For a helmet fitting video, please click on the Safe Routes to School tab above.

A broader coalition respecting the “no new taxes” dogma succeeded where a more visionary scheme with a minimal increase could not. Transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects got a shot in the arm to last 30 years; rail secured seed money for more to come; and infrastructure maintenance needs will continue be met. It is hard to overlook the fact that, if the “A + B” scheme (two measures: “A” for roads, “B” for transit) that SBCAG originally proposed –and we defeated- had gone forward, the ‘B’ portion (transit) would have failed and transit funding forsaken.

It is said that ‘Politics is the Art of the Possible’. Credit goes to the environmental and civic organizations that coalesced under the banner of ‘Coalition for a Fair Measure A’ (CFFMA); to the staff of MTD, SBCAG and its member agencies; to the civic and political volunteers that lead the Measure ‘A’ campaign; to those that gave money, sweat and tears during the last three years to make this happen; and to those across the political divide with whom we so often disagree.

Forces across the spectrum were able to overcome the geographical, political, ideological and cultural barriers across Santa Barbara County and come together for the benefit of all. A veritable victory for Santa Barbara County!

Click here for complete election results by district, comparison with Measure D 2006 and more!

Read on for our earlier analysis of Measure A:

Introduction

Measure A, which would authorize a 1/2 cent transportation sales tax to replace the current Measure D, will be on the November 2008 ballot. This document has been prepared by members of the Coalition for a Fair Measure D (CFFMD) in order to inform our member organizations and help them reach a decision whether or not to support Measure A.

Historical Background

Our current Measure D was approved by Santa Barbara County voters in 1989, with a 54% “yes” vote. It was approved for a 20 year period, and expires in March, 2010. Seventy percent of the current Measure D funds are “flexible” funds allocated to the cities and the County proportional to population. Local governments have used the lions’ share of the funds for road and street maintenance, and the condition of the roads in most parts of the county has improved substantially.

With the prospect of Measure D funding disappearing in 2010, the SB County Association of Governments (SBCAG) designed a replacement Measure D to be put on the ballot in November 2006. The Coalition for a Fair Measure D (CFFMD) was formed to influence that measure. CFFMD is made up of almost thirty local groups representing environment, labor, social justice, and related causes. The Coalition was instrumental in creating a 2006 measure that would have dramatically changed the direction of transportation funding in Santa Barbara County, with forty percent of the funding going to buses, rail, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and other “alternative” programs.

Unfortunately, Measure D 2006 did not pass. Although it got the same overall share of the vote as in 1989 (54%), state law now requires a two-thirds “supermajority” to pass a dedicated sales tax. The 2006 approval rate on the South Coast was 65%. In the North County, however, less than 50% of the voters approved the measure, in large part because it would have been an increase in the tax from the current 1/2 cent to 3/4 cent on the dollar.

SBCAG is again trying to reauthorize this transportation measure by placing it on the November 2008 general election ballot. The tax rate was reduced to 1/2 cent, and two regional committees were formed to develop separate expenditure plans allocating the use of the measure’s funds. SBCAG decided that $140 million would be used as part of the local matching funds for the Santa Barbara-Carpinteria 101 project (creating a HOV lane for carpools and transit vehicles) and the remainder would be evenly split between the north and south county regions.

Thanks to generous support from the Fund for Santa Barbara, we have been able to keep the Coalition together to play a key role in designing the newest measure, called Measure A 2008. The Coalition’s member organizations had a number of representatives on the two Citizens’ Policy Advisory Committees (north county and south county) that were convened by SBAG to help reach consensus on what projects and services the new measure will pay for. During this process, the Coalition’s Platform has been essentially the same as it was for the 2006 measure. The platform and member organizations are shown below.

CFFMD in session

The remaining sections of this document provide some analysis of the resulting Measure A 2008.

Coalition for a Fair Measure D (CFFMD) Policy Platform

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED ORGANIZATIONS, SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING PLATFORM REGARDING RENEWAL OF THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION TAX MEASURE KNOWN AS MEASURE D.

1. Measure D is a sales tax, paid by all people, regardless of whether they use a car or other forms of transportation. Therefore, Measure D must benefit all segments of the population and all modes of transportation. It needs to provide for regional and local transportation systems that are balanced and multi-modal.

