Edhat Reader
I am incredibly concerned about the uneven sidewalks that make up a large part of Santa Barbara streets.
I moved here recently and in my exploration of my new home town have fallen twice. I plunged onto the palms of my hands, averting more serious bodily damage. BOTH times, the street pavers were uneven. My toes caught the higher edge and down I went. My elderly mother had a similar situation with a much worse outcome.
Though I am sure there is good reason for the many new round-abouts etc … WHAT ABOUT SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE? Who can I discuss this with who cares & has the authority to look into our ill maintained sidewalks? Thank you for the opportunity to vent my 2 year old concern.
You can report sidewalk problems with the SB Connect App or call (805) 897-2630
https://santabarbaraca.gov/StreetRepair
I have had good results reporting sidewalk problems to SB Connect. The city may not respond immediately, but they do eventually take care of trip hazards. Also, there is a woman whose sole profession is to grind down lifted edges of concrete sidewalks to smooth away trip spots. She spent several weeks working on the Westside last year. (I think she is a contract worker, not full time with the city, but she spends a lot of time working for the city.)
Report problems, but also watch every step.
I worry for that woman’s health. She does not wear a mask while grinding up clouds of concrete dust. A one-off exposure is one thing, daily exposure for 8 hours is entirely another.
People who have good lungs (or think their lungs are fine) can be really really stupid about what they are inhaling. Maybe you could use the info posted by bicylinbarbie and mention your concern. call (805) 897-2630
https://santabarbaraca.gov/StreetRepair
As an aside, I would like to remind everyone that inhaling woodsmoke is to be avoided at all times. It has been proven that the PM2.5 (particulate matter) in woodsmoke is terrible for one’s lungs, heart and brain. Please don’t burn wood.
Priorities are always difficult to set. I personally think the ongoing very expensive provision of cutouts at intersections is over the top when we have many streets without any sidewalks at all. In fact they just constructed a cutout that leads to a street without a sidewalk at all on Pedregosa and Mountain. Why not put in a sidewalk as a priority? But the problem is complicated by the question of trees, right of way, grant funding that limits uses and cost on construction. Still we could have built a lot of sidewalks for the cost of the almost never used or understood bicycle pathway at Mission and Modoc or the same unused bicycle right of way constructin at Mission and Gillespie.
I’d like to see some signage and educational programs to get the bicyclist to use these expensive routes. Sola has been made over into a bikeway, and yet bikes still travel on Micheltorena one block up. What’s the point of all the bike routes if bicyclists ignore them?