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.

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!

First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal addressing the crowd

Under threat of rain, community stakeholders came out Wednesday, December 17th to celebrate the recent Federal Safe Routes to School grant that was announced to build a

Eva Inbar of COAST, expressing support for the newly funded path

½ mile decomposed granite pathway along the west side of San Ysidro Road from Montecito Union School to North Jameson Road. This path has been a collaborative effort from the start, according to many of the event’s speakers, which included County Supervisor Salud Carbajal, Montecito Union School Superintendent Dick Douglas, Montecito Association President Bill Palladini, and Montecito Trails Foundation

President John Venable, who has committed to maintaining the path.  Appreciation of the process and the partnerships between many entities, which also included County Public Works staff Matt Dobberteen and Bert Johnson, was echoed by many of those in attendance.  As noted by COAST’s Eva Inbar, “the project was based on a remarkable collaboration between many parties” including previous COAST Executive Director Katharine Bechtel who worked on the project.

Parent and advocate, Stephen Murdoch and daughters, commenting on the collaborative process

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”.
Supervisor Carbajal was one of several who stressed that we should celebrate the success of the San Ysidro path and use the momentum to move forward in identifying other locations where we can focus our efforts next. COAST’s newest project, Santa Barbara Walks, will be working to improve pedestrian access to schools, parks, community centers and other public places throughout the South Coast.

The event was a great reminder to the community of the positive impacts that are possible when we work together towards a common goal.

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”.
Supervisor Carbajal was one of several who stressed that we should celebrate the success of the San Ysidro path and use the momentum to move forward in identifying other locations where we can focus our efforts next. COAST’s newest project, Santa Barbara Walks, will be working to improve pedestrian access to schools, parks, community centers and other public places throughout the South Coast.

The event was a great reminder to the community of the positive impacts that are possible when we work together towards a common goal.

Santa Barbara City Councilmember Grant House’s comments in response to the article:

COAST’s work on Unmet Transit Needs (UTN) in North Santa Barbara County
revealed the need for this kind of van service stemming from farmers’
unwillingness to provide rides to backbreaking work in the fields due
primarily to liability concerns.  Public transportation seemed unable to
deliver regular transit service to frequently changing seasonal
destinations.

After providing white papers on Unmet Transit Needs to the County from 2002
to 2006, the hard work of project leader and board member Alex Pujo
uncovered models in other rural counties, idle vans sitting in neighboring
San Luis Obispo County, and possible sources of funding to initiate the
program. Melinda Burns, then with the Santa Barbara News Press, reported
extensively on the workers living in Santa Maria.  The McCune Foundation
provided funding to assist in the research and outreach for COAST’s UTN
project which also resulted in the start up of The Breeze bus service
between Lompoc, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and Santa Maria.

The program has been modeled after the successful farmworker van program in
Kings County.  The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors with leadership
from Supervisor Salud Carbajal supported using vans with drivers recruited
and trained from the affected population.  A win-win for all involved, we
wish the project continued success.

Grant House
Councilmember
City of Santa Barbara
ghouse@santabarbaraca.gov
805 564-5319

Click here to see the Santa Maria Times article

Vanpool speeds into 2nd year
By Steve Pent/Associate Editor

December 7, 2008
Ag Worker Transportation Program vanpool driver Celestina Rangel checks
strawberries Tuesday in a First Harvest field west of Santa Maria. A native
of Oaxaca, Mexico, Rangel has been with the program eight months, carrying
an average of eight to nine passengers every day to the field. Len
Wood/Staff
Celestina Rangel is up early every morning to begin her first job – getting
a van full of strawberry workers to a Guadalupe field by 7 a.m.

Then she joins them for a full day’s work in the fields. Late in the
afternoon, she drives them back to Santa Maria.

This is not your ordinary carpool to and from work. It’s part of the Ag
Worker Transportation Program (AWTP), now in its second year of operation
under the administration of the Santa Maria Organization of Transportation
Helpers (SMOOTH).

Rangel, a Oaxaca native, has been with the program eight months, carrying
eight to nine passengers on average every day to a First Harvest field. Two
months ago, at the height of the season, she had a total of 15 on board.

