The county is updating its bike maps, and it’s asking for the public’s help.

The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments is developing a new online map that will display the county’s bike and walking paths’ comfort levels based on input from residents.

The project is known as the AI Bike Map and Wayfinding Project, which trains artificial intelligence (AI) using data from OpenStreetMap.org and Google Street View to rank bike routes alongside human input.

The project was funded by a $480,000 grant from Caltrans and $62,189 from local sources. The agency is also partnering with UC Santa Barbara and the geography department at Simon Fraser University to complete the map.

Peter Williamson, a transportation manager for SBCAG, said updating the bike path map is one of the most requested items for the agency.

The last time the map was updated was in 2013.

Williamson said that in developing the new map, he wanted to use a different ranking system than other versions use. The state uses four different classes to rank bike paths based on their proximity to vehicles, the street layout, location, and other factors.

Instead of classes, Williamson said he wanted to focus on comfort and on input from the people who use these paths every day.

“I was like, ‘If we’re going to do this, let’s do comfort levels. That makes sense.’ A high comfort, medium comfort, and low comfort, for example,” Williamson said.

Under the new system, a high comfort level path includes paved paths and bike lanes with physical protection.

A medium level has buffered bike lanes, traffic-calming features, speeds under 25 mph, bike route wayfinding signs, and fewer than 1,500 cars using the path daily.

A low comfort path would include bike lanes without buffers, connecting route with shoulder, bike route designation, low speeds and low car volumes.

The map will also include streets that have low speeds and car volumes, but nothing to protect bicyclists. Non-conforming routes are gravel trails that do not have any of the features other levels have.

Williamson said even though the AI program helps with the draft version, the agency wants to make sure that the map ultimately fits the experience of people using the routes.

“It’s the familiarity with an area,” Williamson said. “If someone is walking (or) biking in their community, they’re very familiar with a traffic-calming feature or a feature that’s designed to slow traffic down.”

The public can help refine the map by providing input on the routes where they live or regularly use. Users can pin a comment on specific paths to include notes on signs, the surrounding area, and traffic to help determine the proper comfort level.

They can also add a screenshot of a specific path or leave a comment for others. Williamson added that comments may even provide useful information on how to improve the street in the future.

He added that residents could help by identifying areas with wide shoulders or traffic-calming features like bulb-outs.

Once completed, the map will be able to tell users if a route is through a residential neighborhood, if a bike path is painted, and what kind of road signs are in the area.

In the future, SBCAG may add other elements like elevation to warn the public if an area has a hill or steep slope.

Even though the map covers the entire county, Williamson said areas like Santa Barbara will have more information since they have more paths and areas for the public to travel.

The final day for residents to comment on the draft is Aug. 14. SBCAG plans to finalize the map by June 2027 and will release the completed map around August 2027.

In addition to the online map, SBCAG will also provide a printed version for the public.

“Ideally, what we have set up is a small run of print because the idea is we will be able to update the map every couple of years,” Williamson said.

The draft version of the map can be found by clicking here. To add a comment, click on the link on the sidebar that says “pin a comment.”

The user will then be asked to type in an address or click an area on the map. The next page will direct the user to choose a label, write their comment, and add an image if they want.

Users can also click on different dots or lines on the map to see the available information for the area and what is missing. The dots and lines are color-coordinated to label the comfort of the path and how much data is available.