Drivers and pedestrians in Santa Maria are using numerous safety and accessibility improvements built during a 10-month-long citywide project that should finish this month.
The changes affect students and their routes to school, along with transit and their bus stops.
There are 74 crosswalks that received visibility improvements, including high-visibility crosswalk striping, signage, and Americans with Disability Act (ADA) pedestrian ramp improvements.
One example is the new crosswalk, new sidewalk, and new ADA curb ramp at the intersection of Miller and Oak streets, near the Santa Maria Transit Center and the Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s Souza Center.
There are about 150 new ADA curb ramp improvements citywide.
New concrete was poured for some 30,000 square feet of new sidewalks, including concrete pads for future bus stops, plus more concrete for repairs to curbs and gutters. New concrete pads were constructed for 37 existing and future bus stops.
The $2.3 million project was approved by the City Council in February 2024 and work began in April. The city contracted V. Lopez Jr. & Sons, Inc. to do the work, funded by HSIP Grant funds, Measure A Safe Routes to School Grant Funds, Measure A, Gas Tax, and SB-1 Gas Tax dollars.
Streets that received improvements include: Agnes Avenue, Alvin Road, Arriba Way, Bay Avenue, Battles Road, Baldwin Avenue, Bethel Lane, Biscayne Way, Blosser Road, Bradley Road, and Bunny.
Also, Camino Colegio, Canal Street, Carlotti Drive, Cesar E. Chavez, Church Street, College Drive, Concepcion, Condor Street, Cook Street, Crossroad Lane, Curryer Street, Dena Way, Depot Street, and Donovan Road.
East, El Medio Drive, Elaine Avenue, Enos Drive, Entrada Way, Fairway Drive, Fesler Street, Foster Road, Foxenwood Lane, Frank, Gaucho Way, Gunner, Harding Avenue, Hidden Pines Way and Inger Drive.
East Jones, Laguna, Lark Street, Las Flores, Lincoln Street, Lucas Drive, Kensington Avenue, Mariposa, Marsala Way, McCoy Lane, McElhany, Mary Street, Miller Street, Morrison Avenue, Murray Drive.
Newlove Drive, Oakwood Drive, Orchard, Palisade Drive, Pine Street, Railroad Avenue, Rancho Verde, Robert Lane, Santa Maria Way, School Street, Sierra Madre, Sonya Lane, Stokes Avenue.
Stowell Road, Sunrise Drive, Taylor, Thornburg Street, Vicki Avenue, Wallis Avenue, Wellington Drive, Western, and Windsor Street.
As one of its Smart City, Safe City tools, the Department of Public Works tracks the condition of sidewalk and ADA ramp infrastructure to assess the condition of the pedestrian network.
Based on available funds, including tax revenue from gas purchases, staff conducts assessments and develops concrete sidewalk improvement projects, the city said.
Direct questions to the Department of Public Works, Engineering Division, 805-925-0951 ext. 2225.