Rangel used to transport workers in her own van, but had to turn many away
because only seven fit in her vehicle. This posed a problem for some to get
to work.

“Some employers thought one invented that as an excuse to get off work,” she
recalled.

Then her own van was involved in an accident caused by someone else, she
said, and the cost of fixing it was more than the vehicle was worth.

Then she found out about AWTP. She applied at SMOOTH and was approved as a
driver after a two-week application and training process.

In October 2007, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors launched the
program by approving the purchase of nine used vans from Kings County, where
a successful program already was in operation, and authorized applying for a
state grant to expand the fleet of vehicles.

A total of $220,000 was secured for the pilot program from the county, the
city of Santa Maria and the state. In addition, Caltrans notified the county
a year ago that it had received an award of funding for nearly $3.1 million
from the state’s AWTP.

And in March of this year, wondering whether current vans were being used
sufficiently, the supervisors authorized the purchase of eight new vehicles,
not the 25 originally planned.

The program is touted by supporters for providing safe, affordable and
reliable transportation to and from work for agricultural workers, while
reducing the incidence of unlicensed and/or uninsured drivers and the use of
unsafe vehicles.

But it’s not without its critics. Some say public dollars should not be
tapped to transport workers for a private industry, while others oppose
providing a government subsidy for a workforce that is made up largely of
illegal immigrants.

On a recent trip, Rangel began her rounds at 6 a.m. by picking up two
different passengers at their houses, three workers in front of the Good
Samaritan shelter on Morrison Avenue and another three on Cook Street, a
couple blocks from the Blosser Road intersection.

Passenger Miguel Benitez has been using the service for seven months. He
said he used to travel in a private van, but AWTP is more secure.

Alberta Valent’n, Rangel’s neighbor, has been with the vanpool for about six
months. She said she used to pay someone $3.50 a day for a ride, “but this
service is a lot more flexible.”

As a driver, Rangel sees obvious benefits to the program.

“You don’t need to spend on tires, oil changes – the van (program) does it
all,” she said, adding that for unlicensed workers especially, “there is the
benefit of not having your car taken away.”

Then there is the economic incentive. Her riders pay an average of $3 a day,
a savings of up to a $100 a month.

Rangel is also delighted with the rigorous set of safety measures that are
in place for the van.

“They (SMOOTH) are right on top of the check-ups, maintenance, ensuring that
nothing malfunctions, that’s what I like about it,” she said.

On one occasion when the van refused to start, Rangel called the SMOOTH
office with the onboard CB handset, and a replacement van arrived within
minutes.

The program now has 12 vans, with three more to be purchased in February for
the start of the spring season, according to Jim Talbott, SMOOTH executive
director. Five of those will be traveling to Firestone Vineyards, up from
the three now going there during the off season.

“We’ve kept pace with the demand,” he said, adding that growth has met
SMOOTH’s expectations. He noted that the budget allows for the purchase of
up to 34 vans.

AWTP isn’t just for fieldworkers, but for packers, coolers, horse ranches,
wineries, nurseries, and ag offices as well. One of the vans travels all
over, including Santa Ynez and Guadalupe, he said.

“It’s a win-win situation. The vehicles are safe, we’re taking unsafe
vehicles off the road, and there is less emissions,” concluded Talbott.

Some community members are not so optimistic. Program critic Andy Caldwell,
representing the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business (COLAB),
recommended that the county wait until after the pilot program had produced
sufficient results before spending money to purchase any more vans.

“Will this program succeed? Shouldn’t we see if it will be self-sustaining
first?” Caldwell asked at a board meeting at the end of March.

Talbott explained that the program is performing at the expected farebox
growth, meaning that year-to-date fares cover 15 percent of operational
expenses, with 25 percent expected when 12 vans are put on the road come
February.

“To give you a comparison, SMAT (Santa Maria Area Transit) generates a 20 to
21 percent farebox recovery, and that is a fully matured, highly-used
system,” he said.

When the vanpool reaches 25 vehicles, the program will be at 50 percent
farebox recovery, above the state requirement for continued funding, he
predicted.

