Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Avoid the Traffic – Take the Pacific Surfliner to Work!

Beginning April 2, 2018, the morning hours of Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner will change to better accommodate commuters in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. With the new schedule, the Pacific Surfliner will arrive in Santa Barbara at 6:47 a.m. and Goleta by 7:16 a.m. The southbound afternoon train will continue to depart at its current time, leaving Goleta at 4:25 p.m. and Santa Barbara at 4:40 p.m. To help people get to their workplace after arriving at the Santa Barbara and Goleta train stations, Santa Barbara MTD will run free shuttle buses to worksites in downtown Santa Barbara and Goleta, including Cottage Hospital locations. Anyone looking to bike to work from the train station can use the free bike lockers that will be available. Those interested in riding the train can take advantage of Santa Barbara County Association of Governments’ (SBCAG) special pricing instead of paying normal Pacific Surfliner fares. In addition, SBCAG Traffic Solutions is offering a free trial 10-ride or monthly pass throughout the month of April 2018. Get more information at www.trafficsolutions.org/Commute-by-Train.

Learn the Latest on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan

At the Tuesday, April 3, evening City Council session (6:00 p.m.) City staff and consultants will provide an update on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP) to Council. The following evening the City is holding a community workshop for the BPMP: April 4 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue). The workshop will review and allow for input on draft versions of chapters 1 – 4 of the plan (including an introduction to the project, existing conditions and analysis, public outreach and recommendations). There will also be a list of recommended policies and improvements for attendees to provide feedback on. Read chapters 1-3 before the meeting here, chapter 4 is coming soon.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is the future of biking and walking in Goleta. It aims to expand and improve the pedestrian and bicycle network in the City of Goleta making it easier to walk and bike around town. The BPMP also promotes public health by encouraging people to walk and bike, reduces automobile usage and fuel consumption, and promotes transportation equity. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/GoletaBPMP.

Provide Input on the Old Town Sidewalks Project

There’s lots happening in Old Town. If you live, work or visit the area, please come to our Old Town Sidewalks project meeting on March 22 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue). Attendees will be able to look at images of the proposed changes of each street, block by block, and provide input on design considerations for trees, stormwater, parking and lighting. Information will also be provided on what private property owners should expect in the upcoming right-of-way process.

The Old Town Sidewalks project will improve the way pedestrians get around parts of Old Town by providing a network of sidewalks on at least one side of neighborhood streets north of Hollister Avenue between South Fairview and Kinman Avenues as well as along Pine Avenue south of Hollister Avenue. The project also includes storm water drainage improvements and 42 angled parking spaces on the east side of Magnolia Avenue between Mandarin Drive and the railroad tracks. For more information, visit the project page at www.cityofgoleta.org/projects-programs/pedestrian-improvements/old-town-sidewalk-infill-project.

City of Goleta Celebrates Arbor Week March 7-14

Join the City in observing Arbor Week, a celebration of trees! Plant a tree in your yard and join us for a ceremonial tree planting on March 12 at 9:30 a.m. at Stow Grove Park (580 N. La Patera Lane). Trees are an important resource: they beautify communities, help conserve energy, improve air quality, protect water resources, provide habitat and are a source of joy and relaxation. The City of Goleta loves trees – we have almost 6,500 and 160 different species. There is also a Public Tree Advisory Commission made up of citizens like you who help implement the Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP), the City’s master plan for public trees.

As part of our planned tree maintenance, the City is split into five districts for grid pruning. Grid pruning is done to prevent branches and foliage from interfering with safe public passage. Branches are trimmed to 10 feet above sidewalk/pedestrian walkways and 14 feet above roadways. (Exceptions are allowed for young trees.) Trees are also inspected for dead or broken branches. The City aims to prune two districts per year so trees are trimmed at least every three years, budget permitting.

For more information, contact Andrea Moreno, Public Works Administrative Assistant, at (805) 968-6843 or amoreno@cityofgoleta.org.  

Hollister Avenue HAWK Crosswalk Project – Award Winner!

We are excited to share that the City’s Hollister Avenue HAWK Crosswalk Project was selected as Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (APWA) California Central Coast Chapter! This was in the category of Transportation Project under $2 million. The project upgraded the existing midblock crosswalk on Hollister Avenue at the Goleta Valley Community Center by installing a High Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) system in order to increase the safety of pedestrians crossing the street. The new HAWK system replaced the existing yellow flashing beacons, installed additional roadway lighting, relocated the crosswalk approximately 100 feet to the east, and installed pavement striping and signage.

