To the Editor,
The decision by the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency to scrap the Metrolink commuter proposal is a betrayal of the promises made to South Coast residents for nearly two decades (Santa Barbara Metrolink proposal scrapped; Pacific Surfliner to provide new train service instead, January 13, 2026). We have been told time and again that the widening of Highway 101 would be paired with a robust rail alternative to finally alleviate the soul-crushing congestion between Ventura and Santa Barbara. Instead, the highway expansion is nearly complete, yet our rail “solution” has been downgraded to a restored Amtrak route that feels like an afterthought.
We are tired of the bait-and-switch. This undermines the importance of an active rail service and is part of the commuter problems facing the Central Coast. But there is a fundamental difference between a commuter rail service and the Amtrak service. The public was promised a rail system that works for the working class, not just a restored round-trip that happens to roll through town after the workday has already started.
The proposed 8:11 a.m. arrival in Goleta reveals a fundamental disconnect from the modern workday. For the thousands of employees expected to be at their desks or stations by 8:00 a.m., this train arrives after the “punch-clock” has already turned. Until we see a train schedule that actually aligns with 8:00 a.m. start times, the “relief” for Highway 101 will remain exactly what it has been for twenty years: a lie.
Respectfully,
James F. Scafide
Santa Barbara
