Two electric buses enter service on Coastal Express route linking Ventura and Santa Barbara counties
By Eve
Two zero emission buses have begun operating on the Coastal Express service (routes 80 to 89) between Camarillo and Santa Barbara in California. The vehicles were acquired through a partnership between Ventura County and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, funded by a California Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant. Fares remain unchanged despite the fleet upgrade.
Why it matters: The deployment demonstrates how state grant programmes are enabling transit agencies to electrify inter county commuter routes, with officials expecting the buses to displace thousands of annual car trips. Procurement teams working on similar corridor projects can reference the SBCAG partnership model and California GHG fund as a replicable financing pathway.