One block of State Street will soon see a new outdoor dining concept called “pedlets,” or modular sidewalk extensions that the city of Santa Barbara will begin installing along the 500 block of downtown’s main drag on Monday, September 8. The new pilot program is intended to test out a different dining setup with outdoor seating moved from the street closer to the buildings, a change that planners hope will lead to a smoother flow for pedestrians.
The city began exploring the pilot program earlier this year as part of a series of short-term fixes for State Street while city planners continue working toward the long-range State Street Master Plan. The prefabricated pedlets are made by Colorado-based company MODSTREET and were purchased for $528,000 after the City Council approved the project back in April.
Crews will begin by removing the current outdoor dining parklets along the block of State Street between Haley and Cota streets starting this Monday. The sidewalk extensions will be placed along the existing curbs, and the businesses with outdoor seating will move their setups directly outside their properties.
City staff said the elevated, ADA-accessible walkways will be level with the curb, similar to MODSTREET installations in other cities, and will serve as a cost-effective, temporary way to test out a protected walkway that creates a stronger separation between pedestrians and other activities in the street, such as cyclists and e-bikes.
The 500 block of State Street will need to be closed to deliveries and bicycle traffic during the demolition and deep-cleaning process from Monday-Wednesday, September 8-10. City staff expect restaurants to be ready to reopen to the public with the new pedlets on Thursday, September 11.
City planners selected this block as the testing ground for the pedlet concept due to its high concentration of restaurants with outdoor dining facilities, and the high level of pedestrian traffic through the area.
The pedlet concept is the first major departure from the traditional on-street “parklet” setups that became popular when the street was closed to car traffic and made into a more pedestrian-friendly area during the COVID pandemic in 2020. The results of the pilot program may inform the planning process for the State Street Master Plan, in an effort to create a long-term plan to revitalize the downtown area.