Rosemary Luque, AWTP

project manager, also sees a lot of growth in the program.

“It has enormous potential. The program was approved in October 2007, and by
January we had three in operation,” she noted.

Learning from the experience of the similar program in Kings County, AWTP
has been able to avoid a number of pitfalls

“They’re the trailblazers; they’ve worked out all the kinks, so we don’t
have to reinvent anything,” she said.

“We’ve tailored our own program, though,” Luque added.

All vans are equipped with a number of features: fire extinguishers updated
every year;

45-day inspections; full service using CHP forms every 6,000 miles;
upholstered seats; rhino lining on the floor instead of carpet; first-aid
kits in line with CHP standards; a complete contact/carrier information
packet on board in case of an emergency; a GPS system; and fares posted on
the sides of the vans.

The standards for drivers are also high: They have to keep a daily log of
each passenger because fares are determined by miles; conduct a daily
inspection of the van; and mail to SMOOTH the fares they’ve collected via
money order as well as all gas receipts (they’re given a fuel card to fill
up the tank).

Luque noted that for some drivers, the process is too involved because of
all the required paperwork, and 20 percent have fallen out of the program
because of it.

But so far, only two prospective drivers have been turned away while 31 have
been certified, three of them as back-ups in case of illness.

And drivers have been forthright as far as turning in accurate paperwork.

“Drivers are so grateful with the program that they don’t want to submit
something that is not right,” Luque said, even though there are no
incentives for drivers except not having to pay for their fare.

December 7, 2008

COAST was pleased to have Tom Roberts as our multi-talented MC for the evening; in addition to managing the evening’s festivities, Tom revealed he is a talented auctioneer, making Greg Mohr really work for his prize as the winner of the commuter bike donated by Open Air Cycles! Our guest speakers for the evening were City Councilmember Helene Schneider and Marcos Vargas from CAUSE, who have both been remarkable transportation advocates in our community.

Martha Siegel presented the second annual Barry Siegel Award, which honors transportation advocates in the community for outstanding contributions to the cause of sustainable transportation, to Sherrie Fisher, Director of Santa Barbara’s MTD. Fisher also received congressional recognition from Rep. Lois Capps, legislative recognition from Assemblymember Pedro Nava and civic recognition from Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum.

COAST was honored to celebrate the evening with our supporters, transportation advocates, local politicians, and community members.

A very special thank you to a few of those who made this event possible: The Montecito Jazz Project, Fresco Cafe, Gary Atkins Sound, Kenji Photography, Open Air Bicycles, the Santa Barbara Train Station and our wonderful volunteers: Matt Dobberteen, Kevin Hildenbrandt and Kelly Henderson.

Click here for more images of the event.

Dr John Pucher from Rutger's University, aka "Car-Free John"

Santa Barbara Walks recently co-hosted (with the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition and the Coalition for Community Wellness) a Walk/Bike Forum with international expert Dr. John Pucher from Rutger’s University.  “Car-free John” as he is known by friends and colleagues, gave an informative presentation on the health benefits of walking and cycling as transportation and how these activities are essential for our community’s sustainability.  His presentation included a plentitude of examples how other countries have succeeded in encouraging and providing infrastructure and policies that support pedestrians and bicyclists.

Discussion of health, social and economic benefits to the crowd in the Faulkner Gallery

Dr. Pucher’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion with Grant House (Santa Barbara City Council Member), Janet Wolf (County Board of Supervisors) and Michael Chiacos (Community Environmental Council).  The panelists provided opinions of what Santa Barbara has been doing to accommodate non-motorized transport as well as candid impressions of where we as a community have been lacking.

When Michael Chiacos asked John Pucher, “What should we do first, what are the low hanging fruit?” John said a sound education system teaching the youth how to walk and bike safely was the most important.  He followed this by indicating that having the infrastructure to support pedestrians and bicyclists (well-connected sidewalks, bike paths and bike lanes, etc.) was second to educating the youth.

The Forum was quite a success and we received positive feedback from many of the roughly 50 people that attended.  If you missed it, Santa Barbara City TV is showing the recording on their site. Visit www.citytv18.com/ to see the schedule.  In addition you can download the PDF version of John’s PowerPoint presentation here.