The pedestrian-activated HAWK system installation is the first of its kind on the South Coast. The HAWK system crosswalk has significantly improved the pedestrian crossing in an area heavily used by seniors and children. It links the residential neighborhood to the north of Hollister Avenue with the Goleta Valley Community Center, Boys & Girls Club of Goleta, and Rainbow and Head Start pre-schools located on the south side of Hollister Avenue. This project was completed with the help of ISL Engineering (Design Firm), Lee Wilson Electric Company, Inc. (Construction Firm) and MNS Engineers (Construction Management).

Goleta Ranked One of California’s Safest Cities

Did you hear? Goleta yet again ranked as one of the safest cities in California! This time from the National Council for Home Safety and Security, making it the eighth time Goleta has earned such honors from a variety of sources since 2013. Goleta ranked #53, coming in well below the average in California for property crime and violent crime. To generate city scores and rankings, the National Council for Home Safety and Security reviewed the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics along with their own population data and research. View all the California cities to make the National Council for Home Safety and Security’s safest city list here: www.alarms.org/safest-cities-in-california-2018/. 

Get Familiar with Santa Barbara County’s New Storm Process

We wanted to make sure you were aware of the new storm evacuation terms, 72-hour storm evacuation timeline, and interactive map for Santa Barbara County recently released by County and emergency officials. SB County Sheriff’s deputies distributed Storm Readiness Evacuation Information Booklets with this information and more, around the streets of Montecito and Carpinteria. The booklets are available throughout the community. More information on storm preparedness can be found at readysbc.org.

  • Evacuation Terms: No longer is it a mandatory or voluntary evacuation. The new terminology was created to provide more clarity to residents in the event evacuations are necessary due to an approaching storm. The three new evacuation terms are: Pre-Evacuation Advisory, Recommended Evacuation Warning and Mandatory Evacuation Order. Find the definitions at readysbc.org under “Storm Readiness”.
  • Evacuation Timeline: The 72-hour storm evacuation timeline outlines when the Sheriff’s Office will issue the first pre-evacuation advisory, the recommended evacuation warning, and the mandatory evacuation order for residents in extreme and high-risk areas.
  • Interactive map: With the interactive map, residents can enter their address and determine if they are located in extreme or high-risk areas. The map can be accessed at ReadySBC.org/stormreadymap.

City of Goleta Receives Highest Form of Recognition in Government Budgeting

We are pleased to share that the City of Goleta received its first Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s two year budget plan, fiscal years 2017/18 and 2018/19. The Finance Department put together a comprehensive budget plan to increase transparency and more clearly show how money comes into the City and how it is spent. In previous years the Finance Department has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the GFOA for the City’s Annual Financial Report. The City of Goleta’s 2017/18 and 2018/19 budget is available here. For a summary, please read the Budget in Brief. More information on the Government Finance Offers Association and the award is available at www.gfoa.org.

Please Join us for our Community State of the City

The second annual community State of the City is Tuesday, April 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue). This event is free and open to the public. Spanish translation will be available. Hear from Mayor Paula Perotte and City Manager Michelle Greene on topics important to you and ask questions of the City. If you are unable to attend, the event will be rebroadcast on Goleta TV (channel 19/104.148) and will also be posted on the City’s website at www.cityofgoleta.org.  A broadcast schedule will be available after the event. 

Complete Streets Community Meeting

Don’t Miss Our Upcoming Hollister Complete Streets Workshops

We want your input on our Hollister Avenue Complete Streets Corridor Plan. Please attend our community workshop on March 13 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue) or our workshop for Old Town business owners and employees on March 14 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. also at the Goleta Valley Community Center.

Attendees at both meetings will see three concept alternatives for what Hollister Avenue could look like. Should Hollister Avenue be reduced from two lanes to one in each direction? What should the bike lanes look like? Do you prefer parallel or diagonal parking on Hollister Avenue?

We will be gathering feedback from attendees on the different options to see which one people like best. The Hollister Complete Streets project will enhance safety, access and mobility for all users (pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders) on Hollister Avenue between Fairview Avenue and State Route 217. For those unable to attend, please take our survey in English or our survey in Spanish, which lets you rank the three concept alternatives for Hollister Avenue and provide comments. For more information on the project please visit www.goletacompletestreets.com.