General Information

The Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) runs a local bus service between North Goleta and Carpinteria. The primary drop off and pickup point at UCSB is the North Hall Bus Loop. Download the SBMTD BusTracker App for real-time bus information and personalized trip planning services! MTD Santa Barbara's Trip Planner resource is another helpful tool for planning your bus commutes to and from UCSB.

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Choose a Bus Pass

  • Students
    UCSB students may ride all MTD buses between Goleta and Carpinteria for FREE by tapping their valid student ID (ACCESS Card) on the top of the farebox when boarding the bus. At the beginning of Summer Quarter the Graduate Student Association (GSA) has historically emailed Graduate Students to offer a limited number of GSA-subsidized bus passes to graduate students. 
    UCSB students took more than ONE MILLION MTD bus rides last year... See MTD Reports to UCSB.

  • Faculty/Staff
    Beginning in August 2016, UCSB funded an additional MTD route service connecting The Camino Real Marketplace, Isla Vista and UCSB. UCSB Faculty and Staff ride Line 28 for FREE by showing the bus driver their current UCSB ID card. Please click here to see the schedule and view the route.
  • For discounted unlimited 30-day bus pass from TAP, which give access to ALL MTD routes from Goleta to Carpinteria, UCSB faculty and staff can submit a TAP Application on their TPS Parking ePermit Portal. To qualify for the monthly discounted bus passes, faculty and staff members must be on UCSB payroll at least 45%, have an appointment lasting at least 6 months into the future, and NOT have a parking permit in their name. Visit our Discounted Bus Pass page to learn how to obtain these passes.

  • Visitors
    If you are not eligible to obtain a discounted bus pass from UCSB, you can purchase a 10-ride or a 30-day Adult bus pass from MTD's Downtown Transit Center at 1020 Chapala Street or on campus at the UCSB Campus Store Customer Service counter at the University Center (UCen). See the MTD’s Where to Buy Passes page to view all sales locations. For more information about fares, schedules and destinations, visit MTD Santa Barbara online or call the MTD Transit Center at (805) 963-3366.