New Pedestrian-Way Begins for Las Positas Road

Go Slow: Stretch Between Modoc and the Beach Under Construction.

The city's new project to connect Modoc Road to the beach along Las Positas Road will continue through October. | Credit: Courtesy

A collection of construction equipment gathered at Las Positas Road marks the starting point of the city’s new Multiuse Pathway Project. This portion of a larger project that includes Modoc Road will add a new multi-use walk- and bikeway to the west side of Las Positas between the beach beyond Cliff Drive up to the lights at Modoc Road. A sidewalk from Modoc to Meadows Lane will occupy a stretch of the east side. The painted bicycle lane will continue in both directions, but initially, the portion of the existing northbound bike lane above the roundabout will be removed.

For the first few months of construction, bicycles, cars, and trucks will have to share Las Positas just after the Cliff Drive turn. Road speeds are reduced to 35 mph through the traffic zone, vehicles are asked to watch out for bicyclists, and traffic will be shifted to give crews room to work safely.

The new pedestrian pathway being paved along Las Positas Road will take out the northbound bike lane for a time during construction. Credit: Courtesy

The 2.6 mile-long path will connect San Roque and the Westside to beach areas from Hope Ranch to the Mesa, part of the city’s Vision Zero project for safe separation between bicyclists, runners, pedestrians, and cars. While only paint will separate bicycles and cars, the pedestrian-way will have a more solid barrier and is intended for use by foot traffic and casual cyclists.

The Modoc Road portion of the project includes a pedestrian-way on the south side of the road. Ultimately, the city hopes to connect to the Coast Bike Route, which stretches from the waterfront to Goleta Beach.

The Las Positas-Modoc work is expected to continue through October at a cost of about $18 million, coming from Active Transportation Program grants and Measure C.

Correction: This story was corrected to state the multi-use path is on the west, not east, side of Las Positas, and adds information about a short sidewalk.

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