Expected to break ground in 2027, the Cliff Drive Vision Zero Project aims to ensure safer commutes to and from City College’s campus by creating new walking and bike paths along Cliff Drive.
In hopes of minimizing collisions and enhancing safety the project has been in the works since 2014 and would add new traffic lights, crosswalks and bike paths to the 3 mile stretch of road.
It is still in its design phase and is expected to take approximately a year and a half to two years to complete after the start of construction.
“We’re providing opportunities for walking and biking,” Jessica Grant, supervising transportation planner, said. “Although there are bike lanes it is next to a very high-speed road and for most it would be considered a high-stress route. We’re really trying to lower the stress besides City College.”
The addition of crosswalks and lights would provide students who live on the East side of Cliff Drive such as Cliff House and other student residences a safe route to and from campus without walking to the crosswalk on Loma Alta.
“Not only does it have the local accessibility for students and families that live in the West side, lower West mesa neighborhoods, but it’s also a regional connection,” Grant said. “It’s part of the 30 mile route that connects Ventura all the way up to UCSB.”
The funding for the project came from a $27.2 million grant from the Active Transportation Program with $6.8 million being matched by the city of Santa Barbara. The new street design is aimed to serve neighborhoods rather than as a highway like it originally was intended for.
Changes in the street layout would be minimal with a 5 mph speed reduction at most.
The project would also alter the East and West end entrances to parking with a proposal for the redesign being presented to the Board of Trustees last March. Given that funding is available City College would be responsible for the changes to the entrances to the East and West campuses on Cliff Drive.
In the meantime, community engagement meetings will continue with the next meeting expected to take place sometime in April at Monroe Elementary School.
The meetings and workshops related to the Cliff Drive Vision Zero Project at Monroe are open to the public and will have a visual simulation of what the construction will look like when completed.
