Santa Barbara City Council
June 30, 2026

described in Section 66314 (maximum size 1,200 sq ft) and may impose objective development and design standards.

The City’s current ADU ordinances use the term “special ADU” to refer to 66323 units and “standard ADU” to refer to 66314 units. As a component of the ADU Ordinance Amendments, those terms would be replaced with “State Exempt ADUs” for 66323 units and “Non-Exempt ADUs” for 66314 units. As noted above, JADUs are a subcategory of 66323 units and that term will not change.

Outreach
Outreach to Design Professionals
To better understand local design professionals’ experiences with ADU projects, staff conducted outreach with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Santa Barbara Advocacy Committee on March 16, 2026. Feedback identified several challenges, including combined development agreements, open yard requirements, and design review processes. Additional topics raised included owner covenants, the separate sale of ADUs, and the need for clarification of the 60-day review timeline.

Internal Staff Discussion
Internal discussions were also held to gather feedback from staff responsible for reviewing projects under the current ADU ordinances. Staff discussed concerns regarding “two‑step” submittal approaches, in which applicants seek a permit to convert non‑habitable areas—such as crawl spaces, storage areas, or other non‑habitable spaces—into ADU floor area. Under current practice, applicants are informed that they must first obtain a permit to convert the space into livable, code‑compliant habitable area, and only after that work is completed can they apply separately for an ADU permit. This sequential process creates substantial delays and increases the permitting burden for applicants attempting to create ADUs within an existing building envelope. Other topics included design review processes and the amount of work associated with obtaining ADU CDPs in the coastal zone. This feedback will be considered in the preparation of the proposed ordinance amendments.

Coastal Commission Outreach
City Staff have also been engaged in ongoing conversations with California Coastal Commission staff to explore more expeditious coastal review processes for ADUs in the City’s coastal zone. Potential options include new or amended Categorical Exclusion Orders, Coastal Development Permit waivers, creation of an Administrative Coastal Development Permit process, or applying exemptions to projects in certain geographic areas of the coastal zone.

Council Agenda Report
Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Amendment Project Framework June 30, 2026

Future Outreach Efforts
Staff will continue conducting outreach prior to presenting the draft ordinances to the Planning Commission. Additional outreach will include organizations and stakeholders such as Habitat for Humanity (to explore affordable unit options), permit expediters, realtor/contractor associations, and HCD staff.

ADU Regulations to Be Removed
To modernize the ADU ordinances and ensure full alignment with recent changes in State law, staff proposes removing several local regulations that are outdated, inconsistent, or unnecessarily burdensome. These provisions have contributed to applicant confusion, added review time, and created complexity without providing meaningful public benefit.

Eliminating these obsolete standards will streamline the ADU permitting process, improve clarity for applicants, and focus local regulation only on areas in which the City retains clear authority under State law.

Architectural Review Criteria
The current ADU ordinances contain numerous Architectural Review provisions that have proven difficult for staff to administer during application review. In particular, the “Design Style” subsection requires certain ADUs—depending on their location, configuration, or height—to match the primary residence in architectural style, roof pitch, exterior materials, colors, and finishes. Under these standards, project review becomes more complicated when minor unpermitted work is discovered on the primary residence, which is common throughout the city. For example, staff may encounter features such as vinyl windows installed without permits on a portion of a home with wood frame windows. In this circumstance, it is challenging for applicants and staff to determine which exterior materials should be used as the criteria for matching the primary residence.

In addition, discretionary design review may be required for exterior alterations that are not an integral part of the ADU but are proposed in conjunction with the ADU. Examples of common design review triggers in these instances are the inclusion of optional architectural amenities such as balconies, roof decks, and porches on the proposed ADU.

If a project does not comply with the Architectural Review standards or includes optional design amenities, staff will first evaluate whether the project can be approved administratively (i.e., at the staff level). If administrative review cannot be applied, the project must be formally reviewed by the applicable design review board. The current ordinances also allow applicants to voluntarily seek review by the design review board when proposing an ADU that does not match the primary residence or when addressing Council Agenda Report
Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Amendment Project Framework June 30, 2026

unique site or design circumstances. An example of this would be an ADU proposed in the front yard with a sizable roof deck.

