There’s more than one way to get reporters, politicians, city officials, and the general population on a city bus, and Guadalupe was able to do it during the unveiling of its new weekend Guadalupe Flyer bus service on Aug. 1.
Councilmember Virginia Ponce, City Manager Andrew Carter, Santa Maria Organization of Transportation Helpers (SMOOTH) Executive Director Jim Talbott, reporters, photographers, and several members of the general public all packed onto the bus and made the inaugural trip on Saturday morning Aug. 1. Several members from the Cental Coast Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) were also there.
A loop starting on the corner of 10th and Obispo hauled everyone several blocks and dropped them off in front of City Hall. They made three stops, picked up a few customers along the way, and even made a bus transfer.
Riders who weren’t aware of the new service boarded the bus expecting to pay the fare were told by the driver that bus rides were free for the entire weekend.
In fact, bus fares for Saturday and Sunday are free for the rest of August, according to Talbott, who added that he was pleased with how many people took to public transportation over the weekend.
The passenger count peaked at 31 for both Saturday’s last loop and Sunday’s noon loop, and a total of 119 passengers were counted on Saturday, according to Talbott, who also acts as the city’s de facto public transportation director since SMOOTH has a bus contract with the city.
Everything was business as usual for a bus ride, even the usual complaints coming from the customers.
“Can you please turn on the air conditioning,” one elderly woman demanded on the inaugural ride, seemingly unaware that it was the first showing of the weekend bus. “¡Aire condicionado por favor!”
A minor and brief inconvenience considering it was all-you-can-ride for nada all weekend.
Normally, the fare is $1.50 for one way between Guadalupe and Santa Maria. That’s cheaper than using conventional automobiles, according to Talbot, who estimates $5 per round trip (or less with fuel-efficient vehicles) when using an automobile that gets around 20 miles per gallon, driving 25 miles between the two cities, and with gas around $4 per gallon.
But that’s just for the trip. Toss in maintenance and insurance, and it becomes more expensive.
“The fuel cost is just the beginning,” Talbott said. “Everyone knows how much it costs to maintain a vehicle and insure it.”
But cost-savings for the consumer wasn’t the only object in this case. It’s also about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, i.e., reducing the number of cars on the road by using transit more efficiently.
Talbott was able to help the city secure a grant in the ballpark of $80,000 from the state government to help pay for the weekend service. Administered by Caltrans, the grant comes from the Low-Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP), which was established in 2014 as a part of Senate Bill 862, or the Transit, Affordable Housing, and Sustainable Communities Program, which was signed by the governor in 2014. Talbott received notification in late June that the grant went through.
The grant is an extension of the California’s pioneering Cap-and-Trade system, which in 2012 began the creation of a marketplace where companies can pay for rights to emit pollutants and the proceeds of which are intended to fund programs like LCTOP, or potentially a new high-speed rail system. It’s part of a plan to equal 1990 era levels of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020.
A portion of the fare also goes to keep the bus in operation, City Manager Carter said. This could work well, since many residents don’t even own cars.
Carter added that many of the late arrival issues the bus had in the past will be solved by increasing the bus intervals at each stop to an hour and 15 minutes, instead of an hour. “A lot of people here are transit dependent and that’s a big deal,” Carter said. “As the day went on, the bus would come later and later.”
The impetus for the weekend transit came from many avenues. Among those, according to City Councilmember Ponce, were citizens in Guadalupe who wanted more bus services for after-school programs.
Historically, the high school kids in the city attend Ernest Righetti High School in Santa Maria. Ponce said she received requests from workers and families whose children attend Pioneer Valley High School and even some students from Allan Hancock College.
Carter said that members from the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments and CAUSE were also instrumental in securing the grant.
“Needs weren’t being met,” Ponce said.
“We have the highest transit for Sunday service. Sometimes farmers work six days every week, and there’s usually one car per family.”
The service will attract more people into Guadalupe, including workers, Talbott said, adding that at the very least, the buses will encourage citizens to get out more.
“I’m confident that it’ll get more people out on the weekends,” Talbott said.
Staff Writer David Minsky can be reached at dminsky@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 6-13, 2015.