bon Footprint
Recent Publications
Los Angeles Times
Eco-Travel Options are Abundant LA Times, June 30, 2008
"Santa Barbara's air pollution district has a little challenge for you: Leave the car at home. The district, in cooperation with the city's tourism office, is trying to make it easier to travel green. Hop on an Amtrak train and you could qualify for cheap hotel rates. And, once you're in town, there are ferries, a 25-cent electric shuttle and bike rentals..."
California Weekend
"American Riviera" Ideal for Car-Free Visit (June 2008, California Weekend web feature, and column)
"Got to admit it — it's tough for this Californian to give up his car for the weekend, but that's exactly what we did on a recent train getaway to Santa Barbara that proved we could do our small part to help reduce traffic and vehicle emissions and still have a great time..."
Peter Greenburg Travel
Care-Free and Car-Free Destinations (June 2008)
"Santa Barbara is taking this car-less concept very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that it has an entire promotional campaign around it. What smells like a gimmick turned out to be a useful resource that makes traveling sans car seem not only accessible, but preferable. For example, if you take the train to Santa Barbara, California, you qualify for the “car-free” discount at more than 20 hotels, some restaurants, and many activities.."
Also: Seattle Times (June 2008), Australia's "G" Magazine (May 2008), The London Paper (April 2008), Chicago Scene Magazine (March 2008), United Airlines Hemispheres Magazine (December 2007)
Awards
The Santa Barbara Car Free project received a 2004 Environmental Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9, and received a 2004 Marketing Excellence Award for "Best Niche Marketing: Eco-Tourism" from the California Travel and Tourism Commission. Read more background on the project here.
The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, lead agency for Santa Barbara Car Free, honored and thanked the project's partners for their outstanding volunteer service and contributions to the project.
Partners present for the APCD ceremony included (from left): Front row: Millie Matz--Santa Barbara Hotel Group; Olivia Rodriguez, David Damiano and Sherrie Fisher--Santa Barbara MTD: Tracy Farhad--Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission; Jayne Brechwald--American Lung Association of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, Antara Blasius--Community Environmental Council/Earth Day. Second row: Brian Hart--Amtrak; Nadine Turner--Hotel Santa Barbara; Megan Miley (project website)--Megan Miley Graphic Design; Ralph Fertig--Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition; Lynda Lang--Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce; Tim Bridwell--Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort; Laura Kath (project promotions coordinator)--Mariah Marketing; Mary Byrd (project manager)--APCD. Top row: Nancy Johnson--Botanic Garden; Randy Reetz--Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center; Lee Moldaver; Bobbie Bratz (community programs supervisor)--APCD; Lin Graf--Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The project and website have received positive publicity in more than 75 newspapers around the country, including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Ventura Star, Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, the Oakland Tribune, the Seattle Times, and others. It has also been featured in television stories, travel publications, and on travel websites. We've received comments about the project, both on survey cards and unsolicited emails and postcards. Here's a sample of what people are saying.