However, most ADUs comply with the Architectural Review provisions or are exempt from design review altogether per State Law. As noted above, it is important to emphasize that the Architectural Review criteria only apply to Non-Exempt ADUs (i.e., 66314 units) and these units represent only a small fraction of the ADUs that have been permitted in the city thus far. Most ADUs fall into one of the categories of State Exempt/66323 units (e.g., detached unit 800 square feet or less that complies with height) or are created out of converted spaces that do not require any exterior alterations.

Therefore, in response to the Housing Element Program HE-6 directive, staff proposes to refine the Architectural Review section to remove some of the design review triggers and, where appropriate, referencing State Law (See Attachment 2: Housing Element Program HE-6). For example, building height and setbacks would be replaced with a reference to State law and design requirements would be reduced to simple objective criteria for elements such as skylights, guardrails, garage doors, roof tile, and roof pitch. The requirement to match materials and architectural style in specified locations (e.g., front yards, within 20 feet of the primary residence, Hillside Design District, etc.) would be removed entirely.

Open Yard
Per State ADU law, open yard development standards cannot be imposed on State Exempt ADUs (i.e., 66323 units). For Non-Exempt ADUs on single‑unit or two‑unit lots, the existing local ordinances require a reduced minimum open yard area (ranging from 500 to 1,250 square, with minimum dimensions of 15 feet long by 15 feet wide) based on lot area. In addition, the existing local ordinances also relax certain locational requirements by allowing open yard areas associated with ADUs to be located within driveways and turnarounds.

Despite the intent of the open yard provisions to ease certain development standards solely for the purpose of facilitating ADU development on single- and two-unit lots, the provisions have been frequently misinterpreted by applicants and used to enable development unrelated to an ADU, such as additions to the primary residence. This has complicated project review by requiring staff to verify compliance through multiple site plan exhibits and has diminished the usefulness of open yard standards overall given the broad range of Exempt ADU types permitted under State law.

Separately, SFDB streamlining has already increased open yard flexibility for small single-and two-unit lots citywide. The updated standards reduce the minimum required Council Agenda Report
Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Amendment Project Framework June 30, 2026

open yard area from 1,250 square feet to 800 square feet for lots under 6,000 square feet and reduce minimum dimensions from 20 by 20 feet to 15 by 20 feet, offering meaningful relief for most constrained lots seeking to accommodate an ADU over 800 square feet.

For these reasons, staff is proposing to remove the local open yard reductions for NonExempt ADUs. If Council agrees, State‑Exempt ADUs (e.g., ≤ 800 square feet) would continue to have no open yard requirements, and Non‑Exempt ADUs (801–1,200 square feet) would instead follow the streamlined, citywide open yard standards adopted through the Single‑Family Design Board (SFDB) Streamlining Project.

Existing ADU Open Yard Standards:
 Exempt ADU: None required
 Non-Exempt ADU:
– Lots < 6,000 sq ft: 500 sq ft
– Lots 6,000–7,999 sq ft: 800 sq ft
– Lots 8,000–9,999 sq ft: 1,000 sq ft
– Lots > 10,000 sq ft: 1,250 sq ft
– Min. Dimensions: 15 ft by 15 ft
Proposed ADU Open Yard Standards:
 Exempt ADU: None required
 Non-Exempt ADU:
– Lots < 6,000 sq ft: 800 sq ft
– Lots > 6,000 sq ft: 1,250 sq ft
– Min. Dimensions: 20 ft by 15 ft
Additional ADU Regulations to Be Removed
Other ADU regulations proposed for removal include outdated or subjective standards no longer allowed under State law, such as front setback restrictions for State‑Exempt ADUs, discretionary design review pathways, additional height allowances beyond State limits, open yard encroachments for ADUs over garages, bicycle parking replacement requirements, local historic resource protections that exceed State authority, neighborhood notification requirements, outdated references to owner‑occupancy and recorded ADU covenants, minimum unit sizes tied to bedroom count, and any redundant restatement of State ADU law where a simple reference to the Government Code is sufficient.

ADU Regulations to Be Maintained
While many existing ADU standards are proposed for removal or refinement to ensure consistency with State law and to simplify application, staff finds that several local regulations remain essential to preserving community values and protecting public safety.

