Open Letter to Santa Barbara City Council:
As a property owner and member of the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA), I am deeply concerned about State Street’s persistent decline, with sales taxes, lease rates, parking revenues, property values, and visitor numbers falling short compared to other city areas. Formed to represent downtown stakeholders, the Improvement Association has gathered data exposing a grim economic reality. Our resolute position is that State Street must balance all interests by restoring car access immediately. This stance will gain momentum as frustration mounts over the delayed State Street Master Plan and the City Council’s lack of urgency. The five-year promenade experiment has proven unsuccessful, and continued inaction is causing enduring damage to our retail businesses and property owners.
A recent research study by Magid, the world’s largest research-based strategy consulting company, reported that 56 percent of the residents of Santa Barbara supported returning State Street to its pre-COVID status while the Master Plan is being finalized, while only 19 percent opposed doing so.
Compelling evidence from recent studies supports our call to restore car traffic to State Street, as vehicle flow is proven to boost retail visibility and sales. A 2023 AlphaMap report notes that high car traffic counts directly increase foot traffic and sales potential, making such locations highly desirable for retailers. Similarly, a 2022 PREDIK Data-Driven study emphasizes that stores in high car traffic areas, like busy urban streets, see greater customer visits due to enhanced visibility and accessibility. Echo Analytics’ 2024 report reinforces this, showing that high-traffic locations drive spontaneous walk-ins, with physical stores gaining a 6.9 percent sales boost, including online, from increased exposure. Finally, a 2021 Urban Science study on automotive retail highlights how car traffic data identifies high-visibility sites, resulting in more customer visits and sales. These findings align with the downtown Improvement Association’s data, confirming that reopening State Street to cars would revitalize retail by restoring visibility and foot traffic.
The promenade’s economic toll is undeniable. Businesses are fleeing downtown at an alarming rate, and new retailers are choosing locations outside the core, citing the street closure as a deterrent. This was the case with Athleta in our building and now we have Sephora at a much lower rate. The city’s Draft Economic Development Plan, referenced in a July 2024 Santa Barbara Independent article, highlights high commercial vacancy rates and rents that have steadily declined due to low demand, driven by the promenade’s impact on accessibility. The 2019 Kosmont study, also cited in the Independent, identified an oversupply of 400,000–500,000 square feet of retail space downtown, unsustainable without increased customer access — access hindered by the lack of car traffic.
Based on the current remarks on all social media and websites, there is a roughly three to one view that cars should be allowed back on State Street. That sentiment has flipped since the start of the lockdowns when most were in favor of keeping the street closed. So you are to be congratulated for closing the street but now it is time to reopen the street and to work in concert with the downtown Improvement Association to bring the street up to a level that will support retail, restaurants, and commercial spaces.
Restoring vehicular access to State Street offers the fastest, most economical, and broadly endorsed solution. It meets the urgent needs of businesses grappling with rent payments and reflects the strong agreement among downtown stakeholders. While the promenade’s concept has merit, it requires time and funding the city lacks, stranding retailers and property owners. The cited studies, combined with the Improvement Association’s data, clearly demonstrate that car traffic is vital for retail success, and the ongoing closure is stifling State Street’s potential.
I urgently call on the City Council to take swift action to reopen State Street, revitalizing its status as Santa Barbara’s economic and cultural cornerstone. Continued delays will worsen the harm, complicating recovery efforts. Let us embrace practicality over idealism and implement the solution our community clearly supports.
Ron Robertson Jr. is the managing member of the Balboa Building.
