Today’s newsletter is presented by Esparza Law Group.
Santa Barbara’s State Street was the story of the week.
A majority of the City Council, during a six-hour hearing, showed support for a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly downtown. The council, for now, has parked the car discussion.
The city closed eight blocks of State Street to cars after the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. The closure was intended to help restaurants by allowing them to offer dining outdoors. Six years later, however, the downtown area is still closed to private vehicles.
It’s a polarizing subject. A contingent of bicycle advocates support a car-free downtown, but some property owners and businesses contend that retail tenants benefit from vehicular traffic. It’s a glass half-full, half-empty situation. Some choose to see the best of the situation, and others choose to see the worst.
Good luck trying to convince the other side. The story below has all the details, including the plans for electric bikes, pedestrians and deliveries.
The real winner Tuesday night was Tess Harris, the State Street Master Planner. Everyone seemed to agree that she has led the controversial issue in the right direction. Several members of the public praised her work on the project.
What’s next? More talk, public input, advisory committee review and then back to the council for another voter.
In the meantime, check out State Street. It’s busy and vibrant at many points throughout the day. Yes, there are people speeding down the street on electric bikes, and, yes, they can be rude and annoying.
But there are also people of all ages, including families enjoying the downtown. It’s not perfect, but it’s also not as scary as some fearmongers want you to believe. Many cities would love to have the problems we have — tens of thousands of people caring about a single-issue with enormous passion.
Architect and urbanist Stefanos Polyzoides described Santa Barbara as one of the 10 most important cities in the country. The glass is half full.
Joshua Molina
News-Press Editor
Top read of the day
Developers lose round in court, but controversial housing behind Old Mission grinds forward
By Tom Schultz • Special for the Santa Barbara News-Press
A judge hands the city of Santa Barbara a victory in dispute over project applications. Looking ahead, the battle over the 270-unit plan is expected to heat up over public safety and environmental concerns
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4 stories people are talking about
Local voices
“I worry that if we were to fully take it off the table right now, there are going to be people in the community for whom they feel downtown is not for them. I think there is something to be said for compromises where not one party gets 100% of what they want.”
— Meagan Harmon
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