Neighborhood Transportation Planning Efforts

The City of Santa Barbara took control of the Cliff Drive corridor from Caltrans in 2013. This opened the door for projects like the Las Positas Roundabout and the Las Positas & Modoc Road Multiuse Path. In 2018, the City adopted a Vision Zero strategy that aims to prevent severe and fatal injuries on City streets by focusing resources on high-priority streets with documented collision patterns. Cliff Drive is the second-highest priority corridor in the City.

To improve pedestrian and traffic safety in Santa Barbara’s Eastside Neighborhood, Public Works conducted a bilingual outreach effort in 2013 to help the neighborhood identify areas of concern and action steps to address them. The Eastside Neighborhood Transportation Management Plan describes the process in which the neighborhood participated, the input they provided, and the plan of action they determined to address concerns. City Council approved the plan on July 23, 2013.

Eastside Neighborhood Transportation Management Plan

The objective of the Milpas Street Corridor planning effort is to learn community desires and needs for the future of Milpas Street from Highway 101 to Canon Perdido Street.

A listening workshop was held on October 1, 2019, where City staff requested community feedback about walking, biking, parking, traffic, lighting, parkway trees, and landscaping needs in the corridor. City staff also sent out a survey to receive additional feedback.

An Approach Workshop was held on January 30, 2020, where City staff shared potential solutions based on the community's feedback. In April of 2020, Council adopted a resolution of support for these enhancements and directed City staff to apply for an Active Transportation Program grant in June of 2020. The grant application was not successful and City staff is returning to the community to discuss how to make the grant application more competitive. It is anticipated that the project scope will need to be reduced to focus on safety enhancements at intersections.

Public meetings were held online on February 16, 2022, and in-person at the Franklin Community Center on February 19, 2022. If you missed these meetings, view the Milpas Street Corridor Planning Effort Webinar Recording here.

Milpas Street Crosswalk Safety and Sidewalk Widening Project Conceptual Plans
 

In March of 2020, City Council adopted the Westside and Lower West Transportation Management Plan (Plan). This Plan includes several infrastructure safety enhancements to improve walking and biking in the Westside and Lower West neighborhoods. The enhancements would complement the Westside Community Paseos Project that is going into construction in summer of 2022. 

In 2020, the City applied for an Active Transportation Program Cycle 5 grant for the enhancements identified in the Plan, however, the grant application was not successful. In December of 2021, Council directed City Staff to apply for the next Active Transportation Program grant cycle, Cycle 6.

With the support of the community, City Staff will continue working on the grant application. In early spring of 2022, City Council will consider increasing City grant matching contributions that may increase the chances for these enhancements to be grant funded by the State.

Public meetings were held online on February 2, 2022, and in-person at Bohnett Park on February 5, 2022, to review the latest concept plans and receive feedback. If you missed these meetings, view the Westside and Lower Westside Active Transportation Plan Implementation Webinar Recording here. 

To learn more or ask questions about the project, please email WestsideNTMP@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.

Westside and Lower West Neighborhoods Transportation Management Plan