From: bill kelley
To: Liana Campos; Tom Modugno; Bonnie Moore
Subject: Hollister restriping
Date: Friday, October 21, 2022 3:00:24 PM
Members of the City Council,
I have heard from someone can't remember who that that the bicycling community is in favor of reducing the vehicle traffic lanes. Well that's fine except bicycles are not licensed and no funds come from them to help maintain the roadway. With parallel or angled parking there should not be bike lanes on Hollister ave. Eckwell should be extended to Fairview Ave. then the bike lanes rerouted to avoid downtown traffic. With the new jaywalking law going in affect 1/1/23 it's going to be a real obstacle coarse on Hollister ave. Please take all this in consideration before you vote. The businesses and surrounding neighborhoods are the ones that are going to suffer.
William Kelley
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
From: Alan Smith <[email protected]>
Date: October 24, 2022 at 8:39:14 AM PDT
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>
Subject: Hollister
Reply-To: Alan Smith <[email protected]>
d
o not kill Hollister ave. i have done bike counts there and no need for another bike lane. back in parking???more of a mess. just fix the road in front of Maravilla. 24 October 2022
Mayor and Council
City of Goleta
Goleta, CA
Re: 27 Oct. 2022 - Hollister Ave. Old Town Interim Striping A.1 22-487 Is Goleta at a Cross Road of confidence and honesty?
The City has repeatedly talked about their Bike Project. This statement of a "project" has been made by paid staff, former City Manager Green, Goleta's Public Works Director, and your head traffic planner. This statement of your "Bike Project" was also called such and commented on in open Council Session. CEQA is clear that a "project" requires an EIR. Cars Are Basic, Inc.
Board, is very concerned that at the "Hollister public outreach" held at the Community Center, all but one of the Council attended in violation of the Brown Act. At a minimum it has the appearance as an intentional effort to influence what should have been an objective and public discussion without pressure.
As CAB has stated, under CEQA, a "project" has to have an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). So far, the City has ignored this law while continuing to push forward with multiple plans and to approve projects (Hollister Pacific Oaks to Ellwood, Patterson approved bike/modal plan, the plan for Fairview, Cathedral Oaks, and more). They are all interconnected and part of a unified "Project." If the City had not pushed forward with the mentioned projects / plans, the excuse of staff for the Hollister striping plan " CEQA Exemption (Project No. 9114)" would have some validity.
The wording by Staff confirms the ongoing description of these plans as a Project. A "project" that is inclusive of the above-mentioned projects, and plans by the City of Goleta, that is intent upon changing streets and traffic flow.
Mayor and Members of the Council you cannot have it both ways! CAB has reported to the Council that we have monitored bike use on Hollister since the first year you were formed. The reduction of bike numbers clearly demonstrates the changes in population, age, and work patterns. The same changes and trends CAB has documented in the City of Santa Barbara. The Bicycle Coalition director (2016) commented on the serious decline of bike counts by stating, bike riders are an eclectic group, and do not conform to riding in bike TM
Cars Are Basic
Estab. 1998
paths. If this is the case, why plan for and create bike paths? It should be noted here that comment was made by a Bren School graduate from UCSB.
Reading the Staff Report on Hollister, vehicle load over years, coincide directly to the Great Recession. The economic bubble burst in 2005 and lasted significantly to 2012 that then saw an agonizingly slow recovery. This was not because the use, and need for a viable "primary artery" had ended.
Statement in staff documents that, the collision accident rate is 4x's the State average, and injuries is 3x's the State average in the "project area" is also interesting. Are these rates based on State average for the current traffic load, or for the reduced traffic load during the recession? What is the number for a State average for a primary artery? Staff talks in percentages. How many of the accidents occurred under the influence of drugs or alcohol? These factors are heavily independent of street configuration.
As stated before Council, a CPRA request to the former City Manager, of a 10-year pedestrian accident count on Hollister responded one (1) accident due to intoxication, and crossing against the red light. When the same request was asked regarding bicycle accidents the response was zero (0). Staff report; 9% of all collisions on the project area involve pedestrians or bikes. 9% of 1 pedestrian accident is .09 annually, and averages over 10 years approximately .009. It is interesting that Staff cross pollinates the discussion with comments about off street parking. Are the accident quotes by Staff from curb to curb inclusive of Hollister only? Are the accident quotes by Staff including side streets intersecting with Hollister and how far from Hollister (one block? two blocks?)
There becomes the issue of enforcement.
