Thousands of students in Santa Barbara County will continue receiving bicycle education and free safety equipment thanks to grants from the state.
Buellton is one of five cities in the county that won funds from the California Office of Traffic Safety for this year’s grant cycle. Buellton’s funds total more than $47,000.
The nonprofit MOVE Santa Barbara County partners with cities to provide programs for kids and adults. Using the grant money, MOVE leads trainings at schools and organizes events to give away free helmets, bike lights, and reflective gear.
“We never want money, so a family’s finances, to be a barrier to safety,” Interim Executive Director Rick Wayman said. “We’re really grateful to the Office of Traffic Safety grant, that it allows us to do that for so many people throughout the whole county.”
A typical classroom program has four lessons in two weeks. MOVE’s education coordinators bring bikes to the school, teaching a variety of practical skills and rules of the road. Roughly 10,000 students are served throughout the county, Wayman said. Some students learn how to ride a bike on their own for the very first time.
This is Buellton’s fourth year receiving the grant. The current cycle runs from October 2025 to September 2026. Other recipients in the county include the cities of Santa Maria, Goleta, Carpinteria, and Santa Barbara.
Funds vary from city to city, depending on the number of schools in each area and the scope of the projects. For example, Santa Maria’s grant this year is for $120,000 to fund a video series for bike education, Wayman said.
On top of giving out equipment and helping students practice riding, Wayman thinks communities gain intangible benefits from the grant. The nonprofit has found that people’s behavior changes after trainings, and biking at school helps kids feel more comfortable.
“It’s also kind of empowering them with the confidence to go out and start doing it on their own and using their bike or their legs to walk to school and to get there safely,” Wayman said.
This article appears in January 1 – January 8, 2026.