 50  The four southernmost bus bays are not allocated.[7]

The SMRT fleet for local services is 17 mid- and full-size diesel-powered buses manufactured by Gillig, 35' and 40' long.[2]: 2–5  Breeze operates with six buses: four Optima cutaways 29' feet long, and two Gillig diesels, 40' long.[2]: 2–7 

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Valid student ID required
  2. ^ Seniors (60+), persons with disabilities, and Medicare Card holders

References[edit]

  1. ^ Cole, Spencer. "Spotlight on: RATP Dev USA | Biz Spotlight | Santa Maria Sun, CA". Retrieved 2018-11-24.
  2. ^ a b c d e Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. (2015). Short Range Transit Plan Update (Report). City of Santa Maria. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  3. ^ Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. (August 2, 2016). Short Range Transit Plan Update (PDF) (Report). City of Santa Maria. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Resolution No. 2009-25" (PDF). City of Santa Maria. February 17, 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Preview Opening of Santa Maria Intermodal Transit Center" (Press release). City of Santa Maria. April 22, 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Award of a new operations and maintenance contract for the City of Santa Maria Transit fixed route and demand response services and bus stop janitorial and maintenance" (PDF). City of Santa Maria. April 17, 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  7. ^ a b Moore & Associates (October 2021). "Short Range Transit Plan – 2021 Addendum: Post-COVID Route and Schedule Revisions" (PDF). City of Santa Maria. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  8. ^ "From SMAT to SMRT: Santa Maria transit changes approved to begin in January". Santa Maria Times. December 8, 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  9. ^ "SMRT 2022-2023 User Guide". City of Santa Maria. January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.

External links[edit]