2. The expenditure plan must ensure that public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs receive designated funding allocations in each jurisdiction.

3. The new expenditure plan must contain allocations for:

a. Capital and operating expenses for local and regional public transit, including local and long distance buses, and South Coast commuter rail.

b. Maintenance and improvements for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, Safe Routes to School programs, and Complete Streets provisions.

c. Travel Demand Management (TDM) programs, such as carpooling, telecommuting and flexible work hours.

4. Measure D must establish a balanced oversight committee comprised of interested residents representing the perspectives of all transportation modes and major geographical regions to ensure equitable and sound allocation of Measure D funds.

Coalition Member Organizations

Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST)

SB Bicycle Coalition (SBBC)

SB County Action Network (SBCAN)

CoastalRailNow

Citizens’ Planning Association (CPA)

Our Children’s Earth Foundation

Environmental Defense Center (EDC)

PUEBLO

Sierra Club

League of Conservations Voters of SB County

Energy Independence Now

Committees for Land, Air, Water and Species (CLAWS)

SB League of Women Voters

California’s Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG)

Isla Vistans for Alternative Transportation (IVAT)

Community Environmental Council (CEC)

SB County Democratic Central Committee (SBDCC)

Carpinteria Democratic Club

SB Women’s Political Committee

Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice

The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ)

Gray Panthers of SB County

Democratic Women of SB County

SEIU Local 620

SB City College (SBCC)

Santa Maria League of Women Voters

Santa Maria Valley Mexican American Political Association (MAPA)

Central Coast Chapter Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley

What is Measure A 2008?

It is a Santa Barbara County measure on the November 2008 ballot that will ask voters to extend the current 1/2 cent transportation sales tax. The current tax, called Measure D, was approved by voters in 1989 and will expire in March, 2010. The ballot language that voters will see will look something like this…

How much revenue would Measure A raise, and what will it be used for?

Over 30 years, beginning in 2010, Measure A would bring in over 1 billion dollars. The plan is to take $140 million “off the top” to help pay for the completion of widening Highway 101 to the Ventura County line through the addition of a third lane, which would be used as a carpool/bus-only lane during peak hours. Most of the Highway 101 widening will be financed through State funding. With the additional funding from Measure A, it is estimated that the widening project can be completed four or five years sooner than otherwise. The remaining funds will be split 50/50 between North County and South County jurisdictions and programs. The expenditure plans for North and South were created by the SBCAG Board and staff, along with a Citizens’ Policy Advisory Committee in the North County and another in the South. The SBCAG staff descriptions of the expenditure plans can be found at http://www.measurea2008.org and http://www.sbcag.org/measuredrenewal.

The table and graph below summarize the expenditure plan. The amounts in RED are those going towards highway capacity projects, while the amounts in GREEN are those going towards “alternative” uses. The amounts in BLUE are the local flexible funds, which account for over half of the total expenditures. While most local funds are expected to be spent on road and street maintenance, each local jurisdiction has the option of spending them on alternative uses. In fact, each jurisdiction has agreed to spend at least a specific percentage (between 5-15%) of its local funds on “alternative” uses such as sidewalks, new bike lanes, and local transit service, and this dedicated amount is included separately in the table and graph. In total, the percentage dedicated to “alternatives” is 38% for the South Coast, and 14% for the North County. This reflects the fact that the North County officials and committee members who designed the plan have different priorities, on balance, than their counterparts on the South Coast.

How does Measure A 2008 compare to Measure D and to sales tax measures in other counties?

