Old Town Goleta businesses remind shoppers they are open during busy construction and restriping project

GOLETA, Calif. – Old Town Goleta is getting a newer look. The Project Connect plan has many phases and the latest is changing the driving and biking pattern on Hollister Ave. east of Fairview.

New striping has gone down along with a change in the parking configuration on the north side of the street.

Businesses in the area have actively put the word out that they are open during construction. A video is on Instagram with the faces and words of many owners welcoming customers to keep coming into the area even though it has a large work project underway.

This is the largest capital project of the year in Goleta.

The city says this week green directional paint will go down in portions of the new bicycle lanes on Hollister Avenue in Old Town. They also installed parking signs and wheel stops at the back-in angled parking stalls on the north side of the street. More timed parking signs are also going up.

The city has also provided a video on "how to master" the backed in parking method: https://youtu.be/yBpYQpAaNlc.

Currently parking is free at three designated public parking lots: Community West Bank (corner of Pine Avenue and Hollister Avenue), Orange Avenue Lot, and Carson Street (between Orange Avenue and Fairview Avenue).  

  A social media campaign on Instagram from Old Town Goleta businesses tells customers, they are open, even during a major roadway, bridge and roundabout construction.

It's taken years of planning, design and funding, but the need was clear for safety and to create more parking  where it became frustrating. City Councilman James Kyriaco said, "so vehicles would have to circle the block over and over  again so  it became the survival of the fittest. " He says for every curbside parking spot the angle parking creates two spots.

There's been some pushback now that four lanes of traffic have been restriped down to one lane in each direction. But Kuyriaco says, "this is slowing vehicles down which is going to slow the speeds, it's going to slow the impacts." 

A business owner who walks and drives here regularly says those who have found the new design frustrating should be patient. Fabi Heuchert owns Goleta Floral. She says, "I think we need to give it a little more time.  I think at first it was chaotic sure.  Now everyone is getting the hang of it, the signs are great and all the signs going in, I think they are really good."

The plan in an early stage is being tested hard. "Even now in the most challenging environment when we are doing the bridge work and the roundabouts and going down to one  lane, traffic is still moving and cars are still moving.   Bicycles have a place to go and cars have a place to park and it is going to work better for more people."

 A long time owner said the four lanes of traffic were better for her, and more people seeing her printing, UPS, book store  and Goleta gift business . Phebe Mansur of Copyright Printing said, "there are other solutions that would have maintained all four lanes and given bike lanes on both sides and it wouldn't cost $2.5 million dollars."

She has parking behind her business for customers but only one out front.

She also hopes employees don't hog the new parking spots. "There is no mechanism  to restrict the employees from parking in the customer spaces. which infuriates me to no end," said Mansur.

The city says it will take comments for six months to evaluate whether this new plan is working or needs to be tweeked.

Once completed, the city says, the Hollister Avenue Interim Striping Project will feature:

• One vehicle lane in each direction
• Painted median
• Dedicated bike lanes in each direction
• Back-in, angled 90-minute parking along the north side of Hollister Avenue
• Improved pavement
• New traffic signals

For more information go to: Project Connect or call 805-690-5116.