SOLVANG The Santa Ynez Valley Transit (SYVT) said in a Thursday news release that ridership on fixed routes is up 23.3 percent since last year.
June fixed-route ridership also saw an “extraordinary 59.5 percent increase over the same month last year,” the news release stated and claimed that SYVT’s growth is “an exciting exception” to a nationwide trend of declining number of public transportation riders.
“This is certainly something to celebrate,” Matt van der Linden, Public Works Director and the City Engineer for the City of Solvang, said in the news release. “Increasing mobility while decreasing air pollution and traffic is obviously extremely important to residents of the Santa Ynez Valley.”
Mr. Van der Linden chalked it up to changes in how SYVT such as “encouraging residents use SYVT for specific trips such as to the library, school, or a medical appointment” and along with marketing to residents who did not use transit often.
SYVT is selling $20 monthly Summer Youth Pass for riders 6 to 20 on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at their office at 431 Second Street in downtown Solvang. They are also selling them at the Annual Buellton BBQ Bonanza on July 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