These provisions are objective, fully permissible under State ADU law, and continue to address unique local conditions, including privacy protections, development limitations in Council Agenda Report
Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Amendment Project Framework June 30, 2026

High Fire Hazard Areas, and other measures that support key planning and safety objectives. These include:
 objective building-separation limits for Non-Exempt ADUs  the two-story limitation
 objective setback requirements and allowable encroachments  retention of no-parking requirements for ADUs outside the High Fire Hazard and Coastal Zones
 references to state-mandated permit processing timelines and ministerial review procedures
 privacy-related standards for upper-story elements
 safety-related building code provisions applied uniformly to all development, and  limited protections for designated historic resources where allowed by State law.

Together, these maintained standards ensure the ordinances remain fully compliant with State ADU requirements while preserving essential local planning objectives.

High Fire Hazard Area Development and Parking Standards The high fire hazard areas are in the northern and southwestern portions of the city and are characterized by steep slopes, narrow and curving streets, and restricted traffic flow.

These areas were expanded most recently in 2025 to include single-unit zones in the Riviera and San Roque neighborhoods (See Attachment 3: High Fire Hazard Area Map).

Per previous Council direction, several additional standards were placed on the larger non-exempt ADUs (66314) in high fire hazard areas due to concerns about increased density and vehicles in these zones. Specifically, in the Foothill and Extreme Foothill High Fire Hazard Areas, Non-Exempt ADUs (66314) are prohibited, and one additional parking space is required for ADUs with one or more bedrooms (unless the ADU is created out of existing floor area or is eligible for a parking exception).

Planning staff discussed these regulations with Fire Department staff on March 19, 2026, to determine if they continue to support these additional regulations. Due to the fuel load in high fire hazard areas and the continued concern regarding increased concentration of vehicles and people in high fire hazard areas during an evacuation event, Fire Department staff recommended that the high fire hazard area regulations be maintained for Non-Exempt ADU development; however, State Exempt ADUs with up to 800 square feet of floor area would continue to be allowed in High Fire Hazard Areas with special parking regulations.

Council Agenda Report
Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Amendment Project Framework June 30, 2026

Although the prohibition of Non-Exempt ADUs does not extend into the Coastal and Coastal Interior High Fire Hazard areas that overlay the Campanil, Bel Air, and Alta Mesa neighborhoods, the high fire hazard parking regulations for ADU development still apply.

Optional ADU Elements
To replace the existing open‑ended design review requirement for “non‑integral building elements,” staff is proposing the creation of a new section titled Optional ADU Elements.

This section would include provisions that would allow certain optional design features, with limitations, that would be exempt from design review provided they meet objective size, design, and placement limitations. These features may include porches, patio covers, storage closets, first-story decks, and upper-story decks and balconies. The regulations would be drafted to align with the Single Family Streamlining Amendments for Title 30 that became effective on May 28, 2026. Staff would also clarify what ADU elements may use the reduced four-foot interior setback. Clear definitions identifying which portions of a building are considered part of the ADU for permitting purposes would also be included, thus preventing unrelated work from being processed through the ADU permit and reducing confusion for applicants and staff.

Additional ADU Flexibility Proposed (New Local Standards) State ADU law limits local agencies from imposing development standards that are more restrictive than those allowed under State statute; however, cities may adopt more permissive standards that further support the construction of ADUs. Consistent with this framework and with Housing Element Program HE-6, staff members have identified several local amendments that would expand flexibility beyond State minimums and remove unnecessary barriers to ADU production, without negatively impacting the city.

Ownership Units as Condominiums
Some California jurisdictions, including the cities of San Jose and San Diego, have adopted ordinances allowing the separate sale or conveyance of primary residential units and associated ADUs as condominiums. This may be accomplished either through the initial condominium map process for new construction projects or through a condominium conversion process for properties where construction has already been completed.

Because interest in ADU ownership opportunities has been expressed during public outreach, and because such units may provide more affordable homeownership options for new buyers, staff proposes including provisions in the ADU Ordinance Amendments to allow the separate sale and conveyance of ADUs.

Conversion Allowance Where New Construction Is Otherwise Specified in State Law Council Agenda Report
Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Amendment Project Framework June 30, 2026

As noted above, achieving the maximum number of State Exempt ADUs permitted on single- and multi-unit lots requires a combination of conversion ADUs and newly constructed detached ADUs under State law. However, to provide greater flexibility for property owners and support the City’s sustainability goals and policies, staff proposes allowing State Exempt conversion ADUs in place of the detached new construction ADUs otherwise specified by State law.

