Overview:
Collectively, bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians in Santa Barbara are disproportrionately impacted by severe and fatal collisions, officials said.
Santa Barbara’s roads are headed in the right direction.
The City Council reviewed the draft proposal for the Safe Streets for All Action Plan on Tuesday, which aims to prevent severe traffic fatalities and pedestrian injuries by implementing collision reduction measures in certain parts of Santa Barbara.
The action plan, funded by a grant from the United States Department of Transportation, provides recommendations for safety projects on roads most impacted by collisions—including upper State Street, Las Positas Road and Calle Real, Supervising Transportation Planner Jessica Grant said at the meeting.
The council took no formal action during Tuesday’s meeting, but it plans to formally vote on the plan on July 28. The action plan has been two years in the making.
Proposed safety projects in the draft include installing speed limit signs and protected left turns, as well as widening sidewalks and separating bikeways.
“Traffic collisions remain a major public safety issue with pedestrian cyclists and motorcyclists facing the highest risk of injury and death,” Grant said. “This plan responds by prioritizing safety and recognizing that collisions are preventable through enhanced street design policies, education and enforcement.”
The draft’s review comes after city staff analyzed collision data from 2020 to 2024, revealing that collectively, bicyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians in Santa Barbara are disproportionately impacted by severe and fatal collisions.
About 42% of bicyclists, 19% of motorcyclists and 17% of pedestrians were impacted by fatal and severe collisions over those five years, officials said. About 52% of severe and fatal collisions occurred at intersections, primarily because of speeding, driving under the influence, right-of-way violations and improper turning, according to the council agenda report.
Grant said the action plan aims to improve safety for pedestrians from underrepresented backgrounds.
“Underserved communities often have a higher exposure to dangerous road conditions, like poor street lighting, higher volume streets and speeds, and lack of sidewalks and biking infrastructure,” she said.
Community members urged the council to support the draft plan during public comment. Ian Baucke, chair of the city’s Transportation Circulation Committee, said he was excited to see the draft come to fruition. He said that he believes the city should invest its funds into more safety projects instead of relying on grants.
Some also proposed traffic calming measures throughout Tuesday’s meeting. Councilmember Wendy Santamaria proposed implementing traffic calming measures on Canon Perdido and Quarantina streets.
Lily Heidger, who supported the draft plan, said during public comment that she was hit by a car while biking in the upper State Street area. Traffic calming measures could prevent similar accidents, she added.
But Derrick Bailey, principal transportation engineer, said the action plan is particularly focused on preventing street collisions, because speed reduction measures come with some drawbacks.
“Our community has some really unique emergency response and evacuation needs,” Bailey said at the meeting. “In order to get traffic calming features that are effective, they slow everybody down every day.”
That’s why city staff want to drill down on the specific traffic issues affecting residents. Hearing direct feedback from community members can help them improve the action plan’s safety projects, Grant said.
“What helps us is (hearing about) their day-to-day experiences, and what causes a mother to put out their arm when they’re trying to get their child safely across the street to a school,” she said. “Those are the details that we need to understand.”