A direct comparison is difficult, because different plans have used different ways of categorizing expenditures. Below is a chart showing the 1989, 2006 and 2008 Santa Barbara measure expenditure plans, compared to other measures that passed around the state in 2004 and 2006, with the expenditures split into three major categories. A few observations:

• The percentage dedicated to highway capacity projects in the 2008 measure (22%) is lower than the percentage devoted to transit, bike and pedestrian facilities (24%), and is lower than the percentage devoted to highway capacity projects in most of the other measures around the state.
• The percentage to highway capacity projects is not much different for 2006 (17%) and 2008 (22%) measures.
• The 24% dedicated to “alternatives” in 2008 is in the low-to-middle range compared to the other counties. However, most of the counties with higher percentages are more urban, either in the Bay Area, Sacramento or San Diego. Even Fresno County is more urban in some ways – it has almost 900,000 people, more than twice as many as in SB County.
• The Bay Area county most similar to SB County in terms of the mix of (sub)urban, rural, and agricultural areas is Sonoma, and their measure passed (after several failed attempts) with 20% to “alternative” modes and 40% for highway capacity.
• Although not as extreme as the current 1989 Measure D, the 2008 measure still has the highest percentage toward local flexible funds (52%) anywhere in the state. This leaves some potential for more funding to go toward alternatives over 30 years, particularly if some other funding mechanism comes along to support road maintenance, such as a higher gas tax or some other type of road user pricing. In recent years, cities and the county have directed increasing amounts of their flexible funds to alternatives. We expect that advocates for alternative transportation will continue efforts to expand transit and alternatives using these flexible funds.

Which aspects of Measure A do Coalition members support most strongly?

Dedicated funds for bicycle and pedestrian facilities and Safe Routes to School (SR2S) programs: Each jurisdiction (Cities and County) has committed a minimum percentage (ranging from 5-15%) of its local flexible fund amount (the largest piece of the Measure A “pie”) toward “alternative” uses, which will be mainly for bike and pedestrian facilities, and to fund Safe Routes to School programs. There is also another $26 million in regional funds dedicated to these uses on the South Coast, and $3 million in the North County.

Assured funding for MTD and EasyLift: The South Coast transit agency, MTD, currently relies on a mix of State, Federal and local funds, and MTD has to go to each local jurisdiction every year to secure any local funding. With Measure D due to expire along with some of MTD’s Federal funding, MTD may have to cut back services if Measure A does not pass. Measure A ensures that MTD will have a reliable base of local funds to keep services operating over the next 30 years. With Measure A’s local operating funds, MTD also has a better chance to get additional State and Federal matching funds to improve services where needed. EasyLift, the South Coast paratransit service for disabled and elderly, is also assured of funding.

Improved inter-regional bus service: Between the North and South, almost $50 million will be spent to maintain and improve bus services such as the Clean Air Express, the Valley Express and the Coastal Express. The use of such services has been growing, and with the prospect of dedicated HOV (bus and carpool) lanes on Highway 101, these bus services will be an attractive commuting option when the regular (non-HOV) lanes are congested. These services are expected to expand to regularly scheduled services coordinated through city transit centers, increasing the regional connectivity of local transit systems.

Funds to help start a commuter rail service between Oxnard, Ventura, Carp, Santa Barbara and Goleta: A commuter rail service between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties is sorely needed, a need that will be even more urgent while construction is underway to widen Highway 101. The Measure A funds will help attract matching State and Federal and Ventura County funds to get rail service started.

Which aspects of Measure A do Coalition members not support?

Low funding levels for Traffic Solutions: Traffic Solutions is the County agency that administers traffic reduction programs such as vanpooling and carpooling programs. It also promotes other traffic demand management (TDM) options such as flextime, telecommuting, and other programs to make it easier and more attractive to use options other than driving alone during the rush hour. Measure A alone does not provide sufficient funds for Traffic Solutions to continue its current level of programs, particularly in the North County.

Low funding levels for commuter rail: Measure D 2006, which did not pass at the ballot box, contained about $125 million toward a new commuter rail service, reflecting SBCAG’s stated commitment to “a lane and a train” as the consensus strategy designed during the “101 in Motion” study. In paring down the Measure A expenditure plan to fit within the revenues of a 1/2 cent tax, commuter rail funding was reduced to 20% of the level in the 2006 measure, while funding to widen highway 101 was maintained at the full previous level. We would have liked to have seen a similar level of government commitment for both “the train” and “the lane”.

Low funding levels for “alternatives” in the North County: As mentioned above, about 38% of funds are dedicated to “alternative” uses on the South Coast, but only 14% in the North County. As both parts of the County designed their own expenditure plan, this reflects current preferences of the elected officials and some policy design committee members in the North. Others see the continuing emphasis on highways as misguided in the face of rising rapid North County population growth, rising fuel prices, and concerns about global climate change. On the plus side, most of the North County funding is in the form of local flexible funds, so each jurisdiction will have the option of increasing spending on “alternative” modes as the situation changes over the next 30 years. And even this lesser level of transit funding represents a substantial increase from current levels and will allow the implementation of the North County Regional Transit Plan.

