Bulbouts, Curb Extensions, Neckdowns, & Curb Bulges:
Safety for pedestrians by any other name

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.

Walking Wednesdays with Santa Barbara Walks

Architect Jeff Shelton in courtyard of El Andaluz

Santa Barbara Walks hosts Walking Wednesdays every 4th Wednesday of the month.  Each month features a different theme but the goal is the same: get us out walking and enjoying our community together.  Previous walks included an Everyday Art Walk with Ellen Durham, architectural tour with Jeff Shelton, Trees of Santa Barbara with Bob Muller and historical tour with Brian Hofer.

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!

San ysidro path a reality with coast’s help

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 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.

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.

Walk/Bike Forum

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.

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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.” (more…)