The radar speed display on Hollister mid-way from Kellogg on Hollister before the gas station has been inoperable for over 3 weeks, and was on/off for at least 2 weeks prior to that (as to the date of this letter). Parking enforcement has been less than consistent. When observers see many cars parked on Hollister at 6 AM that are still there at 10 AM, CAB has to wonder has Staff quietly passed the word; no or little enforcement? That would be a great way to "prove" the need for more parking on the street. If the Council wants effective speed enforcement on Hollister all it has to do is have a random number generator, for days of the month, and the same for work day hours. You will see a significant change in attitude and outcomes when no one knows there will be a cop on the street. It takes all guess work from when, and how, and makes it almost influence proof. There is an important benefit to this enforcement. The bad guys don't like being around when there is a good chance of being caught. It is a multiplier effect (or if you prefer a twofer).
Staff has stated at Goleta Council Sessions, with CAB in attendance, that Hollister is a heavily used primary artery serving local businesses, the airport, and is critical when Highway 101 is closed or impaired. CAB finds little to no justification for taking 50% of capacity from such an important traffic corridor. The Council has stated the placement of roundabouts on either side of Hwy 217 on Hollister is to increase capacity of the 217 off ramp, 217 on ramp, and thru traffic flow. How logical or rational is it to improve traffic flow and then inches from these plans "Taking" 50% of the street away, congesting flow?
CAB ends our comment with these facts:
Old Town Goleta is the Last cohesive Blue Collar District in all of South Santa Barbara County.
Similar plans have crushed Old Town Santa Barbara, and all but eliminated most of Carpinteria's district.
Gentrification of Old Town will be the long term outcome of this planning.
Old Town is a vital, lower income housing district, for the working poor and low middle income workers.
Old Town generates significant tax revenue for the City.
The City has stated it wants to preserve the character of what Goleta was. This cannot happen if this ultimate destruction of this significant traffic corridor serving Old Town goes ahead.
If the Council wants to promote commute bike use ban on-street parking from 6-8 AM on the ocean side of Hollister where the past majority of bike commuters are. One sign per block! No disruption of Hollister. Saving Millions of the Taxpayers dollars.
Leave Hollister the way it is.
Respectfully, on behalf of the Board,
(Electronic Signature)
Scott Wenz,
President CAB
From: bill kelley <[email protected]>
Date: October 26, 2022 at 11:00:49 AM PDT
To: Imelda Martin <[email protected]>, Tom Modugno <[email protected]>, Bonnie Moore <[email protected]>
Subject: Hollister restriping project
Reply-To: bill kelley <[email protected]>
Members of the City Council,
Since there has been so much public in put pertaining to the Hollister restriping project why don't you hold a special election and have the voters decide weather they want the change or leave it as is.
There is a lot at stake here and I believe the voters should make this decision not a committee or city council.
William Kelley
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
1 October 26, 2022
Mayor Perotte, Mayor Pro Tempore Kasdin, and Councilmembers Aceves, Kyriaco, and Richards:
I have the following comments regarding the Old Town Interim Striping Project, Item A.1 on your October 27, 2022, agenda.
Hollister Avenue’s Role in Emergency Access, Egress, and Ingress I concur with other members of the public who question the wisdom of narrowing this important artery to two lanes. Hollister Avenue is more than a commercial and travel corridor. As others have pointed out, Hollister Avenue also serves as an alternative to Highway 101 whenever that freeway is shut down.
Rest assured, no matter the site of the emergency or what evacuation route emergency authorities may propose, if Highway 101 is closed or heavily impacted by an emergency and Hollister Avenue remains open, drivers will find their way to Hollister Avenue. If emergency authorities fail to direct them there, GPS will.
Furthermore, except for one short, narrow street (Mandarin Avenue) that opens onto Fairview Avenue, Hollister Avenue is the access to and egress from the densely populated residential area that lies to its north. We residents must use Hollister Avenue to evacuate with any efficiency during an emergency (unless, as someone has jokingly suggested, we use the railroad right-of-way). For most of us, Hollister Avenue leads to all other roads.
If the city proceeds with narrowing Hollister Avenue from four lanes to two, I sincerely hope it is not a decision regretted in hindsight.
Staging of Construction
According to the staff report, the interim striping project will be undertaken and completed in 2023 (next year) before construction of the Ekwill Street and Fowler Road extensions. That timing is contrary to discussions during the development of the Old Town Revitalization Plan. Plans to narrow Hollister Avenue to two lanes have relied on the road extensions proposed for Ekwill Street and Fowler Road to ease traffic on Hollister Avenue.
