“The 101 is almost done.”
As the sun broke through the coastal clouds on Friday afternoon, this motto stirred excitement among the crowd. Perched atop Ortega Hill with sweeping views of Highway 101 and the Pacific Ocean, elected officials and transportation partners gathered to cut a ceremonial ribbon and celebrate the completion of the Padaro and Summerland segments of the Highway 101 widening project.
Seven miles of new carpool lanes north- and southbound, six new bridges increasing water flow, 16 rebuilt on- and off-ramps, and six new sound walls will now provide remedies to traffic congestion between Carpinteria and Summerland. This corridor, which originally featured two lanes per direction, also incorporates a new Blue Star Memorial Highway honoring World War I veterans as well as a new Santa Claus Lane bikeway.
Marjie Kirn, the executive director for the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), spoke of the collaboration that went into transportation improvements. They require strong partnerships between local, state, and federal leaders, all working together for the Central Coast community, she said.
Conversations for improvements in the transportation sector started here within the community. In 2008, Measure A, a transportation measure, was approved by 79 percent of Santa Barbara voters. Then, in 2017, California State Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) was passed, increasing transportation funding. The two pieces of legislation work in tandem to fund the Highway 101 project — something not always achievable in government, as both Congressmember Salud Carbajal and California State Senator Monique Limón pointed out in their remarks.
Rep. Carbajal noted that this competition is a “big deal” and thanked the citizens of the Central Coast for being so patient. He was proud to share that while this project has been underway, 7,400 jobs have been created.
The county’s 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps was in attendance and said the government is here to provide citizens with safe ways to commute and go about their lives — and this is what this project has done.
With 15,000 people commuting each day along the Padaro and Summerland segments, local officials have already seen improvements on the rebuilt highway. Scott Eades, District 5 Caltrans director, said that early visions of this project were to just build lanes. But with collaboration at the center of this project, they were able to accomplish more. The new carpool lanes improved the route for the Ventura County Transportation Commission’s Coastal Express fleet and its five new electric buses. For landscaping, the project team will plant 108 new oak trees. Even residents who rely on walking or biking benefit from the project’s completion, which now closes gaps in pedestrian and bike corridors while improving access to the coast.
In the continuing improvements arriving in Santa Barbara County, efforts are currently on track for an additional commuter rail time this fall.
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