Downtown Santa Barbara is Changing – But What Will Be The Future Look of State Street?

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - After a roughly three-year process, the document that could reshape downtown Santa Barbara on the State Street corridor has been prepared.

At 153 pages along with many drawings, simulated pictures, and input from the community – the Create State - State Street Draft Master Plan is now in the hands of the Santa Barbara City Council.

It covers the entire downtown area from Gutierrez Street to Sola Street.

The project in part calls for a community-focused balance between pedestrian and vehicle access, including narrow travel lanes and a suggested speed for any type of vehicle of 20 miles per hour or less. The main road users will be transit, service vehicles, cyclists and emergency responders.

It does not clearly call for cars to return to State Street for normal commuter patterns or to see the storefronts while driving by. The main corridors remain the cross streets along with Chapala St. and Anacapa St.

The sidewalks would be extended out creating more room for dining tables, outside retail and pedestrians along with some vending carts.

Analysts say to make these changes would cost the city millions of dollars per block.

The city currently has a financial deficit of about $4-million.

A city council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:00 pm. After the staff presentation, the council will ask questions and take public comments in person and the phone.

The council will then decide if it wants to advance the plan or have changes made before any future steps take place.

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