Tree Replacement on West Carrillo Street

Next week, the City will remove seven trees along West Carrillo Street (between San Pascual and San Andres Streets).

This is part of an ongoing project to improve traffic safety on West Carrillo Street. The trees we're removing are in poor health, and we will replace them with 15 new trees along Carrillo. The project team will coordinate removals and plantings with sidewalk, curb, and gutter repair in the area.

This project will add new tree wells for the new street trees. Where possible, the trees will be given more room to grow, which should lead to healthier trees. Another benefit of this project is that it will lessen the amount of impermeable surface area at street level, which will help the trees and lessen pollution from storm water runoff.

A surface is impermeable when water can't soak into it, so water from storms runs off the surface, carrying pollution into storm drains and out into the ocean. This project will make more of the ground in this area permeable, so storm water can soak into the earth for natural filtration before it reaches the water supply. More permeable surface also means trees get to enjoy more of the water, because their roots can get to it as it soaks into the ground.

This safety project includes new corridor lighting, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant access ramps, traffic signal left turn arrows at San Andres Street, a new crosswalk at
San Pascual Street, and repaving. We estimate that work will continue on this project through February 2022.

If you have questions about the trees, please call the Parks Division at (805) 564-5433, or send an email to Trees@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.