If we are relying on the Ekwill Street and Fowler Road extensions to carry diverted traffic, they should be completed before the restriping project. Traffic cannot be diverted onto roadways that do not exist.
Additionally, scheduling the restriping project after completion of the two extensions would allow study of the suggestion at the September 27, 2022, public meeting that the city examine creating one-way streets with angled parking on some streets south of Hollister Avenue (Magnolia Avenue was one suggestion; Orange Avenue might be another). Although the focus of the restriping project is on Hollister Avenue, adding these streets might prove beneficial.
Staff also proposes to evaluate the impacts of time-restricted parking on Hollister Avenue as well as possible impacts on residential neighborhoods “several months” after completion of the restriping project.
Completion of the restriping project under the proposed schedule will fall well within the approximately two-year construction of the roundabouts at Highway 217, the reconstruction of the San Jose Creek bridge, and the Ekwill Street and Fowler Road extensions—projects with significant impacts of their own.
The restriping project ought to be postponed until its impacts can be judged on their own.
Configuration—Congestion at the Merge Point?
The restriping proposal relies partly on an improved traffic signal system and timing to mitigate the impacts from the loss of travel lanes. Unfortunately, the city signal system does not affect the pedestrian- controlled signal in front of the Community Center.
Even now, with two lanes of traffic in each direction, the lines of westbound cars stopped in both lanes for that signal have extended at times to the edge of the west crosswalk at the intersection of Kinman 2 Avenue and Hollister Avenue, causing delays for both westbound traffic on Hollister and traffic turning westward from the Hampton Inn or Kinman Avenue onto Hollister. Under the restriping plan, westbound traffic will merge into one lane just past that intersection, creating the likelihood of congestion or awkward vehicle maneuvers with cyclists and pedestrians in the mix as well.
Deliveries
According to the slide presentation accompanying the staff report, the new flush center median will be available for deliveries as well as emergency responders. This is a welcome change from the option recommended on June 7, 2022, which made no provision for deliveries. Such deliveries are vital to the survival of our existing business community, and many businesses lack parking lots large enough to accommodate the semis that regularly make deliveries in Old Town.
Enforcement
The staff report limits discussion of enforcement to timed parking on Hollister Avenue, which is an important facet of the restriping project—especially given potential impacts on residential neighborhoods.
But the need for enforcement goes beyond the purview of the one or two parking enforcement officers that the city might hire.
For the project to work, traffic enforcement for all parties must be a priority: drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike—all need to follow the rules of the road. Perhaps if we had experienced better traffic enforcement on Hollister Avenue, we would not be looking at a prevailing speed of 32 mph in a posted 25 mph zone. And we might not be looking at a collision rate four times the statewide average. .
Change on Hollister
In conclusion, I recently read a comment that comparison of a current picture of Old Town with a picture taken twenty years ago would show little change. That comment seemed to be a criticism of the city’s purported lack of progress in Old Town. In many ways, however, that observation should remind us of the grit and resilience of our business community—a sign that the current mix of businesses effectively serves and is supported by this community. Within those twenty years, the Old Town business community has survived a major recession and what seems to have been the worst of a pandemic. It would be a sorry deal if the city now undertakes a project that might cause it to fold.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read and consider these comments.
Sincerely,
Catherine E. Bednar
5701 Gato Avenue
From: Goleta, CA <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2022 10:25:26 AM
To: James Kyriaco <[email protected]>
Subject: DOWNTOWN
Message submitted from the <Goleta, CA> website.
Site Visitor Name: Cynthia Anderson
Site Visitor Email: [email protected]
As a Goleta NATIVE, graduate of Goleta Union School:
I am in FAVOR of making downtown more user friendly. Go forward with the striping and make more parking so that the downtown can become a sweet town once again.
Best Regards,
Cynthia Anderson
-----Original Message-----
From: eva inbar <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2022 9:56 PM
To: City Clerk Group <[email protected]>
Subject: SUPPORT FOR STRIPING CHANGES ON HOLLISTER AVENUE
Dear Madam Mayor and Goleta City Council:
Please accept my support for the striping changes proposed for Goleta Old Town. After decades of meetings upon meetings but no action the time has finally come to do something. The measures proposed have been implemented in cities all over California, and they work: Reducing traffic to one lane in each direction, bike lanes, protected crosswalks, diagonal parking. Please approve these changes!
