Drivers in parts of Santa Barbara County will have to take their foot off the pedal a bit with a handful of areas to see a drop in their speed limits.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to lower speed limits in three parts of the county after staff submitted updated reviews on traffic along those streets.
The board approved the changes in a quick 3-0 vote. Supervisors Bob Nelson and Joan Hartmann were not present for the vote.
The changes will affect single streets in Carpinteria, Goleta and Santa Maria.
The first street discussed was Santa Claus Lane in the Carpinteria area, which staff recommended be changed because of the increase in pedestrian traffic in the area.
Santa Claus Lane will see a speed limit drop to 30 mph for the portion of the street starting from Padaro Lane to 1,363 feet southeast. The old speed limit for that section of the lane was 55 mph.
The speed limit for the business section of the lane will remain at 25 mph.
Gary Smart, a traffic engineer for the Public Works Department, explained that the reason for the change is the Santa Claus Lane project, which added a multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists, and parking spots.
“We did reduce it because of the pedestrian activity and the increased bicycle activity,” Smart said.
The county completed the first phase of the Santa Claus Lane project last summer. The second phase of construction includes roadway, sidewalks on the beach side of the street, and a crossing area through the railroad tracks to the beach.
Lael Wageneck, public information officer for Public Works, said a contract bid for the second phase was closed in late April. The county hopes to begin construction in the summer and finish by spring 2027.
The third phase of the project will include landscaping, roadwork, and traffic installations near the business section of Santa Claus Lane.
Smart said 25 mph is the lowest level the county can set. The limit is based on the speed of vehicles driving through an area, road conditions, car volume, collision data and other data concerning the flow of traffic.
The speed limit along San Antonio Creek Road in the Goleta Valley will be reduced by 5 mph. The current speed limit is 40 mph, but it will be lowered to 35 mph.
Smart said the county has been working with the community to make some changes to the roadway with new signage and lanes. He explained that the road has blind driveways and that parts of the road do not have a sidewalk. Pedestrians walk along the edges of the street.
The final speed limit change is for California Boulevard in the Orcutt area. The street currently has a limit of 30 mph, but the road will now be considered a residential area and given a speed limit of 25 mph.
