Santa Barbara City holds in-person Vision Zero Project meeting for community

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - Santa Barbara Public Works held an in-person meeting for community feedback on the Vision Zero Project for Cliff Drive.

The meeting was held at the La Mesa Park to further discuss the proposal to prioritize the Cliff Drive corridors safety.

Improvement on the safety of the Cliff Drive corridors has been a major concern among community members for the past eight years.

The community has expressed that safety and mobility are their number one priority.

“What we continue to hear from the community is that this needs to be part of the local fabric for local streets look and feel,”  said Jessica Grant, the interim manager for Public Works Downtown.

Additional crosswalks, traffic signals and bike lanes are amongst these requests.

Some residents are concerned with the diversion of the traffic into their neighborhoods, but are happy to support the project.

A Santa Barbara resident, Arlene Westefer, shared with KEYT that she likes the idea of having bicyclists and pedestrians sharing the roads and traffic slowing.

Cliff Drive is a fast moving street, and organizers say the enhancements along this road aim to separate pedestrians and cyclists from the fast pace traffic.

A session was held online and the community was able to watch the presentation and submit questions and comments.

This project will also benefit elementary school parents that bike with their kids to school.

"You know it'll be a game changer for all the three elementary schools that this project will influence,” said local resident Vanessa Rancher.

The city lost out on a grant last year, but an effort is underway to apply for another one that could lead to 25 million dollars in funding.

If approved, the work could start in the fall and be completed within the next five years.