Curb extensions at Chapala and De La Guerra

They are in the news and in our neighborhoods.  If you do any walking around town you’ve likely used one.  What’s all the excitement about?  Curb extensions!   Curb extensions are the extension of the sidewalk at an intersection, effectively reducing crosswalk distance and increasing safety for walkers.  Once you have crossed a street with curb extensions, it is hard to understand why we don’t have more of them as they are such an improvement for both walkers and drivers.  Click here for more information and what you can do to get involved.

The need for a safe walking path along San Ysidro Road has been in discussion since the mid-1990’s.  In early 2007, COAST was

Walking home from MUS

asked to join the effort by Montecito Union School and since then has been part of a collaborative process working to improve walking along San Ysidro Road.  COAST worked with First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal, County Public Works, Montecito

Union School, and Montecito residents to identify potential solutions.  Through these efforts, the County was awarded $392,000 from a competitive grant process.  The 1/4 mile decomposed granite path will connect Montecito Union School to North Jameson lane, along the west side of San Ysidro Road.

Forced into bike lane along SY Road due to lack of space

This path will not only provide a safer place for students on their way to school but as MUS parent and project initiator Stephen Murdoch noted, “the path will link pedestrians of every age to Miramar Beach, Upper and Lower Manning Parks, Laguna Blanca Lower School and the shopping area of the Upper Village”.

The County has been working with landscape architects and have come up with a beautiful design that will serve the purpose of a safer walking route as well as maintain the semi-rural nature of Montecito.  Someday soon parents with strollers, kids, runners and walkers of all ages will be able to travel San Ysidro Road on foot safely and out of the bike lane like we so often see.

But there are opponents who are working hard to stop this much-needed pathway and have cleared some of the existing shoulder in attempt to sideline the project.  But even after all their efforts people still use the bike lane to walk, which is a clear indication that the path is still needed when people aren’t using what’s there.  San Ysidro Road has over 10,000 cars a day and with distractions such as cell phones, the bike lane is NOT a suitable place for walkers.

The recent community meeting hosted by the First District Supervisor’s office on

An example of a decomposed granite path

Tuesday, June 1 at 6:00 pm at Montecito Union School was a great success!

After First District Supevisor Carbajal’s greeting, County PW gave a presentation about the history of the project and how the design has evolved to address the concerns of the community and Montecito Association.  Following the presentation, there were 4 different locations all with identical sets of plans for people to peruse and add comments.  The layout was complete with containers of decomposed granite.

The meeting was well-attended by both supporters and people who oppose the project because they fear that it will change the character of the community.  The meeting was informative, though the tension was palpable at the beginning, but served to dispel some of the fears that had been generated from misinformation.  See the KEYT clip about the meeting here.

Comments gathered at this meeting will be addressed and incorporated as appropriate.  The County will presented the final design to the Montecito Land Use Committee on July 6 and to the full board on July 13 (both meetings: 4 pm, 1469 East Valley Road).  It’s so important to have supporters at this meeting.

Supporters have been working hard and are excited by the beautiful design and are ready to see the project start.  Once completed the project will be a lovely addition to San Ysidro Road complete with low-water landscaping and meandering decomposed granite path serving people of all ages.

People of all ages turned out on May 8 at the beautiful Santa Barbara Amtrak Station to celebrate trains. A large group actually rode the train to Carpinteria and back, meeting up with another group that rode up from Ventura.  For many kids, this was the first train ride of their lives. “On the train, I feel like I am flying and  I am 55 feet tall,” said one little girl. Everyone agreed trains are a great way to travel.  Back in Santa Barbara, the festivities wrapped up with food and drink by Omni Fresco Catering, train cookie decorating, and a short program led by MC Grant House.  Watch the video here.

Santa Barbara Walks hosts Walking Wednesdays every 4th Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm.  Each month features a different

Designer Anthony Grumbine discussing the details of various architecture styles in Santa Barbara

theme and guest leader but the goal is the same: get us out walking and enjoying our community together.

Join us for our upcoming walk on Wednesday, June 23 at 5:30 pm.  Meet at the Fielding Institute (2112 Santa Barbara Street) to join guest tour leader Anthony Grumbine (Harrison Design Associates) to learn more about the architecture and design found in Santa Barbara.  Beginning at the historic Winsor Soule Hodges Residence (currently the Fielding Institute), the walking tour will include a walk-through of this beautiful example of 1920’s Spanish Colonial Revival estate.  The route will then continue down Santa Barbara Street, to East Constance, then to Anacapa, to upper State Street, and finally back to the Fielding Institute.  Along

the route we will see a wonderful variety of architecture styles, from a Francis Underhill Stripped Classicism, to a Richard Neutra mid-century modern, to  French Norman, and Dutch Colonial.  Both the variety of particular styles, as well as the many

Architect Jeff Shelton leading the group in the courtyard of El Andaluz

hybrids, will allow participants to sharpen their architecture knowledge, while enjoying a lovely walk in Santa Barbara’s upper East and Upper State Street regions.

Previous walks included an Everyday Art Walk with Ellen Durham, architectural tour with Jeff Shelton, Trees of Santa Barbara with Bob Muller and historical architecture with Anthony Grumbine.

Stay tuned for details of upcoming walks which will feature hidden stone walkways of the Riviera, urban wine tasting, botany of Alice Keck gardens, Devereux Slough, edible gardens and more!