This year’s Fall Gathering was COAST’s best event ever! An enthusiastic crowd of COAST members, community leaders, and elected officials enjoyed an evening of wine, drinks, and fun for the October 27th event.

COAST was proud to present their annual Barry Siegel Award, given to members of the community who have made outstanding improvements to modes of transportation in the Santa Barbara region, to the Mesa Architects. The Mesa Architects have been integral in making neccessary changes to Cliff Drive, and worked with CalTrans and the City Council to reach a (very rare) uninamious decision to restripe Cliff Drive. This road diet will slow cars down and make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the street safely.

The event was sponsored by MTD, Cottage Health System, CEC, AFSB, Martha Siegel, and Roger and Eileen Horton. Thank you to our sponsors! And thank you to everyone who came!

NEXT WALK:  June 22 – Join us in the Spring 2011 for Walking Wednesdays!

FREE and open to ALL – 4^th Wednesday of the month during Daylight Savings

What Is It?

The walks are a leisurely hour and a half, each month featuring a different theme, location and guest leader. The benefits are varied: exercise, learning about and enjoying our community, and appreciating the slower pace that walking affords us.

Previous walks include:

• Jeff Shelton’s Architecture -  featuring his whimsical creations to include Cota Street Studios, El Andaluz and the Ablitt’s Tower.
• Trees of the Santa Barbara Skyline – from the history of the Moreton Bay Fig at the Train Station to the difference between a fan palm and feather palm.
• Everyday Art – the stories behind the hidden and not so hidden public art that can be found throughout downtown Santa Barbara on prominent corners and in winding paseos.
• Architecture of the Eastside/Upper State Street Neighborhoods – from French Norman to Dutch Colonial to Spanish Revival, participants sharpen their architecture knowledge and learn details to look for when appreciating the various styles.
• Mission Creek: Floods to Fish – to better understand how an urban creek functions both for flood protection and fish passage of the endangered steelhead trout.

What People Are Saying:
“I have lived here for 50 years and am just now really appreciating the beauty of this town.”
“The walks are both fun and educational.”
“Great idea and great company as well as great information.”
“I’m definitely coming back next month!”

Lit by candles and white lights and accented by the sound of the trickling fountain in the brick courtyard of the Inn of the Spanish Garden, COAST’s Fall Gathering 2010 was a delightful event.   Though awarded in absentia due to his world travels, we honored Ralph Fertig of the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition with the Barry Siegel Award for his longstanding work towards making our community safer and easier for bicyclists of all ages.  Wilson Hubbell accepted the award on Ralph’s behalf and had prepared a witty few words reflecting on Ralph’s outstanding character and persistence in his advocacy.

Thank you to our sponsors: Inn of the Spanish Garden, Omni Fresco Catering, New Belgium Brewery, Santa Barbara Winery, and Cesar Vazquez Photography.

Also thank you to Cass Ensberg, of Ensberg Jacobs Design for her creative invite design and to Arelhy Arroyo for her help with designing project materials

More photos from the event here.

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.