Sincerely,
Eva Inbar
From: Stuart Kasdin
To: Liana Campos
Subject: FW: Hollister Avenue Old Town Interim Striping Project Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2022 7:56:36 PM
From: Larry Bickford <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2022 7:22 PM
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; Roger Aceves <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>
Subject: Hollister Avenue Old Town Interim Striping Project
Dear Goleta City Council,
You absolutely have to move forward with bicycle and pedestrian safety plans for Old Town. This have ben discussed for a decade and you have a plan developed, so please just do it.
I have attempted navigation through Old Town as a pedestrian and bicyclist. Many times. And many times I have experienced the dangers involved with doing so.
Just this morning our daughter dropped her car off at Dimuro’s Auto and bicycled to UCSB. She described the experience as “nightmarish” and “high risk.” Don’t forget that local residence use more than Hollister.
Please read Ed France’s letter. Carefully.
One line from his piece says it all:
I would argue that it is unfair to the communities we serve to take the considerable amount of time required to engage the public process when the public process doesn't actually make progress on the extensive feedback and planning that they have already participated in. Again, without good faith responsiveness to public process, we all lose faith in the city government's ability to serve us and the common good.
Larry Bickford
-----Original Message-----
From: Edward Fuller <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 11:21 AM
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]>; Roger Aceves <[email protected]>
Cc: Krista Pleiser <[email protected]>; Staci Caplan <[email protected]> Subject: Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta
Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers,
After considering all the options for Hollister Avenue through Old Town Goleta it becomes clear in my mind why nothing has changed in 60 years. There is no better alternative to what we have right now.
Even options to level Hollister to a better grade for some frontages have issues that make the current situation seem like the best solution. The speed limit is just fine as it is commensurate or lower than other commercial streets and the special walking signals are working very well. While 4 lanes may not always be full of cars, they do load up, and that is what capacity is all about.
If it is bike users we are worrying about, as a life long bike user in Goleta and Santa Barbara, the current situation is sufficiently navigable, and trade offs to further accommodate bike users are not acceptable.
If we want to work towards a best east/west corridor for bikers we should move them off of Hollister.
Putting a bike path next to or sharing the train right of way would provide the safest alternate route. I recommend that the Mayor and City Council work towards this solution and leave Hollister Avenue alone.
Many thanks for your service,
Ed Fuller
Former Planning Commissioner, City of Goleta Resident, Old Town Goleta
-----Original Message-----
From: Rita Melendez <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 11:16 AM
To: Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>
Subject: Hollister Ave
Please do not change the traffic flow of Hollister Ave. the proposed changes would be devastating to neighborhoods like mine next to Hollister that would have traffic jams and stick traffic. It would lower our homes value. As a voter I say keep Hollister four lanes. Plant trees if you want to do something good for the environment.
Rita M. Melendez
Rita M. Melendez
From: Bobbi McGinnis <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 10:51 AM
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]> Subject: No on narrowing Hollister
Dear City council,
Over half a century has passed since the layout of Hollister has been changed. When Lake Cachuma was completed and Goleta had a huge housing boom, Highway 101 was widened and they made Hollister 4 lanes, to accommodate all the additional traffic that a housing boom would bring. Common sense.
In addition, the Hollister corridor serves as an escape route for evacuating our citizens when there is a natural disaster such as the Thomas Fire or Tea Fire.
Today, some of you want to narrow Hollister back down to where it was before 1960. But the fact is that you have approved over 1,300 new housing units in the past eight years. Why are you going to narrow the road after gorging on housing? Is this Common Sense?
Some might ask, where will all those cars that use Hollister every day going to go instead? Will all those people jump onto bikes? Start taking the bus? Walk across Goleta? No, probably not. Common sense tells us they will go to other roads in Goleta via the already crowded Fairview and Patterson overpasses.
Then they will get on the freeway, or Calle Real, or just go through the neighborhoods on Cathedral Oaks. Thereby affecting all of Goleta’s traffic and safety.
Shouldn’t they complete an alternate route first, like they’ve been talking about for decades? And shouldn’t they complete the other pending construction projects on Hollister first? Common sense would say, yes.
So, why are they doing this? This does not make common sense and is not the best use of our funds for City improvement.
Vote No on the narrowing of the Hollister Corridor.
Bobbi McGinnis
--
R.Bobbi McGinnis
Century 21 Butler Realty, Inc.
