SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – A new report from the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) sheds like on the regional travel patterns that could shape future transportation planning efforts.
“Overall, the report tells us that people are driving less and that’s been a goal of everyone in the community and a policy goal to really reduce and meet the state demands for climate change,” said Lauren Bianchi Klemann, SBCAG Public Information Manager.
The report found remote-work surged by more than 150 percent since 2019. For those that don’t work from home, the report sheds light on how people get to and from work.
Of the trips between the North County and the South Coast, people living in the City of Buellton are driving the furthest in the region at an average of 25.9 miles while people living in the City of Santa Barbara have the shortest average work commute at 8.9 miles.
The report also found the majority of people who work in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria actually live in those cities. However, less than 20 percent of people who live in Buellton and Guadalupe actually work there. The trend continues in Solvang and Goleta, where many commuters come from outside the city.