North County leaders on Wednesday took another step toward boosting traffic safety—greenlighting a deep-dive analysis of possible improvements along a busy section of Highway 246 near Lompoc where traffic more than doubled in only two years.
As many as 18,360 vehicles a day traveled a key portion of the rural 4-mile stretch between Hapgood and Domingos roads in 2025, up from 9,120 in 2023, officials say.
New passing lanes top a list of potential projects. Other early ideas include new drainage, barriers, signage, and striping as well as improved roadway and driveway channels and an intersection upgrade at Drum Canyon and Mail roads.
“I think we need to be doing the most robust thing possible,” said Santa Barbara County Supervisor Bob Nelson, who serves with seven other supervisors and area mayors on a committee tasked with planning North County transportation projects.
“These are once-in-a-generational opportunities to spend funds and actually fix problems,” said Nelson, who represents the county’s Fourth District.
In a 8-0 vote, the panel directed staff at the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) to begin investigating which projects make the most sense, and how much key upgrades would cost.
This comes as crash data shows similar construction completed along Highway 246 in 2019 improved roadway conditions for commuters and travelers.
And it comes as officials say an anticipated expansion of SpaceX activities at Vandenberg Space Force Base will draw even more people to Lompoc and the surrounding area daily.
Collisions are down
Highway 246 is a key artery that links Lompoc with Highway 101 at Buellton. The other is Highway 1, which connects motorists to the 101 north of the Gaviota Tunnel.
Transportation officials say they expect a renewed focus on Highway 246 would further safety gains realized after more than 3.5 miles of passing lanes were finished seven years ago—as part of a Phase 1 project between Hapgood and Cebada Canyon roads.
Collisions on that stretch fell nearly 50% from an average of 13 to 8 annually following the $21 million project effort funded by Measure A.
Administered by SBCAG, Measure A funds come from a half-cent sales tax for transportation approved by 79% of county voters in 2008. The revenue stream is expected to generate $1.6 billion from 2010 through 2040.
A safer choice?
Lompoc residents increasingly choose Highway 246 over Highway 1, said Lompoc Mayor Jim Mosby.
“With the improvements that did happen along Highway 246, people are bailing on Highway 1,” Mosby said. “They’re coming home that way, down through Buellton to take 246 to get home because of what happens on Highway 1, which is a gauntlet.”
Further improving Highway 246 in a Phase 2 would help ease congestion the next time a natural disaster strikes, Mosby said.
“When Highway 1 is closed—accidents, mudlsides— 246 is a flippin’ nightmare,” he said. “There is an emergency component that comes into play.”
Introducing passing lanes wouldn’t impair traffic enforcement, said CHP Lt. Commander Jim Parish, who oversees the Buellton-to-Lompoc stretch.
“We’re fully staffed,” he told SBCAG. “Of course, when you give passing lanes to people, the speeders are going to speed.”
But even with more aggressive driving in the mix, improper turning on the stretch in question is often the main reason for most collisions, Parish said. “Passing lanes in my opinion would help alleviate that.”
Looking ahead
Despite their unanimous vote, the North County leaders who met Wednesday weren’t fully united.
Nelson bristled at an SBCAG staff suggestion—presented as part of a menu of options—that Highway 246 might not need Phase 2 attention.
With the widening of Highway 101 still incomplete, nobody’s asked SBCAG directors if they’d like to abandon that project, Nelson said.
“Most of our (Measure A) investments have been on the South Coast, and it’s time that we bring that money back up north,” Nelson said. “We have such large needs up here and need significant investment so that we can grow, so that we can have housing and we can have the economic development that has been able to happen on the South Coast for so long. It’s time for equity.”
Those comments drew a response from Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, who noted the potential for a Measure A renewal on the 2032 ballot.
“I love driving through the 101 expansion,” Lavagnino said. “It helps businesses in North County. It helps our farmers. It helps our ranchers. It’s going to help the (Space Force) base.”
“Us talking bad about Measure A is not going to help us sell Measure A in the next go-around,” Lavagnino said. “I know there’s frustration. But we kind of have to have a Kumbaya moment and come together and say we’ve got to sell this thing to the public.”