Under current State ADU rules, single‑unit lots may contain up to four ADUs through a combination of a JADU, a conversion ADU, a detached ADU, and one Non‑Exempt ADU.

Multi‑unit lots may accommodate between four and eight or more ADUs, depending on the number of existing units and whether conversion or new‑construction units are proposed (see Attachment 4 for additional details)
The City could adopt local amendments that would maintain these overall totals but provide an alternative pathway that allows additional conversion ADUs when no new‑construction ADUs are included. This approach supports the reuse of existing structures, reduces potential impacts on neighboring properties, and offers property owners options for achieving the maximum number of units allowed under State law.

Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOW)
Staff continues to receive questions from the public regarding whether Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOW) can be used as ADUs or otherwise occupied as residential units within the City. THOW are currently not allowed because they are classified as Recreational Vehicles and therefore cannot be used for living or sleeping purposes outside of an RV park. However, ongoing public interest and repeated counter inquiries indicate that THOW may warrant policy consideration as the City evaluates potential updates to its ADU regulations.

Given this continued level of community interest, staff is requesting Council direction on whether to study potential options for allowing Tiny Homes on Wheels either as part of the ongoing ADU Ordinance amendment work program or as a separate, standalone program. This could include evaluating the safety, infrastructure, and code compliance implications of THOW, as well as whether a tailored regulatory framework could support their use as a lower cost housing option while maintaining health, safety, and neighborhood compatibility standards. Staff seeks guidance on the preferred path forward so that any work related to THOW can be appropriately scoped and prioritized.

Questions for Council

1. Direction For High Fire Hazard Areas:

Council Agenda Report
Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Amendment Project Framework June 30, 2026

Does City Council agree with maintaining the current high fire hazard area ADU development and parking standards in both Title 28 and Title 30?

2. Direction For Ownership Units:

Does City Council agree with including amendments to allow the separate sale and conveyance of ADUs and the primary unit through the condominium processes?

3. Direction For Expanded Conversion Allowances:

Does City Council agree with allowing a local alternative that promotes conversion ADUs over new construction where detached new construction ADUs are otherwise allowed by State Law?

4. Direction for Open Yard:

Does City Council agree with removal of the local ADU open yard standards that apply to Non-Exempt ADUs on single-unit and two-unit lots and instead following the newly adopted Single Family Streamlining guidelines?

5. Direction for Tiny Homes on Wheels:

Does City Council agree with reviewing options for allowing Tiny Homes on Wheels either as part of the ongoing ADU Ordinance amendment work program or as a separate, standalone program?
Next Steps
This framework discussion is an initial step in implementing Program HE-6. The adopted and certified timeline in the 2023–2031 Housing Element for this program anticipates completion in 2026. Staff will work to maintain this timeline as closely as possible.

Implementation of Program HE-6 will require action by Planning Commission, Ordinance Committee, and City Council for adoption. In addition, the Title 28 Ordinance amendments will require certification of a Local Coastal Program Amendment by the California Coastal Commission.

Budget/Financial Information:

This project does not have a budget/financial impact on the City.

Attachments:

1. Site Plan Showing Four ADU Units on a Single-Unit Lot Council Agenda Report
Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Amendment Project Framework June 30, 2026

2. 2023–2031 Housing Element Program HE-6

3. Map: High Fire Hazard Area

4. ADU Conversion Allowances
Prepared By: Robert Dostalek, Associate Planner
Submitted By: Allison DeBusk, Community Development Director Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
SSource: Microsoft Copilot Al ource: Microsoft Copilot AI NEW

DETACHED
66323 ADU
GARAGE

CONVERSION

TO JADU
NEW

DETACHED
66314ADU

SINGLE-UNIT

RESIDENCE

CONVERTED PORTION OF

INTERIOR OF EXISTING

RESIDENCE INTO ADU

SITE PLAN
ATTACHMENT 1
2023-2031 Housing Element Program Goals and Policies
Housing Element Program HE-6
In 2017, the State legislature identified production of ADUs as an important strategy to increase housing statewide and made significant changes to the manner by which local governments can regulate ADUs. In 2018, the City adopted an ADU Ordinance, which is periodically amended in compliance with state law, most recently in 2023. As of May 2022, 365 ADUs have been constructed and many more have received building permits or are pending approval.

