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
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]
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 (Such as the 20 to Chumash, 30 to Lompoc, 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 100, (SMRT 30) operates exclusively with Gillig BRT 40" busses.[2]: 2–7
^ abcdeNelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. (2015). Short Range Transit Plan Update (Report). City of Santa Maria. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
^Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. (August 2, 2016). Short Range Transit Plan Update(PDF) (Report). City of Santa Maria. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
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