1635 State St.
Santa Barbara, Ca. 93101
DRE Lic.00628934
Ph.805 680-6921
Fx.805 569-0591
From: Ed France <[email protected]>
Date: October 26, 2022 at 11:44:08 AM PDT
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Cc: "S.B. Bicycle Coalition" <[email protected]>, coast listserrv <[email protected]>, Michael Montenegro <[email protected]>
Subject: [COAST] Hollister Avenue Old Town Interim Striping Project Special Council Meeting- Film Submission
Dear City of Goleta Councilmembers.
Nine years ago, we held another meeting on this item that went long into the night. We had so many speakers expressing their clear desire to see bike lanes on Hollister and safer pedestrian crossings.
There was so much frustration about the heel dragging the City has continued around this acute need.
This is the only stretch of Hollister without bike lanes, and the most dangerous stretch, all right where so many live, work, play and shop. Nearly ten years later we find ourselves in the same space, but with more grey hair. So much public process without active steps forward erode trust in local government.
It's time to be meaningfully responsive.
In that late night, after so much public comment, I went up to speak last with three speakers yielding their time to me. This was in order to show a four minute film made by Michael Montenegro, a talented local filmmaker, highlighting local residents voicing their advocacy for change and sense of feeling unheard. At the request of Councilmember Aceves, I chose not to use my public comment to show the film. It was already late and so many public comments had already made the case clear. While now, after the passage of a decade, this feels ironic, as I wast trying to be respectful of everyone's time.
Over a thousand views on this short video from nearly ten years ago underscore how the City must be responsive to public process in order to maintain its legitimacy with goodland and especially Old Town constituents. I listened in to a meeting two or so years ago about Hollister where Councilmember Kyriaco asked where the local residents and latinx population was on the issue, and why more of them weren't present. I would argue that it is unfair to the communities we serve to take the considerable amount of time required to engage the public process when the public process doesn't actually make progress on the extensive feedback and planning that they have already participated in. Again, without good faith responsiveness to public process, we all lose faith in the city government's ability to serve us and the common good.
I ask you all to view the film that I due to time constraints I chose as a courtesy nine years ago not to show. The crash and fatality data cited in the video is based on a public records request of traffic safety data I myself requested and paid for after this information was not being provided in project descriptions. Those numbers have sadly grown considerably over the last nine years. I hope this issue doesn't need to wait another decade before positive change can come to old Town, honoring the deep investment of your staff and community members time in public process.
Crossing Hollister, by Michael Montenegro, August 30th 2013, https://vimeo.com/72712751
I appreciate your public service, and thank you for honoring all of the process to date to make needed change to prioritize safety of human beings on foot and bike in Old Town Hollister, not simply add another flashing sign.
-Ed France
--
Edward France
(805) 203-6940
From: Lisa Sloan <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 11:45 AM
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]>; Roger Aceves <[email protected]>
Cc: orders copyrightsb.com <[email protected]>; Grace Wallace <[email protected]> Subject: Keep Four Lanes of Hollister
Dear Mayor Perotte and Goleta City Council Members,
Please do not vote to narrow Holister to two lanes. Yes, we want to encourage bike riders. However, this is a working community and most commuters must use their cars on a daily basis. If you narrow Old Town Hollister, the traffic will find alternative routes, causing congestion in other areas of our community. Narrowing a busy street makes no sense, especially if new development has already been approved. I urge you to please vote no on the narrowing of Hollister in Old Town.
Thank you.
Lisa Sloan
City of Goleta Resident
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Bernstein <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 10:26 AM
To: City Clerk Group <[email protected]>
Subject: Interim Old Town Goleta Striping Project on Tonight's Agenda
To Goleta City Council via City Clerk
Regarding: Old Town Goleta Interim Striping Project on 27 October 2022 Agenda
Meetings have been held on reworking Old Town Goleta for bicycle and pedestrian safety for most of the 40 years I have lived in Goleta.
Intensive workshops have been held repeatedly since 1995.
Every time action is about to be taken, someone declares that the process has been going on for so long that it is time to start all over again and take new public input. Utterly absurd and frustrating.
It was refreshing at the public meeting on 29 September 2022 finally to have consensus to expedite restriping Hollister Avenue as quickly as possible.
The whole idea of this Interim Restriping Plan is to get it done quickly and affordably in a way that can be modified in the future.
This was approved by the City Council two years ago, at the same time that Santa Barbara and hundreds of other cities were expediting such changes during COVID. It is way past time to get this done.
It is not just about the pedestrians and bicyclists who have died in Old Town Goleta. It is about making an environment that is pleasant and functional for everyone.
Old Town Goleta should be our downtown to attract people to come out and walk, shop and just enjoy life in our community. This plan can make this happen. Please just get going and get it done now. Thank you!
