Milpas Street Crosswalk Safety and Sidewalk Widening Project welcomes public input

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - It's been 13 years since the Friday night when a speeding truck struck and killed 15 year old Sergio Romero on Milpas and Ortega Streets.

The young musician was on his way to perform at the Avocado Festival in Carpinteria.

His father Armando Romero has been keeping track of road improvements ever since and said he supports "adding more crosswalk flashers in dangerous intersections and lamps in dark areas to improve security." Romero oversees information and digital technology for News Channel 3-12 operations.

Other residents along Milpas agree with his assesment.

"It is definitely really hard to cross the street without cars stopping for you," said Morgan Venn.

That's why the city of Santa Barbara has named the stretch along Milpas a "Vision Zero Priority Corridor."

The zero stands for zero fatalities.

Supervising Transportation Planner Jessica Grant said that designation is because Milpas has the second highest number of pedestrian related collisions in the city. State Street and Gutierrez rank first in the city for pedestrian-related accidents; Cliff Drive on the Mesa ranks third worst.

The city convened a community Zoom meeting to discuss how $10 million in mostly grant money will be spent on improving crosswalks and widening sidewalks along 11 blocks of Milpas between the roundabout near Highway 101 and Canon Perdido near Santa Barbara High School.

The first step will be more lighting.

"More light will help to make more safe for people, it is going to be more safe and secure for people to cross," said Jose Luis Ponce, who dined at Los Agaves on Milpas Tuesday night.

An in-person meeting is planned at Franklin Elementary School on E. Mason St. Thursday, October 17 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Like the Zoom event, the in-person meeting will include a presentation explaining the Vision Zero Priority Corridor.

The plan calls for new curb extensions, high visibility crosswalks, additional intersection lighting, accessibility upgrades throughout the corridor, wider sidewalks at corners and transit stops, leading pedestrian signals at red light intersections, flashing beacon enhancements at non-signaled intersections, a median refuge island at one intersection, and the addition of three-foot-wide buffers to the existing bike lanes between Cota and Canon Perdido.

In addition, 13 of the 95 trees along Milpas are slated for removal, most of which are non-native Ficus trees. Those will eventually be placed in other locations. The work will coincide with a maintenance project that includes pavement grinding, overlay, and sidewalk repairs.

Transportation planner Grant said feedback and continued support from the community will help the project get completed in a timely manner.

The work is expected to begin in early 2027.

"At the end of the day it is just painted lines, and you always have to be so careful when you are crossing the street and to be very visible as well even at nighttime, with your cell phone turn on your flashlight so you have extra visibility, but the new lighting coming on Miplas, all the lights, whether you are going across Milpas or along Milpas will be well lit," Grant said.

Those seeking more information can email Milpas@SantaBarbaraCA.gov