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GOLETA, CA, March 2, 2026 – The long-anticipated roundabouts on Hollister Avenue and HWY 217 are now open! The roundabouts, part of Project Connect construction, provide more continuous and improved movement through the busy Hollister Avenue and HWY 217 corridor.
While roundabouts significantly improve traffic safety and vehicular flow, it can take time for drivers to adjust. Please proceed through the area with patience and allow extra time for travel.
Share the road! Vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians share the road on roundabouts.
Drivers are now able to navigate the new roundabout configuration with temporary striping and traffic control in place. Final roundabout features, including landscaping and aesthetic enhancements, are scheduled to be installed later this year as construction progresses.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed a short video to help drivers navigate roundabouts. Click here to watch the video. Closed captions are available in numerous languages.
Here are some key tips from the video:
- Slow Down:
- Slow down. Going slower gives you more time to make decisions.
- Look Around:
- For multi-lane roundabouts, choose the lane for where you want to go. Use the left lane to go left, right lane to go right, and either lane to go straight.
- Take note of the signs and markings to help you select your lane.
- Keep looking around and check the crosswalks to see if anyone is waiting to cross or already crossing. Be ready to stop to allow them to cross.
- Look around for traffic already in the roundabout and be ready to yield.
- Be Ready to Yield:
- You must yield to traffic in ALL lanes of a roundabout.
- Enter when there’s a comfortable gap.
- Go slow and stay in your lane. Don’t turn left from the right lane and don’t turn right from the left lane.
- Yield to large vehicles and give them space.
- Follow the pavement markings to stay in the correct lane.
- Look around for anyone in the crosswalk and be ready to yield to them as you exit the roundabout.
Additional work will continue on Project Connect with overall completion anticipated in Spring 2027.
Project Connect, which began two years ago in March of 2024, is the largest capital improvement project in the City’s history, and when completed will provide improved connectivity throughout Goleta.
Questions? Looking for more details? Visit our webpage at http://www.CityofGoleta.org/ProjectConnect, email connect@CityofGoleta.gov, or call 805-690-5116.
