Highway Call Boxes Could Be On Their Way Out of Santa Barbara County
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Highway call boxes that have provided a communication link for motorists in need for nearly 40 years in Santa Barbara County could be removed at some point in the future.
On Thursday, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) received an update on the Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE) Highway Call Box Program.
During the discussion, the Board reviewed call box use and costs, statewide trends, emergency coverage considerations and potential alternatives.
Call boxes in Santa Barbara County date back to 1987 and since have provided a communication link to a 24/7 call center that assist with a variety of roadside emergencies.
At one point there were more that 350 call boxes located throughout the county on a number of roadways.
Currently, only 47 remain after a reduction took place in 2019, all of them located on rural sections of Highways 101, 154 and 166.
There are now 12 on Highway 101, just south of Buellton and in the Gaviota area. Fifteen boxes are located on Highway 166 between Santa Maria and New Cuyama, while 20 are along Highway 154 on the San Marcos Pass between Los Olivos and Santa Barbara
SBCAG reported call box usage has declined sharply while program costs have continued to rise due to technology transitions, vendor consolidation, and increased call-answering and cellular service
charges.
Data provided in an SBCAG staff report shows the call box system in Santa Barbara County has experienced an estimated 90 percent decline in call volume.
As cell phone ownership and usage have sharply increased over the past three decades, conversely the usage of call boxes have sharply decreased.
In 1999, there were nearly 8,000 calls, but in 2024, the total amount had sunk below 200, and in the past year, some of the call boxes recorded zero calls.
Over the last fiscal year, the entire call box system received 153 total calls, for an average 12 calls per month, and each of the 47 remaining boxes row receive approximately 1.5 calls each year.
Due to the sharp decrease in usage, SBCAG reported the inflation-adjusted cost per call has increased from $0.42 in 1999 to an estimated $510 in 2025.
SBCAG reported funding for the system is currently just over $100,000, which is directed towards maintenance, staffing, California Highway Patrol (CHP) and other needs.
Board members must decide to either keep the system going in some capacity or to remove it altogether.
Over the past several years, many other counties across California have either discontinued call box service or significantly reduced it.
Neighboring Ventura County discontinued usage, while Monterey County has scaled back its system to include rural corridors only.
Other counties that have removed service includes Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, and Merced counties, while San Diego and some of the Bay Area counties have had partial reductions.
San Luis Obispo County just recently decided to remove the few remaining call boxes along its roadways and will end the system at some point in within the current fiscal year.
No action was taken by the SBCAG Board since Thursday's presentation was scheduled to be a "receive and file" agenda item.
After a discussion that lasted nearly 40 minutes, the SBCAG Board of Directors decided to revisit the issue again later this year in either October or November.
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