Despite the City’s success in number of ADUs permitted, the permit process for ADUs can be confusing and complicated for property owners and staff spends significant time explaining the ordinance, fees, procedures, and vetting various permutations of proposed ADUs. Property owners have expressed City of Santa Barbara | General Plan Page | 127 2023-2031 Housing Element interest in pre-approved designs and increasing the allowed number of ADUs on properties with existing multi-unit development.

To facilitate further production of ADUs and meet the objective of 629 ADUs permitted during the 6th cycle, the City will implement the following programs:
• Procedural and Ordinance Evaluation: The City will conduct outreach to evaluate and implement procedural changes and consider further ordinance amendments to assist ADU applicants and increase ADU applications. The changes could include:
o Reduce the triggers for design review for ADUs that currently require discretionary design review because they don’t meet the City’s architectural design criteria;
o Use of pre-approved plans, especially for manufactured homes, consistent with design criteria. Pre-approved plans that include innovative fire-safe designs would be specifically helpful for projects allowed in the City’s High Fire Hazard Areas; and
o Allow ADUs in proposed multi-unit or mixed-use buildings, rather than only as conversion of existing space.
• Guidance: The City will conduct outreach and develop additional guidance to provide greater support to applicants who are seeking City approval for ADUs.

ATTACHMENT 2
The guidance will include manuals, webinars, checklists, financing options, and Spanish language materials.
• Affordability: The City will research and collaborate with community organizations and nonprofits who are interested in offering ADUs as deed-restricted affordable housing and look for ways to implement a pilot program with incentives for property owners to provide ADUs as deed-restricted housing or housing choice vouchers for special needs households including low-income seniors, farmworkers, people with disabilities, and other community members in need of affordable housing.

Amendments to ADU procedures or the Ordinance shall be drafted for adoption per the results of the outreach and evaluation. Note: Unless otherwise required by state law or recommended by City Council, ADU Ordinance amendments that would increase the number of units on a parcel or the size of allowed ADUs will not be implemented in the City’s designated High Fire Hazard Areas due to public health and safety concerns and Safety Element policies to limit additional development in High Fire Hazard Areas.

Funding Source: General Fund (staff), Grants if available Responsibility: Planning Division
Time Frame: Start Date Q4 2023. End Date Q3 2026.

Corresponding Goal/Policy: Goals 1, 2; Policies 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.9 Goals
Goal 1 -Create New Housing: Create new healthy, safe, and energy efficient housing that meets community needs, within our resources.

Goal 2 - Prioritize Affordable Housing: Prioritize housing that is affordable to the workforce and vulnerable communities, by the use of deed restrictions and other measures, over othe r types of development, with special emphasis on housing that meets the needs of extreme ly low, very low, low, moderate, and middle income, and special needs households.

Policies
Policy 1.1: Sustainable and Livable Neighborhoods. Ensure that new housing programs, housing developments, and related infrastructure improvements include community-led strategies that encourage community revitalization in areas of lower opportunity to meet the needs of lower-income residents and are consistent with the City’s sustainability initiatives for energy efficiency and active transportation goals.

Policy 1.2: Infill Housing. Encourage development of housing on infill sites near transit and jobs, particularly redevelopment of sites suitable for housing, while continuing to limit residential density in High Fire Hazard Areas.

Policy 1.3: Adaptive Reuse. Provide incentives and promote flexibility for adaptive reuse projects that convert existing structures to multi-unit housing in order to reduce construction waste and extend the life of existing buildings.

Policy 1.4: Reduce Constraints. Reduce and, where feasible and practical, remove unnecessary City-imposed constraints that impede housing development.

Policy 1.9: Senior Housing. Facilitate housing development for Santa Barbara’s growing senior population, including designs that support “aging in place,” senior housing with supportive services, veterans housing, assisted living facilities, and accessory dwelling units.

City of Santa Barbara - MAPS
Hiah Fire Hazard Areas
...

