Construction on a new multi-use coastal bike path connecting Santa Claus Lane to Carpinteria will begin in 2022, closing the gap on the California Coastal Trail and giving bicyclists better access to the coast.
“The Santa Claus Lane bike path is a project that has a pretty long history in the county and Carpinteria to provide a connection from Carpinteria to Santa Claus Lane more directly,” Fred Luna, Santa Barbara County Association of Governments’ director of project delivery and construction, told Noozhawk.
“Right now, if people from Carpinteria want to take their bikes and go to the beach, they have to go over the freeway at Santa Ynez Road and go to Via Real. This project provides a more direct connection.”
The project is a Class 1 bikeway that will fill a gap in the California Coastal Trail between Sand Point Road and Carpinteria Avenue, enabling bicyclists to travel between Santa Claus Lane and Carpinteria.
The bike path goes from Estero Road in Carpinteria, hits west along what will be a newly-constructed off-ramp that is being built as part of the Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara Project, and will continue adjacent to Highway 101, Luna said.
The path will connect the west side of Santa Claus Lane to Sand Point Road, and there will be a new connection for pedestrians and bikes to improve safety, Luna added.
There will be a separated safety barrier at the same level as the highway, and bicyclists will get to enjoy the view over the Carpinteria marsh, Luna said.
“People feel better when they have a separated bike path and a path that protects them and keeps them off the road,” Lauren Bianchi Klemann, SBCAG’s public information manager, told Noozhawk. “There’s always been this multi-modal mindset of how we can create opportunities for the public to use various forms of transportation.”
The project is avoiding impacts to any kind of sensitive habitat in the area, and it is located entirely within the state right-of-way to avoid any railroad issues, Luna added.
The project was approved by the California Transportation Commission in 2018, and since that point, SBCAG, CalTrans, and Granite Construction have been moving quickly to get the project delivered, Luna said.
The entire project cost $7 million and was funded using Senate Bill 1 funding, according to Luna.
“It looks like we’ll be starting construction in fall 2022, really setting up the project to sign with the Highway 101 work in that area to make it as efficient as possible,” Luna said.
Luna said he anticipates construction to take up to 15 months, and the new bike path to be complete in early 2024.
“The project is fully funded and we’re anticipating smooth sailing from here on out,” he added.
Santa Barbara County is also working on the Santa Claus Lane Streetscape project, which puts an additional focus on pedestrian, bike, and coastal improvements along Santa Claus Lane.
The project includes a new bike path from Sand Point Road to Padaro Lane, a roundabout at the east end of Santa Claus Lane, a new legal crossing for beach access, and enhanced parking along Santa Claus Lane, according to Chris Doolittle, a transportation engineer for the county’s Public Works Department.
The project is being moved up a little forward to coincide with the Santa Claus Lane bike path project and Highway 101 project’s onramp reconstruction, Doolittle told Noozhawk.
“The Santa Claus Lane bike path comes into our project area on Santa Claus Lane, so we’re basically connecting that portion and using the multi-use path to continue the bike corridor into that section,” he added.
The path will connect the facilities used in the Padaro Lane undercrossing to Via Real, allowing bicyclists to shortcut a lot of the process and then travel along Via Real, Doolittle said.
“That little section on Via Real is pretty heavy on truck traffic,” Doolittle said. “This gives them a safer and more beautiful path to travel along, allowing them to make the choice to continue along Padaro Lane and have that more relaxed experience or continue west onto Via Real.”
The streetscape project includes a 12.5-foot-wide multi-use path along the mountainside of Santa Claus Lane, he added.
A big component for residents is access to the beach, and the streetscape project creates a safe place for pedestrians to have that access, Doolittle added. There will be fencing added to both sides of the railroad tracks to ensure safe and protective crossing, Doolittle said.
Aside from the bike path and improved pedestrian access, the project will add angled parking along the corridor, specifically connecting the beach area into the business district and Padaro Lane to the ocean-side.
Doolittle said he anticipates construction to begin in the summer of 2023, and expects construction to last about two years.
— Noozhawk staff writer Jade Martinez-Pogue can be reached at jmartinez-pogue@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.