Robert Bernstein
7100 Georgetown Road
Goleta, CA 93117
(805) 685-1283 (H)
[email protected]
From: tom modugno <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 7:25 AM
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]>; Roger Aceves <[email protected]>
Subject: The Big Day
Today is the Big Day.
This is the day a lot of people have been waiting for, and a lot of people have been dreading. Today the Goleta City Council, Paula Perotte, Stuart Kasdin, James Kyriaco, Roger Aceves and Kyle Richards, decide whether or not to change the layout of Hollister Avenue through Old Town Goleta.
Over half a century has passed since the layout of Hollister has been changed. When Lake Cachuma was completed and Goleta had a huge housing boom, Highway 101 was widened and they made Hollister 4 lanes, to accommodate all the additional traffic that a housing boom would bring. Common sense.
Today, some of the city council wants to narrow Hollister back down to where it was before 1960.
Despite the fact that they have approved over 1,300 new housing units in the past eight years. They are going to narrow the road. After gorging on housing, they are now going to put us on a road diet.
Common Sense?
Some might ask, where will all those cars that use Hollister every day going to go instead? Will all those people jump onto bikes? Start taking the bus? Walk across Goleta? No, probably not. Common sense tells us they will go to other roads in Goleta via the already crowded Fairview and Patterson overpasses.
Then they will get on the freeway, or Calle Real, or just go through the neighborhoods on Cathedral Oaks. Thereby affecting all of Goleta’s traffic and safety.
Shouldn’t they complete an alternate route first, like they’ve been talking about for decades? And shouldn’t they complete the other pending construction projects on Hollister first? Common sense would say, yes.
So, why are they doing this?
1-To slow traffic down on Hollister. Common sense would ask, wouldn’t just more law enforcement do that?
2- To add 20 new parking spaces. Common sense would ask, all this money, time and effort for 20 parking spaces? Is it worth it?
3- To make bike lanes. And there’s the real answer. It is all about the bike lanes. Not the speed, not the parking, the bike lanes. Some of the council are very heavily influenced by the Bike Coalition. An angry, loud group of people, most of which don’t ever really go to Old Town, but they really want this bike lane. So, the council is voting to inconvenience thousands of car driving citizens every day just so less than 100 bike riders a day can choose to ride through Old Town if they want. Common sense?
Tom Modugno
From: GameTheory101 <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 8:55 AM
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]>; Roger Aceves <[email protected]>
Subject: Hollister Repaint
There is only about 1000 feet of land separating South Kellogg Ave at the Drive In Theater from Fairview/Fowler Road. In fact, utilizing the back side of the Drive-in property there is only about 500 feet where South Kellogg could be connected to Placencia Street that meets at Fairview and Fowler.
This is a MUST for creating a long needed and necessary thoroughfare that would be incredibly useful and sensible. To not consider this as coupled to repainting Hollister is at best lazy. Moving forward with this project as is, in an area already over exposed to condensed traffic, will only make everything immensely worse. Not to mention stop anyone not living there from wanting to ever venture in and drive through. Will be a tough go for any businesses. While opening up South Kellogg may just be the nudge that that entire area needs to be revitalized.
From: bill kelley <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 11:09 AM
To: Imelda Martin <[email protected]>; Tom Modugno <[email protected]>; Bonnie Moore <[email protected]>; Scott Switzer <[email protected]> Subject: Hollister restriping project
Members of the City Council,
There are a number of items in the plan that you could have already implemented prior to restriping
1) reduce speed by more police presence. A single lane will reduce speed but will also create driver frustration and impatience which creates an unsafe condition for pedestrians and bicyclist. Remember January 2023 the new state law for jaywalking goes into affect and that just another safety concern.
2) 90 minute parking. Signs could already be in place and enforced. There are a number of vehicles parked on Hollister every day for 6-8 hours.
If you approve this project Goleta will have have a main artery from 1960 with the traffic from 2022.
This will create a delay for emergency responders.
William Kelley
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
From: Art Cislo <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 12:03 PM
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]>; Roger Aceves <[email protected]>
Subject: Please do not reduce Hollister Ave to two lanes!
Hi there,
As a local business on South Kellogg we implore you not to reduce the lanes of traffic on Hollister through Old Town. The area is already saturated with enough traffic during commute hours and there's no alternative access to the industrial area south of the car dealerships, especially for larger vehicles.