I
i
;·:.:::=::.::::_-::=:;_-:::::.·:...-:::...-::::....-:._/ 12,129.548
i
i
_____ /
V\K3S_ 1984_Web_Mercator_Auxitiary _Sphere
6,064.774
© City of Santa Barbara Reported on 06/04/2026 03:24 PM 12,129. Feet MAP DISCLAIMER
Legend
[J City Limits
High Fire Hazard Area
■ Coastal
□ Coastal Interior
[] Extreme Foothill Zone
■ Foothill Zone
Signal Communications Nodes
Signal Communication Line:
1: 72,777 0
Notes
This service has been provided to allow a visual display of City information. Every effort has been made to ensure High Fire Hazard Map the S1Ccuracy of the map and data. The City of Santa Barbara assumes no respons il:lUKy ar ising 1i'om the use of this information. THE MAPS AND ASSOCIATED DAT AARE PRO\IIDED WITHOUT A WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. This map \/\es created usl1gthe Cty of Santa Barbara M apping Analysis a,nd Printing Sy&em appicalion ATTACHMENT 3
ADU Conversion Allowances
Existing Allowable Number of
ADUs:

Single-Unit Lot:
• 1 JADU
• 1 Conversion ADU
• 1 New Construction ADU
• 1 Non-Exempt ADU (66314 unit)
Total = 4 ADUs
Multi-Unit Lot:
• Conversion ADU: 1 or 25% of units
• New Construction ADU: 2; up to 8
• Non-Exempt ADU (66314 unit): 1
Total = 4 to 8+ ADUs
Proposed Allowable Number of
ADUs:

Single-Unit Lot:
• 1 JADU
• 1 Conversion ADU
• 1 New Construction ADU
• 1 Non-Exempt ADU (66314 unit)
• Alternative: Up to 3 Conversion
ADUs if no new-construction ADUs
Total = 4 ADUs
Multi-Unit Lot:
• Conversion ADU: 1 or 25% of units
• New Construction ADU: 2; up to 8
• Non-Exempt ADU (66314 unit): 1
• Alternative: 4–8 Conversion ADUs
if no new-construction ADUs
Total = 4 to 8+ ADUs
ATTACHMENT 4
City of Santa Barbara
Council Agenda Report
Agenda Date: June 30, 2026
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
From: City Administrator’s Office
Subject: Interim Implementation of the State Street Master Plan Recommendation: That Council:

A. Direct staff to maintain the State Street Promenade in its current configuration until the Master Plan is implemented and return to Council with amendments to reauthorize Title 31; or
B. Direct staff to allow Title 31 to expire and return to Council to appropriate funds necessary to effectuate the re-configuration of the roadway until the Master Plan can be implemented.

Executive Summary:

State Street between Victoria and Haley Streets has operated as a pedestrian and bicycle promenade since May 2020. What began as an emergency response to support outdoor dining and safe public space during the pandemic has become a defining feature of downtown. The closure to vehicular traffic, originally an emergency measure, was subsequently codified as Title 31 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code. On April 28, 2026, Council reviewed the draft State Street Master Plan (SSMP), a long-term vision for a pedestrian-priority downtown corridor and directed staff to finalize the Plan. Full implementation of the Master Plan will take years and significant capital investment, and Title 31 will sunset when the Master Plan is adopted (or on December 31, 2026, whichever is sooner).

This report describes the changes to State Street that will be needed if Title 31 expires and associated costs. It also outlines findings from a study of estimated emergency response times conducted by Fehr & Peers, and briefly discusses policy-related work efforts to support Downtown revitalization and the future success of the Master Plan. Staff seeks Council direction on whether to re-authorize Title 31 to maintain the Promenade in the interim period, or allow it to expire and return the street to its pre-2020 configuration during the same interim period.

Agenda Item No. 26
Council Agenda Report
Interim Implementation of the State Street Master Plan
June 30, 2026

Discussion:

In May 2020, in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the City closed State Street to vehicle traffic to provide space for outdoor dining and physically distanced commerce. The closure was initially authorized by the City Administrator, at Council’s direction, via a Local Emergency Order before being formalized by the Emergency Economic Recovery Ordinance (EERO; Ordinance No. 5944), adopted May 27, 2020.

The EERO was extended twice before Council adopted the Economic Recovery Extension and Transition Ordinance (ERETO; Ordinance No. 6055) in early 2022. In October 2023, Council adopted Ordinance No. 6125, codifying the closure of State Street to vehicular traffic as Title 31 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code.

Title 31 designates State Street between Victoria and Haley Streets as the State Street Promenade, establishes the Promenade as a space intended primarily for pedestrians and bicycles, and regulates outdoor business facilities operating within it. Since adopting Title 31, the City has implemented a series of pilot programs and improvements, which are outlined in Attachment 1. Title 31 expires upon adoption of the State Street Master Plan (SSMP) or on December 31, 2026, whichever is sooner.

