CityofGoleta
Crews [worked Monday] during the overnight hours (8:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.) installing green paint in portions of the new bicycle lanes on Hollister Avenue in Old Town.
This will increase safety by making cars and bicyclists more aware of each other as they share the road. Additionally, crews will install parking signs and wheel stops at the back-in angled parking stalls.
Throughout the week, crews will continue installing timed parking signs and adjusting utility manholes and valves during the day from 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The project is anticipated to be completed at the end of this month.
A Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section has been added to the project webpage here: www.cityofgoleta.org/ProjectConnect
On July 11th, Hollister Avenue from Fairview Avenue to Kinman Avenue was striped from the previous two-vehicle lane in each direction to one vehicle lane in each direction. Also new back-in angled parking was installed along the north side of Hollister Avenue. We know back-in parking is new to Goleta. Watch this short video with simple steps on how to master this parking method: https://youtu.be/yBpYQpAaNlc.
As a reminder, Old Town is Open for Business during construction. Please show your support! Public parking is available for free at three designated public parking lots: Community West Bank (corner of Pine Avenue and Hollister Avenue), Orange Avenue Lot, and Carson Street (between Orange Avenue and Fairview Avenue).
During construction, please drive with caution and use alternative routes when possible. Share the road with pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Hollister Avenue Interim Striping Project is part of the City’s largest capital improvement project, Project Connect, which broke ground earlier this year in March 2024.
Once completed, the Hollister Avenue Interim Striping Project will feature:
- One vehicle lane in each direction
- Painted median
- Dedicated bike lanes in each direction
- Back-in, angled 90-minute parking along the north side of Hollister Avenue
- Improved pavement
- New traffic signals
For additional information or questions, please email Connect@CityofGoleta.org, call 805-690-5116 or visit www.CityofGoleta.org/ProjectConnect.
About Project Connect
Project Connect is a multi-year project that will enhance pedestrian access and safety, improve road conditions, and build critical linkage throughout Goleta while increasing stormwater flow capacity in San Jose Creek under Hollister Bridge.
The large-scale construction project includes Ekwill Street & Fowler Road Extensions, Hollister Avenue Bridge Replacement Project, two new roundabouts on Hollister Avenue at the Highway 217 interchange, the Hollister Avenue Interim Striping Project, and San Jose Creek flood control capacity improvements. Project completion is anticipated in 2026 when drivers and pedestrians will have increased east-west access across Old Town Goleta.
The City understands that projects such as this can be inconvenient, and we appreciate your patience.
We drove down the newly formatted street yesterday and were impressed with the changes. It seems much more efficient. We were worried about the reverse parking but it is easily accessible (though doing so will block the bicycle lane momentarily) and was being used already. My skepticism has been overcome, congratulations to the folks who thought this out.
I watched the how-to video for back-in parking. I don’t have a backup video camera but know my car well, so I will try it one evening when there is no traffic. (yes, when I went to look see last week the street had NO traffic so it is possible – it WAS a Sunday and only the 7-11 was open). (Maybe restaurants will pick up some evening business now that the street looks so nice!) It doesn’t seem any more difficult than backing up to parallel park – the stakes are higher though since if you misjudge, you hit a car instead of a curb – so it will be a challenge at first.
Drove down it today to shop at Santa Cruz Market. Old Town apparently has turned into gridlock. Instantly. Never in my 20-30 years of driving through there has the traffic been that bad. Zero flow. Waiting at green lights and watching them turn red. Plenty of unoccupied parking left and right. Seems like a failed experiment. Let’s see if the powers that be can realize they blew it.
No you didn’t.
Some photos:
https://www.noozhawk.com/restriping-on-hollister-avenue-in-old-town-goleta-draws-mixed-reactions/