State Street Meeting

Having sat through the meeting to talk about the future of State Street, it was obvious that the consultant was not presenting their plan but simply submitting versions of what multiple interest groups wanted to see. This resulted in three submissions that no one agreed with and would likely be way beyond the funds the city has for the project.

It might be best to regroup and agree on what needs to be done and the best way to go about it. In my opinion the starting point should be to return State Street to what it was and address the sidewalk areas with whatever landscaping and improvements it takes to make State Street a must-see attraction for residents and tourists alike. Equally important would be securing the funds to keep it that way. This means two-way traffic along with electric busses and, of course, the many parades and special events that make Santa Barbara so special.

Once that plan is in place we could consider how a modest bike lane might be included as well as how we might accommodate outdoor dining by restaurants. The imperative for restaurant dining should be attractive settings that add to the beauty of State Street not what we have today. By approaching it this way we should be able to get something done to revive State Street with time later to consider the benefit of adding space for bikes and dinning.