Santa Barbara County proposes multi-use bike path along south side of Modoc Road

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Santa Barbara County has proposed the construction of a multi-use bike and pedestrian path along the south side of Modoc Road west of the Via Senda intersection, complementing Santa Barbara's recently-completed Las Positas-Modoc Road bike and pedestrian path project.

The project was proposed by the county Public Works Department on May 10 and was up for review until June 13. It would be located about a quarter-mile south of the Highway 101/Highway 154 interchange in the unincorporated area of the county's Second Supervisorial District.

The project proposes expanding the existing Class 2 bike lane in the area to a Class 1 multi-use path along the south side of Modoc Road, according to the project description proposed by Public Works.

The western end of the proposed path would tie into an existing bike path about 50 feet south of the Modoc Road/Encore Drive intersection. "Most of (the) bike path would be located south of the Modoc Road shoulder, with a meandering alignment along an existing trail to avoid mature trees," the project description said.

It added that a portion of the path would be located outside the public right-of-way on the Modoc Preserved, which is managed as open space under a conservation easement by the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.

The project would result in the loss of 12 protected coast live oak trees, which is considered a significant impact that Public Works said would be mitigated by planting coast live oak trees at a mitigation ratio of 10:1 for one-gallon container plants, or 5:1 with 15-gallon container plants.

The project also potentially impacts nesting for Cooper's hawk, oak titmouse, Allen's hummingbird, and other native birds, according to project documents.

There would be at least 10 feet between the shoulders on each side of the road, and the bike path would be paved with asphalt over an aggregate base.

The project proposes building two retaining walls along the path, which are required to provide a level surface and limit earthwork. A roughly five-foot-tall northern retaining wall on the south side of the path would be visible from Modoc Road. A retaining wall on the south side of the path would not be visible from Modoc Road, according to the proposed plan.

A segment of the existing equestrian trail would be realigned by providing a three-foot-wide earthen equestrian train about three feet south of the proposed bike path.

The county would secure an easement for portions of the proposed path outside of the Modoc right-of-way, the project description said.

For more information about the project, click here.