The days of parking anywhere in Isla Vista without consequences soon will end as residents could start getting ticketed for illegal parking practices by April.
While Isla Vista has gone years with little to no parking enforcement, that is all set to change with the Isla Vista Community Services District’s new parking compliance program. The IVCSD Board of Directors discussed how the program will work at the Oct. 25 board meeting.
Jonathan Abboud, general manager of the IVCSD, said blocked driveways, sidewalks and curbs create an unsafe environment for pedestrian, cyclists and drivers.
“We’re trying to change the behavior because right now there’s no consequences for parking illegally in Isla Vista,” Abboud said. “It’s free to do so, and we’re trying to change the calculus of that.”
Last month, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors gave IVCSD the authority to enforce existing parking regulations and loaned the district $300,000 to help get the program off the ground.
IVCSD is also contributing $300,000 from its own reserves for the program.
Before zero-tolerance enforcement starts in April, IVCSD is focusing on hiring enforcement staff, purchasing equipment and finalizing ticket fees. Abboud said they will write some tickets before April to test the program.
“Especially if we see something extremely egregious and we have the power and ability to, we can be called on to write that ticket,” Abboud said.
The goal is to hire three to five people dedicated to parking compliance, one full-time program manager, and two to four part-time parking ambassadors who will focus on writing tickets, educating residents and report other alternative transportation issues such as uneven or blocked sidewalks.
The cost of labor alone is expected to be $135,000 a year, according to Abboud.
Officers will be prioritizing health and safety issues by ticketing vehicles that block red curbs, driveways, sidewalks, bike lanes, bus stops, trash cans and disabled zones.
As a secondary focus, officers will ticket abandoned cars and enforce compliance in parking lots.
Sue Dixon, an Isla Vista resident of 40 years, said she’s “thrilled” to see Isla Vista’s parking issues addressed and hopes to see improved safety, especially for older residents with disabilities.
“I personally have a lot of trouble with my driveway,” Dixon said. “I don’t feel safe pulling out because cars are parked so close in on it that I can’t see what’s coming.”
The California Highway Patrol is currently in charge of enforcing parking but doesn’t have the resources to fully address the amount of congestion and parking violations in Isla Vista. The Isla Vista Foot Patrol previously had a parking enforcement officer who ended up being reassigned to work in the county jail during the COVID-19 pandemic.
IVCSD also plans to launch an educational campaign to inform residents about parking enforcement, discourage new residents from bringing a vehicle to Isla Vista and inform residents about alternative transportation options.
Myah Mashhadialireza, IVCSD’s community programs and engagement director, unveiled plans to introduce a parking compliance mascot, Tina the toad, to help share information about parking in a fun and engaging way.
“Tina is a toad who’s sick of hopping around looking for parking in Isla Vista,” Mashhadialireza said. “She cares about the safety of Isla Vista and wants you to totally care, too. She’s there to inform you about local parking laws to avoid ribbiting fines or getting towed. Ideally, she hopes everybody takes the leap to sustainable transportation instead.”
To help reduce the need for residents to have a vehicle, the IVCSD partnered with the Isla Vista Food Co-op earlier this year to give free co-op memberships to residents living on streets with highly congested vehicle parking.
Additionally, in May, MTD launched the Wave, a microtransit service that takes residents to places around UCSB, Isla Vista and shopping centers in Goleta.