On April 28, 2026, Council reviewed the draft State Street Master Plan and voted to support the Plan's concept while preserving flexibility on certain elements. The public comment period remains open through June 30, 2026 while City boards and committees continue to provide input. Staff is refining the Plan based on Council and public feedback and anticipates bringing a final Master Plan to Council for adoption in late summer 2026.

With the expiration of Title 31 imminent, the City must decide how State Street will operate during the period between Master Plan adoption and the start of construction. Full implementation of the Master Plan will require design, environmental review, and significant capital investment over a number of years. In the interim, the City can choose to maintain the Promenade in its current configuration or allow Title 31 to expire.

Reauthorization of Title 31
If Council elects reauthorize Title 31, the State Street Promenade would be maintained in its current configuration until Master Plan implementation, and staff will return with necessary amendments to Title 31. Pilot projects currently underway, including the Loop Shuttle and the pedlets/expanded sidewalk dining on the 500 block, would continue. The City would continue to implement no- or low-cost beautification efforts, including transitioning to HLC-approved furniture for outdoor dining, adding flowers, restoring benches, minor lighting enhancements, a wayfinding program for businesses, and enforcement of the prohibition on off-premise signs. Additional improvements and pilot projects could be implemented as funding allows.

Council Agenda Report
Interim Implementation of the State Street Master Plan
June 30, 2026

Expiration of Title 31
If Title 31 expires, State Street would return its pre-COVID configuration, with two-way vehicle traffic and bike lanes in the roadway and pedestrians on the sidewalks. Restoring any vehicle traffic circulation pattern requires removal of all on-street business facilities, expanded sidewalk dining, and pedlets. B-Cycle stations would be re-located to the sidewalk, which would require removal of some planters and installation of concrete pads or metal platforms to secure the docks. The existing markings would be ground off the roadway, and the surface would be slurry sealed and re-striped. The City would need to purchase additional traffic barriers, similar to those used to close Carrillo Street for the Saturday Farmers Market, to secure the State Street portion of the road closure for both the Tuesday and Saturday Farmers Markets, as well as any other large events requiring closure of the roadway. These required changes would cost approximately $700,000.

In addition, grinding and re-striping the roadway may require that some of the Bloomburgfunded asphalt art installation at the intersection of State Street and Carrillo Street be removed. Terms of this grant agreement require the City to maintain the art installation for a minimum of two years, so the City may incur additional cost to either re-paint the sections that are removed or refund the grant money to Bloomburg Foundation.

The MTD Downtown-Waterfront Shuttle, which currently runs along Anacapa and Chapala Streets could return to State Street if vehicle traffic returns. The City is currently able to fund this service from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the summer months. Prior to COVID, the shuttle ran every day. Returning to the pre-COVID schedule would cost the City approximately $2.1 million annually. Funding is not currently available to support an extended shuttle schedule. The Loop Shuttle could potentially continue to operate under this scenario within existing budgeted resources but this would require a discussion with the operator to ensure it continues to be a possibility.

Emergency Vehicle Response
During the six years that the State Street Promenade has been closed to private vehicle traffic, police, firefighters, and paramedics have responded to a wide variety of incidents in the Promenade area, including commercial structure fires, medical emergencies, property crimes, and violent crimes. In response to prior discussions about altering the interim configuration of State Street, the City retained Fehr & Peers to evaluate the potential impact of changes to vehicle access on emergency response times.

The consultants analyzed five hypothetical scenarios to estimate emergency vehicle travel time for each and evaluate the potential difference when State Street is in its current configuration versus if it were open for one-way northbound vehicle traffic. The analysis focused on “worst case scenario” responses, assuming each emergency incident took Council Agenda Report
Interim Implementation of the State Street Master Plan
June 30, 2026

place at the midpoint of a block on State Street, the maximum distance from the nearest intersection, and that emergency vehicles were either unable to drive onto the closed Promenade, requiring responders to walk from their vehicles to the incident, or that heavy equipment would navigate the entrance to each block and travel to midblock at a speed of three miles per hour.

