The Santa Barbara City Council on Tuesday will consider making several changes to State Street, including reopening three more blocks to one-way traffic.

The city staff has proposed a “short-term action plan” that features opening the 1000 to 1300 blocks one-way away from the ocean. The plan also includes reducing or eliminating non-tree landscaping on the 1000 and 1200 blocks to allow for additional dining space.

To help businesses, other plans include installing sidewalk extenders along the 500 block and relocate all outdoor dining equipment so that it is adjacent to storefronts, and remove other structures from the right-of-way.

In addition, the city wants to pilot a golf cart transportation program on State Street to and from city parking lot areas. The city wants to “analyze regulatory changes to reduce the barrier of entry” for pedicab operators.

Also on the table for a vote is implementing a pilot program on one to two blocks to create physical separation between bicycle and pedestrian spaces.

Led by City Administrator Kelly McAdoo, the city has proposed dozens of short-term changes before completion of the State Street Master Plan.

“I just think we ought to open it up and not spend a bunch of time inventing, restriping and engineering temporary pieces of the puzzle,” Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse said. “On the other hand, I have to give kudos to our city administrator for trying to break this log jam.”

Rowse said there may be momentum to make a change.

“I think everyone is a little bit closer to making a change because everyone is sick of nothing going on,” Rowse said.

The City of Santa Barbara four years ago voted to abruptly close nine blocks of State Street during the COVID-19 pandemic. The area is still closed to vehicles. The city for the past three years has been working on a State Street Master Plan. The document is expected to be released to the public in about six months.

State Street is busy with people riding bicycles in the middle of the street and most pedestrians on the sidewalk. Many activists want to keep the street closed to vehicles, but Rowse and some property owners have called for the street to be reopened. They say that restaurants have benefitted, but retail shops have suffered.

“It’s a situation that has not improved,” Rowse said. “It’s a situation that doesn’t make any sense.”

Santa Barbara City Councilman Eric Friedman said it’s time to make some changes.

“It’s no secret that State Street has stagnated and the current conditions have divided our community,” Friedman said. “We can no longer take a wait-and-see approach to hopefully lead us to an inclusive and vibrant downtown experience. It is time to act and bring our community together.”

Friedman noted that he suggested a similar plan at a council meeting a year ago. He said the short-term action plan is a good idea.

“Specifically, the change to a manageable closure of approximately four blocks rather than the current nine was central to what I proposed,” Friedman said. “At that time, I interviewed nearly 40 businesses on State Street and the surrounding streets to gain an understanding of what was working and what changes would be beneficial.”

Friedman said that based on interviews and research, four blocks is about “the maximum length” for a street closure. He said he reached out to officials in Boulder, Colorado, to learn about Pearl Street to see how the pedestrian outdoor mall works.

“The plan under consideration also allows for flexibility to try new ideas and strategies as pilot programs, such as temporary sidewalk extenders and one-way vehicle circulation north of Carrillo,” Friedman said. “This will enable us to evaluate how they work in reality prior to a potential expensive long-term investment.”

Friedman said State Street is the heart of the city.

“I fully intended for Tuesday to be a night of action where we leave the talk and arguing behind and move us toward a brighter future,” Friedman said.

The City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Santa Barbara City Hall, 735 Anacapa St. For information on how to watch the meeting, click here.