City of Santa Barbara to Hold a Community Engagement Meeting On the Cliff Drive Vision Zero Project

The City of Santa Barbara will hold an open house public meeting on Wednesday, November 29 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Monroe Elementary School to review the Cliff Drive Vision Zero Project (Project). The Project recently received grant funding and the City welcomes the community to review the preliminary design, meet the City’s Project team, and provide feedback. 

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. The Project addresses the community’s desires to transform this high-speed urban highway into a neighborhood serving street with enhanced mobility and improved safety, with multi-modal transit opportunities for all ages and abilities, providing safe connections between neighborhoods, schools, and parks. 

The Project will add a new three-mile separated path for all ages and abilities on Cliff Drive from Arroyo Burro County Park to Castillo Street. In addition to the new path, the Project includes the following pedestrian infrastructure enhancements: 

• Eleven new crosswalks, safety enhancements to four existing crosswalks, and three new traffic signals along Cliff Drive. 

• Safety features at crossings include curb extensions, median refuge islands, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), safety lighting, and high visibility crosswalk markings. 

• A new crosswalk at Cliff Drive and Salida Del Sol for improved coastal access and safe walking route to Washington School. 

• A wider sidewalk on Flora Vista between Cliff Drive and Red Rose, curb extensions at the Flora Vista/Red Rose intersection, and sidewalk infill on Red Rose between Fellowship and Flora Vista to improve safety for students who walk or bike to Monroe Elementary School. 

• A wider sidewalk along Loma Alta to improve connectivity between McKinley Elementary and the new path on Cliff Drive. 

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027.  

The address of Monroe Elementary School is 431 Flora Vista Drive. Spanish interpretation will be provided at the meeting. 

To learn more or ask questions about the Project, please email CliffDrivePlan@SantaBarbaraCA.gov or visit SantaBarbaraCA.gov/CliffDrive.