A lack of vision toward long term solutions: The measure includes funding for freeway expansion without recognizing that, according to projections, Highway 101 will be just as congested when widening is completed as it is now. Rather than an emphasis on increasing highway capacity to endlessly address one traffic bottleneck after another, we should be focusing more heavily on alternatives and incentives to reduce peak hour auto use. With increasing construction costs, it is conceivable that completing the widening of 101 to the Ventura County line will cost over a billion dollars. Measure A will only pay for a fraction of that cost. With or without Measure A, widening of 101 is expected to take 10-20 years to complete, and having commuter rail and other transit options in place would help to mitigate the impacts of road construction. Increasing the capacity of Hwy. 101 will also increase the number of vehicles that need to be accommodated on Santa Barbara’s freeway interchanges and local streets, and there is no explicit plan to deal with the increases in local traffic generated by highway improvements.

Is Measure A “fair”?

A great deal of effort was spent in designing Measure A to make sure that various interest groups and user groups were involved, both in the North and the South. While a sales tax is generally a regressive funding mechanism (meaning that lower income taxpayers pay a larger percent of their income compared to wealthier taxpayers), virtually everyone in the county uses some sort of transportation option. Those people dependent on MTD or EasyLift bus services to get around will benefit from the dedicated funding for those services. Everyone who uses roads will benefit from road maintenance, including drivers, bus passengers, cyclists and pedestrians who use the crosswalks and sidewalks. In both the North and South, the percentage of Measure A funds that would go to non-auto modes is higher than the percentage of trips that currently use those modes. With an uncertain future, a thorough analysis of “winners and losers” can only be done after the fact, but it is safe to say that Measure A 2008 is more inclusive and equitable than the current Measure D passed in 1989.

Is a general sales tax the best way to fund transportation projects?

In an ideal world, an increase in the gasoline tax would be superior to a general sales tax as a way to fund transportation projects – particularly for road construction and maintenance. This would be the “user pays” concept, where the amount that any individual pays for roads will be related to how much he or she uses them. Unfortunately, the current State and Federal fuel taxes are not adequate to cover the cost of maintaining road infrastructure, so a further “subsidy” is required, just as transit systems often require “subsidy” because the fare levels do not cover the capital and operating costs.

If the choice was between an increase in the general sales tax versus an increase in the fuel excise tax, most of us would prefer to see an increase in the fuel tax. However, almost all of the largest counties in California, covering 80% of the state’s population, have passed a local transportation sales tax, while NO California county has ever voted for a local increase in fuel taxes. Santa Barbara County is not likely to be the one to finally buck the trend on this and go out on a limb to raise local fuel taxes unilaterally. And if it did, the higher cost for gas in Santa Barbara County would lead to increased out-of-county gas purchases. So, for the foreseeable future, our only options may be to approve a transportation sales tax measure or else forego having any local source of transportation funding. The latter option would also mean foregoing the matching State and Federal funds that are only available to “self help” regions that have a steady source of local funds.

What if Measure A fails at the ballot box?

The Coalition members who have been involved in negotiating the Measure A plan see reasons to support it, as well as reasons not to support it, and those have been discussed in the preceding paragraphs. It is also important to consider what will happen if the measure does not pass in November. Here are some possibilities:

