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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments is accepting applications for 11 community members to serve on a new advisory committee that will help guide the State Route (SR) 135/Broadway Corridor Study between Santa Maria and Orcutt.
SBCAG is looking for people who know the corridor — whether they drive it, take the bus, walk or bike along it, operate a business nearby, live in the area or serve the communities connected by it. No transportation planning experience is required.
Applications are available in English and Spanish. Language assistance, including interpretation and translation, can be provided to support applicants and committee members who do not speak or write in English.
The 11 positions on the SR 135 Corridor Study Stakeholder Advisory Committee include:
- Four representatives from the Orcutt area
- Four representatives from the Santa Maria area
- Three at-large representatives from businesses, nonprofit organizations, freight operators, or government entities that serve the entire corridor
State Route 135, also known as Broadway through Santa Maria, connects two growing communities but functions differently from one end to the other. The corridor transitions from an expressway to a high-speed arterial and then into a city street with signals, cross traffic and business access.
The study covers SR 135 from Clark Avenue in Orcutt to U.S. 101 in Santa Maria and will evaluate current and future transportation needs related to safety, congestion, economic vitality and multimodal access. It will identify potential near- and long-term improvements for roadways, transit, walking, biking and freight movement and assess the feasibility of Bus Rapid Transit service along the corridor.
Committee members will bring community perspectives into that work by discussing existing transportation challenges, reviewing information and potential improvements, and providing input as recommendations are developed.
The committee is structured to provide dedicated representation for both Santa Maria and Orcutt while also bringing together perspectives on transportation issues that affect the entire corridor.
Committee members will serve without compensation. Members are expected to begin meeting in fall 2026 and continue through fall 2027, with approximately four in-person meetings anticipated during the study. Additional meetings may be scheduled if needed. Meetings will be conducted under California’s Ralph M. Brown Act and will be open to the public.
The SR 135 Corridor Study is led by SBCAG in partnership with the City of Santa Maria, County of Santa Barbara and Caltrans District 5. The study is supported by a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant. Its recommendations will help inform future transportation investments by local agencies and Caltrans.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, and are available in English and Spanish.
To learn more and apply, visit http://www.sbcag.org.
Following the recruitment period, applications will be reviewed for completeness and eligibility. The North County Subregional Planning Committee will consider the applicants and make recommendations to the SBCAG Board of Directors, which will make the final appointments.
Questions about the application process or committee service may be directed to info@sbcag.org or (805) 600-4477.