Thank you,
Sean Wilson
Polam Precision Products, LLC
749 S. Kellogg Ave.
Goleta, CA. 93117
From: Katie Davis <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 3:07 PM
To: City Clerk Group <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]>; Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; Roger Aceves <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Charlie Ebeling <[email protected]>
Cc: Alex Pujo <[email protected]>
Subject: Hollister Ave Old Town Interim Striping Project
Dear Goleta City Council Members,
I support the Old Town restriping project and urge you to do more to improve bike and pedestrian infrastructure in Goleta.
While I personally preferred the options that put the bike paths inside the parking spots so people didn't have to drive through the bike lanes to park, any improvement here is long overdue and this will be better than the current status quo, which is dangerous for bikers, pedestrians and cars alike. It is also not business-friendly to be on such a dangerous street with so many lanes. Even parking on one side of the street to get to the other side is currently a risky and unpleasant experience.
The current situation in Old Town and Hollister is NOT city road design best practice.
I look forward to one day being able to bike to nearby Old Town to patronize businesses rather than being forced to drive there because it is currently so unsafe.
Please keep in mind this image from your Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan of all of the bike and pedestrian collisions on this stretch of road, the worst in all of Goleta. Each dot represents someone seriously injured as they get reported only if emergency services respond.
Thank you for finally moving forward with bike lane improvements in Old Town Goleta.
Regards,
Katie Davis
1144 N. Fairview Ave, Goleta, CA
From: Kathy <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 3:06 PM
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]> Subject:
Hello,
Because I cannot attend the Hollister Avenue Old Town Interim Striping Project meeting and will be out of internet for zoom I would like to express my concerns for this project. I live in Old Town and have lived here for 48 years.
Why not wait until the Ekwill St. Fowler Rd extension project is completed before squeezing traffic down to two lanes. There is a large population that lives in the Old Town Hollister corridor area and you must know currently there are few options of getting around the traffic through this stretch of Hollister in Old Town. One of those is taking Kellogg through the neighborhoods to get to nectarine and then on to Mandarin to Fairview. Nectarine and Mandarin are very narrow streets since the addition to sidewalks allowing at times only one vehicle to pass while the other vehicle pulls over. With possibly more traffic using this route to avoid Hollister I feel it will cause accidents and stress for people living and driving through here. Also two of the exit streets Tecolote and Magnolia from the North side of Hollister do not have traffic lights for entering Hollister. This is going to be a challenge and dangerous for people entering Hollister, whether they turn right or left. I know there is another route around Hollister by way of Kellogg, Thornwood, Pine, and Carson onto Fairview but again these roads are a challenge to get around. Not a safe environment for the area.
I know a bike lane is a big concern for this stretch of Hollister and I’m not in favor of either option but option 1 is the better of the two. I also think that angle parking is going to be a big problem.
More thought needs to go into this project that will affect hundreds of people living here.
Thank You,
Kathleen Toro
5677 Alondra Drive
Goleta
From: Gina DeAngelo <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 3:04 PM
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>; Roger Aceves <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]>
Subject: Please don’t reduce traffic lanes in Old Town
Hello,
My name is Gina DeAngelo and I have been with Goleta School of Ballet for over 25 years. The school has been in business in Old Town for over 30 years, originally housed in the Community Center. For the last ten years, our studio has been on Gaviota Street. Although I live in Santa Barbara, I commute to Old Town daily. I am against your plan of reducing lanes of traffic. Increased congestion in Old Town and all other neighboring routes will be a nightmare. Please consider those that actually use that corridor daily in your decision. Please do not cater to the bike rider minority.
Thank you,
Gina DeAngelo
From: Cort Colbert <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 2:31 PM
To: City Clerk Group <[email protected]>; Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; James Kyriaco <[email protected]>; Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>; Kyle Richards <[email protected]>; Roger Aceves <[email protected]> Subject: Hollister Avenue Old Town Interim Striping Project
Mayor Perotte, Mayor Pro Tempore Kasdin, and Councilmembers Aceves, Kyriaco, and Richards:
I would like to submit my comments regarding the Old Town Interim Striping Project, which is on your agenda for the October 27, 2022 meeting.
As a resident of Old Town, I have major concerns with the actual planning of this project. Having attended the latest public workshop last month, I am sorry to say that this project appears to be a “we think we need to do something, but we don’t want to take the time to figure out a logical solution, so let’s just do this to say we did something” type of venture.