Thank you to everyone for their hard work on this important measure.

Serenaded by violins and guitars and stirred by Master of Ceremonies Hannah- Beth Jackson, a jubilant crowd at the Santa Barbara Depot celebrated COAST’s 5th Annual Train Party. Representatives of all South Coast governments attended, including County Supervisor Salud Carbajal; Santa Barbara council members Roger Horton, Grant House, Helene Schneider and Das Williams; Goleta council members Michael Bennett and Ed Easton; and Carpinteria councilwoman Kathleen Reddington.

The 2009 recipient of the Barry Siegel Award, COAST’s most important recognition, was former County Supervisor Naomi Schwartz.  Ms. Schwartz was Chair of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) in 1993 when Caltrans presented plans to widen Highway 101 south of Milpas Street with a standard design that would have transformed this cherished, scenic corridor into a barren, concrete channel.  Ms. Schwartz convinced her reluctant colleagues at SBCAG to conduct an in-depth traffic analysis of the corridor and to establish an advisory “Highway 101 Task Force”.

From this process emerged a series of “Operational Improvements” (some completed, some currently under construction) to add a third freeway lane at the most congested locations and to enhance local circulation (including alternative modes of transportation) as a way to reduce trips on the mainline.  At Naomi’s encouragement, a whole new set of design guidelines were established by the County and the City to guide the aesthetics of all future highway improvements,

During her three terms on the County Board of Supervisors, Naomi Schwartz was a knowledgeable and determined advocate for sustainable transportation. Barry Siegel was her top public advisor on this subject. Naomi changed the way projects were planned and funded by dramatically improving public participation in processes previously controlled by Public Works directors.

COAST also honored Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum and Council Member Roger Horton, whose terms will end this year, for their dedication to bring commuter rail from Oxnard to Goleta. Tracey Willfong Singh was also recognized for her outstanding leadership in Safe Routes to School activities.

The Barry Siegel Award, named after one of COAST’s founders, is presented annually to individuals for their outstanding contributions to alternative transportation. A video of the party will soon be available on Public Access TV and on the COAST website.

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California Passes Complete Streets Law
Major Victory for National Complete Streets Movement

Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law on September 30th Assembly Bill 1358 (pdf), the California Complete Streets Act of 2008 authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco).

The new law requires cities and counties to include complete streets policies as part of their general plans so that roadways are designed to safely accommodate all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, children, older people, and disabled people, as well as motorists.

“Streets aren’t just for cars, they’re for people and with the Complete Streets Act local governments will plan for and build roadways that are safe and convenient for everyone- young or old, riding a bike or on foot, in a car or on a bus,” said Assemblyman Leno.  “Getting people out of their cars and riding bicycles or the bus improves public health, air quality, eases congestion and reduces greenhouse emissions.”
Introduced in 2007 and cosponsored by the California Bicycle Coalition and AARP California, the bill passed the Senate on August 27, with the Assembly concurring with the Senate’s amendments on August 29.  The new law will complement an existing policy, which directs Caltrans to “fully consider the needs of non-motorized travelers (including pedestrians, bicyclists and persons with disabilities) in all programming, planning, maintenance, construction, operations and project development activities and products.”  Furthermore, by enacting this law, the State of California continues its groundbreaking commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

To date, more than 70 jurisdictions have adopted complete streets measures, and many others are considering them.  In addition to California, five other states have complete streets legislation.

Beginning January 2011, any substantive revision of the circulation element in the general plan of a California local government will include complete streets provisions.

“California has taken a big step forward in helping make sure that streets are designed so that anyone can travel safely, whether by foot, bicycle, bus or car,” said David P. Sloane, AARP Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Advocacy.  “More people are leaving their cars at home and walking since the gas crisis.  They need their streets to be user friendly.  AARP commends Governor Schwarzenegger and the California legislature for their foresight in adopting Complete Streets.”

Groups supporting complete streets have formed the National Complete Streets Coalition, with active participation from groups representing older persons, transit users, pedestrians, bicyclists, and disabled people, as well as smart growth proponents and professional organizations such as the American Planning Association and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.  For more information, visit www.completestreets.org or call 202-207-3355.

