Sola Bike Lane Gets Community Support at Council
Neighbors Back Micheltorena’s Alternative; Next Meeting March 15
Two Anacapa School junior high school students, former school board member and longtime community activist Lanny Ebenstein, and a neighborhood resident asked the Santa Barbara City Council to reconsider its 5-2 vote last week to support east-west bike lanes along Micheltorena Street from Castillo to State streets. They cited the adverse impact the loss of 100 parking spaces would have on the neighborhood and recommended Sola Street — which is wider, has less traffic volume, and would not require the removal of on-street parking — as a better alternative. They also cited design features of the Micheltorena Street proposal that were sprung on the council and the public just before last week’s meeting. These changes, they argued, would subject the bike lanes to environmental review requirements and make them far more expensive than the Sola alternative. Councilmembers and bicycle advocates supported the Micheltorena plan over its alternative largely on the belief it would be considerably cheaper. The council is scheduled to revisit the matter on March 15.
