A neighbor posted these photos a few weeks ago of the traffic outside the Chick-fil-A on Upper State Street in Santa Barbara.
I understand the fast food place closed for several weeks to make adjustments to get rid of all the traffic but from what I’ve seen and by these photos it doesn’t seem like it’s solved the problem, only made it slightly less worse.
What have other readers noticed?
What’s all the fuss about. This business is bringing needed revenue to the city. A couple times a day maybe they impact traffic. Get over it.
So true. So true.
Slightly better but not solved. When they open their turnpike location I think it’ll die down a bit. Or when people elevate their taste and realize this chicken is not very good.
I’m interested to see how the traffic is at the Turnpike location, given In n Out (Habit is better) and Starbucks both have ridiculous lines.
The chicken is, as my kid would say, “mid.” Definitely not worth the line (nor is In n Out). Tastes the same as every other fast food chicken sandwich. Gotta love the OG Burger King chicken!
I would like to see a current picture. Maybe this was due to holiday traffic in and around the area at that time. Pretty much everywhere was congested a few weeks ago.
That’s unfortunate for those of us who must use the intersection of Turnpike and Calle Real, the location to which they are moving… right next door to the drive-through Starbucks whose traffic already blocks the right lane immediately at the corner, and sometimes causes backup of vehicles onto Turnpike, right off the NB 101 offramp. It’s a sh*tshow.
It’s much better now
IT’s STILL a mess! This biz needs to go someplace other than State Street. The food is mediocre at best — what IS the attraction? Alternative to KFC? Try Jill’s Place for the buttermilk fried chicken… now that’s delicious!
YES! We need more drive throughs! and no, this one is in the perfect location!
If the food is “mediocre at best,” why do you suppose so many people are lined up in their cars to buy it. Can it be that it is your opinion that the food is mediocre but that many others have a different opinion?
I think this needs to go back to City Council again for consideration as a “public nuisance” that should be shut down. It’s all been said before…this is a dangerous situation, particularly for bicycles, and is a disaster waiting to happen. It is also absolutely obnoxious and a disrespectful PITA for the community.
The biggest question for me: Why did Chick-fil-A get rid of the curbside monitor that was clearing traffic when City Council was considering public nuisance status? The fact that they don’t have one now is a show of bad faith in my opinion. They only provide a fix to the problem when their neck is on the line.
SBPD, please get out there and start ticketing.
You can’t tell anything from still photographs. Are the cars moving, just slowly? Or even at a normal speed? I did see, about 6 days ago, the CFA traffic monitor out there. He was actually telling driver to move on, go around the block & try again.
I am surprised that the city traffic planners haven’t narrowed State Street to one lane all the way, and put in “traffic calming” bumps and islands and trees and extra wide bike lanes already. Has anyone seen what they did to Stanley drive off Las Positas?
Wasn’t the Stanley Drive work done to keep the neighborhood from becoming a thoroughfare for non-neighborhood drivers? That wasn’t for bike lanes.
The taste of success!
CFA is doing a great service to the community, the people like it, good jobs for kids, extra tax revenue! Simply an American Success story!
People complaining they have to endure 20 seconds of traffic or OMG have to change lanes….this actually was mocked in a National news story. Lighten up SB peeps.
It’s unsafe and has caused/will continue to cause accidents. Private success should not depend on using and abusing the public right-of-way.
The obvious solution is more drive throughs and another CFA which is in the works!!!
All restaurants should have the drive through option. The detriment to traffic and air pollution from idling cars is vastly outweighed by the convenience of never having to stand up on your own two feet as you order and consume your feed.
I have seen the line backed up into the street repeatedly SINCE they expanded their driveway. It continues to be an ongoing traffic hazard. City officials should get out there and see for themselves
This ongoing traffic problem is the fault of our city council. They allow this business to use the State Street traffic lane as a parking lot. What would happen to you if you parked in the traffic lane on State or any other street in order to pick something up at a store or restaurant?
I have taken very similar pictures in the past few months. The line is not as long or as constant as it used to be. At it’s worse, today, is as pictured. It the past it blocked access to Rusty’s, the carwash, and even Jack-In-The…
The opininons on the quality or taste of the food are irrelevant to the traffic question, really. As much as the fact that they close on Sunday because they follow religious customs is totally irrelevant.
If I’m going to ‘go-there’, lets bring up that their marketing image has gone from Christian and possibly not inclusionary. To some in politics are claiming Chick-Fil-A may have gone from “anti-gay” to, now, some conservatives claim CFA is a “WOKE” organization. There, I went off the rails, for the sake of all the other irrelevant and “weighted comments” that often occur. LoL
They need to build another one in the city somewhere else.
Maybe 2?
Then you CF whinners can have 3 places to hate.