Transit California sat down with Jerry Estrada, the General Manager of Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) and new Chair of the Association’s Small Operators Committee.
Transit California: After several years of service as a member of the Association’s Small Operators Committee, you recently became its Chair. What are some of your near- and longer-term priorities for leading the Committee?
The appointment as Chair of the Small Operators Committee is an honor, and I’m excited by the opportunity to work with our colleagues on the Committee and California Transit Association (CTA) staff the remainder of this year to represent the interests of small operators. As for my priorities, top of the list is ensuring that the input of small operators is reflected in the Transit Transformation Task Force (TTTF) recommendations that are due to the Legislature in the Fall of 2025. Our industry representatives on the TTTF are doing all they can to share our perspectives with the task force for inclusion in the list of recommendations. The final product will likely lead to statutory, regulatory and administrative changes that will impact our industry for the foreseeable future.
As a long-term priority, I’d like to see us make a push to recruit more up and coming leaders from within the small operator community to participate on CTA committees on a regular basis. The benefits of working with your industry peers is an opportunity I highly encourage and support.
Transit California: You serve as a member of the Executive Committee as one of five small operator representatives. How does the small operator’s experience help inform and contribute to the development of the Association’s overall policies and positions?
Small operators bring a unique perspective to the mobility challenges faced by our rural and small urban communities. In my opinion, the Association team does an excellent job of creating opportunities for small operators to contribute to the development of its policies and positions. Incorporating those viewpoints into its advocacy efforts strengthens the standing of the CTA as a voice for public transit.
Transit California: You serve as a member of the Transit Transformation Advisory Committee, a 14-member group that coordinates the Association’s work and recommendations to the Transit Transformation Task Force (TTTF), which will publish its final report in Fall 2025. Can you talk about that experience, particularly as one of the small operator representatives?
As a member of the advisory committee, I’ve tried to listen carefully and provide input on matters that I believe would directly benefit rural and small urban communities, such as TDA reform, expediting the federal grant administration process, and funding. Overall, I believe CTA’s advisory committee has strengthened the preparation and focus of our industry’s proposals shared by the task force members. The composition of the advisory committee reflects the diversity of size and service modes attributable to transit operators statewide.
Transit California: What recommendations do you hope to see in the TTTF report?
My hope is that the TTTF report will acknowledge that our industry has been a good partner to the State in attempting to meet its priorities as it relates to accessibility for all people, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and supporting businesses by connecting workers to jobs.
As for recommendations, reforming TDA requirements to replace punitive measures with performance and service/coverage metrics that inform local and regional decision-makers so they can build on what is working. Streamlining project planning and approval processes to expedite the delivery of public transit projects and additional State financial investment are vital outcomes to ensure that communities have access to reliable and frequent service.
A good foundation for future success would be an emphasis that effective public service requires ongoing collaboration and investment.
Transit California: You serve as the General Manager of Santa Barbara MTD, which was one of the first transit agencies in the state to adopt zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) technology in the 1990s. What spurred MTD to become an early adopter, and what was it like?
Santa Barbara is considered by many as the birthplace of Earth Day. Consistent with the eco-friendly values of the community the City of Santa Barbara asked MTD to develop a unique environmentally conscious public transit service to connect the then-new downtown Paseo Nuevo outdoor mall to the Waterfront. MTD worked with a small bus manufacturer to produce the first 22-ft. battery-electric open-air shuttles. The service was wildly successful throughout the 1990’s and 2000s, but began to taper off in the years preceding the pandemic as the retail industry struggled. Meanwhile, the market for small zero-emission transit vehicles failed to materialize, placing a significant burden on the transit district to operate and maintain the shuttles. Ultimately, the original fleet was retired and replaced with modern 30-ft. battery-electric buses in 2017.
Transit California: Where is Santa Barbara MTD currently in its ZEV transition journey? What ZEV-related challenges are you (and possibly other small operators) currently facing?
MTD operates 23 battery-electric buses and 17 hybrids accounting for 40% of the active fleet. Implementing a new technology that directly impacts the reliability of your service is not trivial. Ensuring spare and contingency fleets are available is an expensive requirement for early adopters. Supplementing and developing the maintenance and facilities workforce is a challenge for small operators that lack operational funds and struggle with workforce recruitment.
Furthermore, I believe small operators with ZEVs struggled with the responsiveness of technical support and supply chain issues early on. My experience has been that these issues exist with both the vehicles and charging equipment. With that said, I’ve been impressed with the commitment we’ve seen from our bus manufacturers to support our team as they introduce new technology. It’s a big learning curve for everyone.
Transit California: You have served as General Manager of MTD since 2014 and in various MTD leadership roles since 2003, and you have worked at MTD since 1989. What lessons have you learned from this longtime service to a single agency?
The first thing that comes to my mind is to listen well. The public transit industry is filled with talented professionals that are willing to share their knowledge, skills, and work product with peers for the benefit of the public. Likewise, there is never a shortage of public input if you take the time to hear what your community is saying and see what they’re facing. I’ve learned what impacts our success is how well we take our experiences and translate what’s been shared with us into action.
Additionally, I’ve learned that as much as I enjoy traveling, if you happen to decide to live and work in one place your entire life Santa Barbara is a great choice.
Transit California: What advice would you provide those starting their careers in transit?
For what it’s worth, I think they’ve made a great choice as the opportunities are plentiful. I’d simply suggest that they keep an open mind to learning as much as possible by carefully considering what others are willing to share then figure out how to make things better.