Hopedance

In the tri-county [Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura], a number of people ride one of the many bus lines available to them. Even if you get on the bus just once a week, every little bit contributes to reducing traffic congestion, noise, pollution and accidents and the amount of land consumed by roads and parking facilities.

Why take transit?
You have heard it before, but do the math and you’ll realize transit is affordable. (It costs about $6,000 a year to own and operate a vehicle.) Plus convenient, in the form of TIME: the time to read, sleep or catch up with friends. In the tri-county, there are many bus services to get you to where you want to go. Each county has a regional bus system, allowing you to expand your trip, making a perfect complement to the local fixed route bus service.

Reading the Transit Map
Here are some easy steps:
1. Use the map to determine which route you need to use. Each has a number.
2. Find the schedule with the appropriate route number for the appropriate day of the week.
3. Use the schedule that corresponds to the direction you want to travel for instance northbound or southbound.
4. The schedule indicates when a bus reaches the main bus stops along the route.
5. If you need to be somewhere at a particular time read the schedule backwards starting with the time of your final destination.

Beginning April 15th, San Luis Obispo County residents can simply find bus trip planning information online. The new system will easily provide users the when, where and which bus to take to get to their final destination.

Getting Ready to Ride
1. Find the bus stop closest to you.
2. Make sure it is going the direction you want to go. Note the direction on the overhead of the bus.
3. Have your fare ready when you board. If you plan on taking more than one bus to complete your trip, ask the driver for a transfer.

Getting off the bus
The bus only will stop at your stop when you pull the cord or press the yellow tab next to any
window. This will signal to the driver to pull over at
the next stop. If this is your first bus ride, let the

driver know, and he or she will call out your stop.

Bicycles & Wheelchairs
Bicycles racks are available on all buses in the tri-county. All buses allow wheelchairs. Expand your trip and bring your bike with you when you take the bus.

Here are some easy steps to loading your bike:
1. Make eye contact with the driver to let him/her know you are loading your bike.
2. Squeeze the handle and pull down to release the folded bike rack.
3. Lift your bike on the rack, fit wheels into the slots labeled Front & Rear.
4. Raise and release the support arm over the top of the front tire.
5. Make sure the support arm is resting on the tire and not on the fender or frame.
6. Upon completion of your trip, let the driver know you will be removing your bike.

Fares
The fares are determined by the length of your trip. If you find you are riding the bus more frequently than twice a week, a monthly pass is more cost-effective and convenient. Many employers provide discounted passes; check with your Human Resources department. And if they don’t provide discounted passes, ask about pre-tax dollars: a benefit that allows you to set aside up to $110 of pre-tax dollars for transit and vanpooling.

Planning Your Trip
Find all the help you need for your area:

San Luis Obispo Regional Rideshare
www.rideshare.org
805-781-4362 (Call for free map)
Traffic Solutions
(Santa Barbara County)
www.trafficsolutions.info
(805) 963-SAVE
Santa Barbara Car-Free
www.santabarbaracarfree.org
Ventura
www.goventura.org and click “Your Trip Planner”
(805) 642-1591