California is funding 16 major public transportation projects across the state, including in Santa Barbara County.
The state granted $16 million to the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), a regional planning agency that distributes transportation funds across the county. They worked with the City of Goleta to apply for the State’s Transit and Intercity Rail Program to complete infrastructure projects.
Lauren Bianchi Klemann with SBCAG said the projects are essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing access to transportation across the Central Coast.
“This program is designed to expand transit, passenger rail service and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And so when you're talking about creating a new train station, it's really facilitating the opportunity for people to travel more comfortably,” Bianchi Klemann said.
SBCAG plans to use the money to build a train depot in Goleta to improve bus connections, install new bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and support increased rail service.
Also, they are planning to fix bluff erosion along the LOSSAN Rail Corridor north of Gaviota State Beach. The corridor travels through Santa Barbara County on its way between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
SBCAG plans to build the Goleta Train Depot at the city’s existing AMTRAK platform. Bianchi Klemann said nearly $5.5 million will be distributed to start and finish construction of the depot.
“The challenge is really for those who depend on those transportation options. It's not easy to get to that station, and so I think those are a lot of challenges that our community has faced and this is the landmark project for not only Santa Barbara County, but also the Central Coast,” Bianchi Klemann said.
As for the LOSSEN Rail Corridor, Bianchi Klemann said SBCAG hopes to sustain transportation along the Central Coast by distributing more than $10 million to address erosion there.
Construction on both projects is expected to begin this fall.