Complete Streets Act of 2008 (S. 2686)
(March 2008)

A Senate bill was introduced in March by Senator Tom Harkin (and a House bill will be introduced very soon by Congresswoman Doris Matsui) that seeks to ensure that ALL street users, including walkers, bikers and transit users will be considered in the design and construction of future transportation projects. But your help is needed to build support for both of these bills!

Our streets should be for everyone to safely use, whatever their mode of transportation. These Bills seek to ensure that the 1/3 of the population that does not drive is represented when transportation investment decisions are made.

Complete streets have a variety of benefits. They can:

• increase pedestrian safety
• reduce traffic congestion by providing alternative modes of transit
• induce healthier lifestyles (for adults AND kids) as more people get out of their cars and onto the streets
• improve air quality as more sustainable transportation methods are used

Contact our Senators to let them know you support this Bill!

Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2008
Rep. Matsui Introduces Complete Streets Bill in US House;
Sen. Coleman signs on in Senate (May 2008)

Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA), took an important step for safer, better designed streets today by introducing the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2008 into the US House. The bill would make sure that roads built and improved with federal funds safely serve everyone using the roadway – including pedestrians, people on bicycles or those catching the bus, as well as those with disabilities.

“Once again, gas prices have hit record highs this week. As American families continue to feel the pain at the pump due to the skyrocketing costs of gasoline, they are driving less and less,” said Rep. Matsui. “By diversifying our roadways, we can provide real alternatives to travel by car.”

Meanwhile, Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) signed on this week as first Republican co-sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, S2686, the Complete Streets Act of 2008, introduced a few weeks ago by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Thomas Carper (D-DE). This is the first time that comprehensive complete streets bills have been introduced in the House and Senate.

“We commend Rep. Matsui and Senators Coleman, Harkin, and Carper for recognizing the importance of making the best investment possible with our federal transportation dollars,” said Barbara McCann, Coordinator of the National Complete Streets Coalition. “States and cities across the country have discovered that completing their streets for all users means safer communities that invite healthy walking, bicycling, and taking transit – and that can help people cope with the rising price of gasoline.”

Across the country, many transportation agencies have continued to design many roads primarily for drivers – discouraging bicycling and leaving those on foot tramping through a track worn in the grass. Yet men and women outlive their driving years by six and ten years respectively and prefer to walk rather than be stuck at home. Transit users often face dangerous crossings and uncomfortable waits, while people who use wheelchairs or have vision impairments often cannot venture out at all due to a lack of sidewalks and curb ramps. And surveys show Americans of all ages and income levels want safe places to walk and ride bicycles, and public health officials says such activity is an essential component of fighting the obesity epidemic.

Complete Streets policies require transportation planners to take the needs of all users into account in all upcoming transportation projects – so the road network can be gradually improved for everyone. Oregon, Virginia, Illinois, California, and Massachusetts are among the states that have adopted complete streets policies or laws; dozens of counties, regional transportation agencies, and cities and regions have also adopted the policies in the last few years, including Ms. Matsui’s home jurisdiction of Sacramento, as well as Seattle, Chicago, and Salt Lake City.

The National Complete Streets Coalition includes AARP, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the American Planning Association, Smart Growth America, America Bikes, and many other organizations. For more information, visit www.completestreeets.org.

The Safe and Complete Streets Act is supported by:
AARP, America Bikes, America Walks, American Planning Association, American Public Transportation Association, American Society of Landscape Architects, Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, Bikes Belong, Breathe California, California Park and Recreation Society, California WIC Association, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Easter Seals, Friends of the Earth, League of American Bicyclists, Local Government Commission, National Center for Bicycling and Walking, National Recreation and Parks Association, Prevention Institute, Reconnecting America, Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, Safe Kids Greater Sacramento, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, Smart Growth America, Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments, Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, Thunderhead Alliance, Transportation Alliance, Transportation Equity Network, Transport Worker’s Union, Transportation and Land Use Coalition, Trust for America’s Health, WALKSacramento, YMCA of the USA

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