• The cities put their own sales tax measures on the ballot. This may be the most likely scenario, and could happen as soon as 2009. Any such measures would likely be for general fund purposes, requiring only a 50% margin to pass. Presumably, these funds would be used mainly to fund road maintenance, and regional solutions such as commuter rail, regional MTD and other intercity bus service and Traffic Solutions would be left out, as would highway projects such as widening 101. Any city passing its own measure unilaterally would effectively preempt the chances for a countywide measure since city voters would not vote for a second tax that increased rates above the current half cent..
• SBCAG attempts another countywide measure: It is unlikely this could happen before Measure D expires in March 2010, since tax measures are more often successful during gubernatorial or presidential elections, meaning November 2010 or later. It is also unlikely that such a measure could get the required two thirds of voters. Although Measure A 2008 is far from perfect, it is a consensus measure that seems to have at least some support from all sides of the political spectrum. If this measure does not pass, it is difficult to imagine any other countywide measure that could.
• The South Coast and North County create two separate ballot measures: Currently, this option is not possible, and would require a change in California state law. In any case, Measure A 2008 is already two separate sub-county plans rolled into one, so having two separate measures would not drastically change the expenditure plan itself. It would simply make it possible for a measure to pass in one part of the county and fail in the other part. Based on past history, a likely outcome would be that a South Coast measure passes while a North County measure does not, depriving the North County’s large transit dependant populations of needed services.
• We do without local transportation funding for the foreseeable future: This would be the most likely scenario for those in unincorporated areas, and for those living in cities that cannot pass their own measures. Starting in 2010, this would reduce levels of maintenance of streets and roads, and cause cutbacks in existing transit services.

In closing, members of the Coalition worked very hard to get the best possible package of alternative transportation projects and services, gaining concessions and commitments from every jurisdiction and achieving what is probably the best plan politically possible, given divergent views of transportation priorities throughout the County. For any transportation measure to pass, it will need support from all segments of the community, and thus many of the more problematic components of the Measure are necessary to gain the broad support needed to pass. It is unlikely that any other county-wide transportation measure would deviate substantially from what was achieved in the community processes that resulted in the proposed measure. Virtually all stakeholders left the process unhappy about some portion of the plan. Everyone understood that Measure A is only a part of our transportation future, and more work will be required to either fully maintain the roads or to develop the comprehensive transit, bikeway and pedestrian systems our community deserves. Given the compromises and concessions inherent in the proposed measure, the leadership group of the Coalition has decided to ask its members’ views of the 2008 proposal before considering whether to take a Coalition position.

Some upcoming events of interest

What: Second Thursday at El Paseo
When:  Thursday, March 11, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Where: El Paseo Restaurant (off State Street)
Join COAST for our monthly Happy Hour.

What: COAST General Meeting
When: Tuesday, March 23, 12:00 – 1:15 pm
Where: Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, Lancaster Room, 1021 Anacapa Street
Join us as we discuss our current efforts and hear from our partners in the community. Current agenda topics: project proposed with curb extensions for 803 N Milpas, San Ysidro Road walking path, and more. Please email Courtney if you would like to be added to the agenda.

What:  Curb extensions at City Council (803 N Milpas project)
When:  Tuesday, March 23, 2:00 pm
Where:  Council Chambers at City Hall
A mixed-use development project proposed for the corner of Milpas and De La Guerra streets (near SBJHS and SBHS) included curb extensions in the original design.  The project was appealed due to the curb extensions and is headed back to Council.  Please come voice your support for this highly trafficked pedestrian corridor or send an email before the meeting.

Something we missed? Please email Courtney to let us know!

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.

Join us Saturday, November 14 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Franklin Neighborhood Center for a FREE workshop to help make the lower Eastside safer and more pleasant for walking.  The half-day training is for local neighborhood citizens and safety advocates concerned about pedestrian safety and wanting to identify strategies for improving it. Register here.

The training includes:

• Expert presenters
• Interactive training sessions
• Small group discussion
• Walkability Assessment

Registration required.  Click here to register.

Visit here for more information.  Brought to Santa Barbara by the UC Berkeley Traffic Safety Center, California Walks, and the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Ongoing Efforts

Santa Barbara Walks has been busy hitting the streets as we have been involved with a number of recent projects.  Click on the links below for more of the details of what we’re doing to make walking safer in the South Coast.

– Helping develop the City of Santa Barbara’s General Plan Update

- Supporting the reconfiguration of the intersection

at State & De La Vina Streets

- Improving Cliff Drive on the Mesa

- Mapping projects in various neighborhoods

We are always interested in your ideas and turn to the community to help understand what the specific needs are.  If you have suggestions, concerns, or just want to be part of making the South Coast more pedestrian friendly, please email our Project Director, Courtney Dietz or call us at 875.3562.

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.

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

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.

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.