New Bicycle Path Improvements Change the Face of Downtown Santa Barbara
Stay Alert to New Traffic Diversions on Sola Street
Driving across Santa Barbara just got a little more lively than usual. New concrete traffic-diversion curbs and islands appeared on Sola Street in recent weeks, as have new traffic signals. They’re all part of the city’s ongoing Community Paseos projects, but for unwary drivers, the unexpected barriers are causing swerves, pauses, and U-turns.
The new concrete diversion curbs are located at De la Vina Street and at Santa Barbara Street, creating carve-outs for bicycle traffic but letting automobiles head in one direction only at those intersections. Two new traffic signals will also be activated at the intersections — timed for motorists going 25mph — signs installed, and pavement marked in the near future.
“The project is creating a safe cycling link between the Westside neighborhood and downtown,” explained Derrick Bailey, the principal traffic engineer for the city. The projected finish date is in December for the Sola Street project.
The city had first considered Micheltorena Street for a bike path, but the project would have removed too many parking spots on the crowded street. “The other option was to create a low-traffic-volume, low-speed environment on Sola Street where cyclists can be comfortable sharing the street. The Sola option eliminated the need for parking removal and was heavily favored by the community,” Bailey said.
“The companion Eastside Community Paseos project that is creating a safe cycling link between the Eastside and Downtown is also under construction,” said Bailey. Along Alisos Street, a water main replacement project was held up because parts were short, but it’s now completed, leaving behind a bumpy, uneven road surface. Repaving is scheduled after the remaining safety measures are built.
The concrete work on Alisos will see pedestrian ramps at several corners. Traffic diverters, speed humps, and landscaped peninsulas between De la Guerra and Cacique streets will go in to encourage cyclists by reducing vehicle volume and speed along Alisos Street. The city warns that traffic and parking will be affected, though signs will be posted of upcoming construction locations.
The reconfigured streets will ultimately link the town from Franklin Elementary on the east to Harding Elementary on the west, and the Sola route will join three bike paths that already exist along Haley, Cota, and Ortega streets. It’s uncertain that many cyclists know about them. On a recent cruise-through, only one cyclist was seen headed west along Cota Street in the middle of the morning. Bailey said they’d counted about 200 cyclists a day, pre-pandemic, and that a new count would take place after the Eastside projects were completed and could feed into Cota Street.
Construction on Sola should be completed by around December, Bailey said. Motorists will want to stay alert to other projects this fall, such as the ongoing concrete repairs and access improvements on Haley and Chapala streets.
