An open letter below to the Santa Barbara mayor, City Council and city officials from Cars Are Basic Inc., which has been involved in the Bicycle Master Plan and found both the procedure and conclusions to be lacking.

26 July 2016

Mayor and Council
City Administrator
City Attorney
City of Santa Barbara

Re: Consent Item 4: Adoption Of The 2016 Santa Barbara Bicycle Master Plan (670.04)

Cars Are Basic has reviewed the Staff Report and most current version of the Bicycle Master Plan as included for this agenda item.  CAB finds the BMP to be deficient and lacking in detail.

As we have commented over the past 6 months, when the City includes projects, proposed costs, and then does not detail the projects except with generalizations, CAB can only conclude it is a cover-up or badly done planning to obtain grant funding.

The Bicycle Master Plan alludes to extension of the bike lanes and narrowing of Cabrillo Blvd., State Street from Constance to 5 Points, Meigs Road and Cliff Drive Roundabout associated with the removal of traffic lanes for bike lanes, and more projects without any engineering plans and only cursory nod to costs. (e.g, Constance to 5 Points – $8.0 Million with no detailed project description, only describing it as street stripping.  The last time the City of Santa Barbara painted its Class II bike lane it cost $14,000.00.  Even with inflation it should not cost $8.0 million.  The extent of this  specific project within the BMP was only made clear with a little noticed comment by TCC Commissioner Green in open TCC meeting thanking Project Head – Peter Brown – for detailing the multiple roundabouts intended to be put on State Street to make up for the “congestion” the “taking of a full lane of traffic” off of part or all of this distance.)  It is clear the Public could not understand the full impacts and extent of the BMP with the way it has been presented in Planning Commission and Council Session.

It was only by going through much of the “plan” that CAB was able to come up with over $51.0 Million cost to the taxpayers.  By forcing that disclosure in open Council Session, only then did Staff (Dayton & Brown) acknowledge the projected costs.  Up until the Micheltorena Street fight there was no indication by Brown or Dayton that there would be intersection changes and possible sidewalk changes where a CEQA demanded EIR would have to be done.  In fact it was presented as a paint stripe change on the street.   It was only made clear to the Public and residents/owners on Micheltorena “after” the City was threatened with a CEQA based lawsuit by an attorney firm hired to represent them.  With this one disclosure, both the intent to minimize and cover up the disruption to the streets, and costs to the taxpayer, was disclosed.

Clearly the City of Santa Barbara has not done a sufficient job in preparation of this “Bicycle Master Plan” and the circulation impacts of taking full lanes of traffic off of key arterial streets, (delays in auto travel, increase air pollution due to congested streets, and noise pollution by backed-up traffic).  The City comments on the loss of parking places, but neglects to notify the public of both the inconvenience of having to find alternative parking places and cost.  In the plan on the web page Staff talks about finding almost the same number of parking places that are to be lost.  Careful analysis of the “found” parking is mainly removing red painted curbs that were put in place to facilitate “safe” traffic flow at intersections or make entrance or exit from driveways “safe” by allowing curb parking setbacks that gives room to both see and navigate entrance and exits.

The City of Santa Barbara spent approximately $15 Million for the Cacique St. Underpass to give the residents of the East Side “safe” access to the beach side of the freeway.  The reason for the underpass was to stop the serious and ongoing Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents as a direct result of the roundabout placement at Milpas and Carpinteria Streets (*disclosed by numerous Public Record Requests supplied by the City).  In addition, the Hot Springs Roundabout increased the accidents and made bicycle travel through that intersection extremely dangerous.  This was brought out in the “Joint Montecito Planning Commission and Santa Barbara Planning Commission Meeting” of 2016.  The Montecito PC made it absolutely clear it was not happy with the Hot Springs Roundabout or the City’s plans for future roundabouts in or around Montecito.

How is it possible for Staff to make the statements that there are a minimum of 3 over-freeway pedestrian / bike paths and then state they do not serve the West Side community for access to businesses and work in downtown?  These over-freeway pedestrian / bike paths were demanded by the Bicycle Coalition when they objected to the development of these bridges to handle both vehicle, pedestrian, and bike use.  Ralph Fertig and Alex Pujo were at two planning input meetings where CAB attended.  CAB requested these bridges be expanded to give broad transportation options to the public.  Both Fertig and Pujo objected in the strongest terms.

Given the above local results (*PRA Figures) and the Federal DOT comments (**Pedestrian-bike handbook) about the dangers of Roundabouts and Bike travel CAB questions the statement in the Bicycle Master Plan that roundabouts are safe for bike travel.  Peter Brown states latest information makes bikes and car intermingling safe.  CAB comment is, when did this sudden revelation take place?

The actual construction of the projects in the plan have not been adequately addressed, and this requires additional Environmental Review.  In addition, we have provided substantial evidence above regarding the unsafe nature of roundabouts, contrary to the appendix to the BMP.  Based upon both of these issues we request an EIR.  Without a “Comprehensive Environmental Report” detailing impacts of construction projects, the carbon costs of this “Restructuring” the streets, the increased adverse air quality by delaying car travel, the supposed air quality gains by bike numbers, the cost to the community of “cut through traffic” that will be the obvious outcome of street narrowing, unsafe nature of roundabouts, and more, this plan needs to be stopped until the above mentioned “Comprehensive EIR” is presented to the community for review and comments.

On behalf of the Board,

Scott Wenz, president
​Cars Are Basic

* Public Records Act disclosures City of Santa Barbara – Milpas and Carpinteria intersection

** DOT pedestrian handbook and design guidelines emphasis on micro roundabouts and locations