CityofSantaBarbara
By the City of Santa Barbara
The City of Santa Barbara is seeking cooperation from the public to make the State Street Promenade safe for pedestrians and bicyclists alike.
In the next few weeks, the City will be engaging in a public education campaign on the proper use of the Promenade. City departments, including the Santa Barbara Police Department, Public Works, and City Attorney’s Office, will work collaboratively with the community and the County to inform the public about the new regulations in place for the Promenade.
These regulations include bicyclists yielding to pedestrians and not endangering others. The goal of the City is to encourage bicyclists and pedestrians alike to enjoy the State Street Promenade safely and with consideration of others, so all can have a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
The full text of the new regulations can be viewed here: https://santabarbaraca.gov/rules-and-regulations-state-street-promenade.
Start enforcing the CURRENT rules: During the Tuesday S.S. markets EACH block is clearly marked: ” PEDESTRIANS ONLY, no bicycle, rollers etc…”.
Stand there less than 5 minutes and you’ll see all kinds of bikes rolling up and down S.S. and SCREEAMING at you if you don’t jump fast enough out of their way.
I have yet to see one SINGLE cop putting an end to this abuse and lack of respect for others the bikers are so familiar to!
I am a member of the Pearl Chase Society. Most in-the-know Santa Barbarans realize how Miss Chase would react the this so-called promenade. Does any Board member of the PCS care to let our community know what the official position of this nightmare is?
If a person I’m on a bike isn’t going to move around me or stop, then I’m not going to not sidestep and shove them.
Honestly though bike enforcement, like other types, is a joke in this town. Especially with the e-bike epidemic.
SBS: Fully agree.
One more step towards “glorified” anarchy that society is shifting into !
Are you the pedestrian or biker in this fantasy?
Cooperation??? This is lunacy. Who’s thinking cooperation is going to work? The city needs to take responsibility for creating a safe and workable solution. IMHO, the only way bikes and pedestrians can coexist on State St is to create a separate/fenced two way bike lane and then to have enforcement of this separate but equal enjoyment of the beautiful promenade.
Bicyclists will simply not share. We have spent millions of $ building routes for them but they will ignore these routes if they want to go faster on streets used for other vehicles. They have ignored the “Paseo” on Mission because it is too narrow and now use the remaining one lane of Mission for their travel (blocking cars and such. And using State Street to ride bikes on is definitely not part of the idea that we will reduce commuter induced hydrocarbons as is really just a tourist destination. This is the problem, people on bikes showing off and behaving badly, that this campaign wants to deal with. Doubt it will have much success.
We should vote on bringing back State Street tp pre-pandemic status, so that downtown vitality can resume and businesses can re-establish in the vacant properties. The city needs to return to being a real city. Restaurant pop-ups should go, and traffic both ways should resume. I want my city back.
One thing to note. Bikes, have almost always forgotten to obey stop signs and other yealding rules. No enforcement exists. There used to be cops on bikes and foot-patrol officers on State when I was a kid running around in the Summer, their presence made a bit of difference.
It was much more vital when State Street was open to cars. Bikes are under the same rules of the vehicle code as cars so no cars no bikes! You can not remove human behavior, I have seen too much “bike rage” that ruins it for all. City Council is tone-deaf about this.
Bikes have enough bike lanes all over town. Bring back State St!
Amen.
I agree we need to bring back State Street – Santa Barbara’s Main Street. However, bike lanes existed there before and they are essential.
No one is arguing with that. The original poster only said that if cars are banned, bikes should be also. The fact is, both should be allowed, until and unless an advisory vote says otherwise. If so, then start over and do it right. (The “surveys” conducted so far are meaningless – only those parties with a direct interest are even aware of them.)
Get over it. Politely tell the speeders to “take it slow and easy.” The rest are not a problem.
Bikes and pedestrians have gotten along just fine until you came to town.