In my best effort to keep this brief, I would like to concentrate on three main points:
1) Safety – Reducing the traffic flow on Hollister is going to increase the number of cars that travel on other streets in Old Town. This is a recognized fact. You can already see increases in traffic whenever there are issues on 101 that push overflow traffic onto Hollister (4 lanes). This increased traffic, specifically on the North Side of Old Town, is often speeding and weaving through our narrow streets in order to “save a few minutes.” There have been many near- misses I have witnessed over the years that I have lived here, and those appear to have been increased with the further narrowing of the streets that occurred with the recent sidewalk project. If the traffic flow on Hollister is reduced further, and traffic on the narrow streets of Old Town is increased, we will soon see more tragedies like what happened not long ago on Nectarine.
2) There is no planning, funding, or timeline for assessment of this “Interim” project in regards to its related “Final” project. This striping project is being presented as an Olive Branch to all stakeholders, with the intention of “let’s try to do something for Hollister Ave.” If it works, great, if not, then we can reassess. However, based on the responses by representatives for this project at the latest workshop, there is no plan nor timeline for a final project. It was even stated that this could be “Interim” solution for more than 10 years before it is assessed. That is not interim by any definition I am comfortable with.
3) The rush to implement this project is also concerning. There are currently two additional major projects that will affect the base-level traffic flow on Hollister; the roundabouts at 217 and Fairview, as well as the extensions of Ekwill and Fowler. It seems like a logical choice to wait until these major projects are completed prior to studying the traffic flow and pattern on Hollister Ave. It is undeniable that these two projects will change the flow; that was the intention of these projects. If we are to fully understand those changes, we need to study them after they are complete, not before.
In conclusion, while I do appreciate the City’s attention to Old Town, I believe that there is much work to be done from a planning perspective prior to any project being started. There are lots of things that need to line up (ex: parking/traffic enforcement) prior to undertaking this project. Especially if the goal is for this project to be successful. If not, this will be a black-mark on the City from a decision perspective and in the end cause more of a headache for the residents of Old Town (and money from the City) than was intended.
Thank you for your time.
--
Cort Colbert
60 Tecolote Ave
Goleta, CA 93117
From: [email protected]
Date: October 27, 2022 at 2:08:16 PM PDT
To: Paula Perotte <[email protected]>
Cc: James Kyriaco <[email protected]>, Stuart Kasdin <[email protected]>, Kyle Richards <[email protected]>, Roger Aceves <[email protected]> Subject: Hollister Ave.
Reply-To: [email protected]
All,
I wanted to voice my opinion of the proposed changes to Hollister Ave. through Old Town Goleta. I work in the area and use Hollister and the surrounding streets every weekday. I have to say the change to one traffic lane in each direction does not make sense to me as the traffic is already backed up at peak times with the two existing lanes each way. I realize pedestrian and bicycle safety is an issue that needs to be addressed in this area but there has to be a better way to accomplish this than create a literal log jam in Old Town. Hopefully an alternative solution can be found that will benefit all. On a positive note, I along with several of my pickleball friends were very pleased with the resurfacing and longtime commitment to the courts at the GVCC. It is a great community resource.
Sincerely,
James Leasure
Noleta
From: Albert Oaten <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2022 4:41 PM
To: City Clerk Group <[email protected]>
Subject: Support Old Town Restriping: Better Business, Safer for Pedestrians, and Families
Dear City Council,
Please support the Old Town restriping project.
In conjunction with the San Jose Creek project, you can facilitate enhanced foot traffic business between north and south Goleta, while also providing safe passage for commuters, kids, students and families.
As it stands, that stretch of Hollister ranks as one of the most dangerous in Goleta, prohibiting almost anyone from riding their bike to Old Town Coffee, Pepes, or any of the stores and shops that line that part of the street.
The new striping plan is more aesthetically pleasing, mimics the small town feel of other main streets in California, that welcomes pedestrians, riders, to linger and spend time visiting coffee shops, stores, etc... in Goleta.
Please help make Goleta safer, and more prosperous by improving access to businesses for riders, and creating an aesthetic more conducive to spending time in Old Town instead of a conduit for going somewhere else.
Thanks.
Albert
1 From: Ted Bergstrom <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2022 11:12 AM
To: City Clerk Group
Subject: Support for Modoc bicycle path
Hello,
As a regular bicycle commuter along the Modoc route, I write in enthusiastic support of the Alternative B cycle path. Not only will this improve safety, but it will make this route much more pleasant for current users and will attract new users. I would like to suggest that those currently opposed to the path might lessen their opposition if much is done to make this already attractive route even more attractive. If more funds are needed to enhance the beauty of the path, I would be happy to contribute money, and so I suspect would many others.
Regards,
Ted Bergstrom