For a typical block, the study estimated that, on average, emergency response in the hypothetical scenarios would take between 45 seconds to 1 minute and 18 seconds longer in the current configuration than in the one-way configuration. For an incident on the 700-800 block, which lacks the same access on cross-streets due to De La Guerra being closed at Paseo Nuevo, average response times were estimated to be between 1 minute and 57 seconds longer to 2 minutes and 10 seconds longer.

The Fehr & Peers memo describing their methods and findings is included as Attachment

2. Bridge Projects
Following adoption of the Master Plan, staff capacity, funding, and implementation resources will be focused primarily on advancing the Plan toward construction. This period also provides an opportunity to continue to lay the policy foundation for Downtown’s redevelopment and revitalization. Work efforts will include:
 Studying opportunities to redevelop City-owned surface parking lots into mixeduse projects that provide for housing units while retaining parking capacity.  Exploring policy changes to stimulate redevelopment of privately-owned surface parking lots in the Downtown core.
 Continuing efforts to streamline the land development and permitting processes.  Strategic planning for economic development and business recruitment.

Budget/Financial Information:

There are no costs associated with reauthorizing Title 31. Allowing Title 31 to expire would result in State Street reverting to its 2019 configuration. Implementing this change would cost approximately $700,000. If Council directs staff to allow Title 31 to expire, staff will identify potential funding sources to implement this change and return to Council to request appropriation of these funds.

Sustainability Impact:

Reauthorizing Title 31 maintains a pedestrian- and bicycle-priority corridor that supports active transportation and reduced vehicle miles traveled in the downtown core. State Street is the spine of the City’s bike network, connecting multiple facilities to create safe Council Agenda Report
Interim Implementation of the State Street Master Plan
June 30, 2026

cross-town routes. The absence of vehicle traffic along this corridor creates a safe, lowstress bike facility for all ages and abilities, which encourages a shift toward sustainable transportation. This is evidenced by the high volume of cyclists and pedestrians using the corridor. Continuation of the Promenade is consistent with the City’s sustainability and climate action objectives.

Allowing Title 31 to expire would restore vehicle traffic to the corridor and represent a deprioritization of alternative transportation in relation to the Promenade configuration. This alternative would increase the opportunities for vehicle vs. pedestrian and vehicle vs. cyclist collisions, potentially reversing the decrease seen since the removal of private vehicle traffic from the corridor. Reintroducing vehicles creates a higher-stress bicycle facility that is less likely to be utilized by more cautious and risk-averse riders, including families or people traveling with younger children, older adults, and less-experienced riders, such as new commuters. As a result, some bicycle trips may revert to vehicle trips, increasing traffic and emissions.

Environmental Review:

Council direction to staff does not constitute approval of a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Environmental review of specific interim actions will be completed, as applicable, prior to implementation.

Attachments:

1. Summary of Interim and Pilot Projects

2. Fehr & Peers Memo re: State Street Emergency Vehicle Response 2025 Travel Time Evaluation
Prepared By: Sarah Clark, Downtown Services Manager
Tess Harris, State Street Master Planner
Submitted By: Anthony Valdez, Deputy City Administrator Approved By: Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator
ATTACHMENT 1
Summary of State Street Interim and
Pilot Projects
Rather than wait for the State Street Master Plan to be designed, funded, and built, staff have implemented a series of smaller, reversible projects that test pieces of the long-term vision in real conditions. Each is meant to generate usage data, public feedback, and practical lessons that inform the permanent design. These pilots fall under the Master Plan’s Short-Term Action Plan, a set of interim items to pursue while the corridor’s future is settled. The projects below cover major components of the work undertaken downtown since 2023.

E-Bike Safety
In response to the increased popularity of e-bikes and growing concerns about e-bike safety, an interdepartmental working group of City staff developed regulation, education, and enforcement strategies to promote safe e-bike use and address unsafe behaviors.

In March 2025, Council voted to amend Santa Barbara Municipal Code (SBMC) Chapter

10.52 to strengthen safety regulations for bicycles and e-bikes.

Since then, the Police Department has implemented a multifaceted approach focused on education, enforcement, and community outreach. Since the initiative began, officers have issued 431 citations for violations of SBMC Section 10.52.020, which is related to unsafe e-bike operation. In addition to enforcement efforts, the department has conducted dedicated e-bike enforcement operations throughout the city to address unsafe riding.

Recognizing that education is a critical component of long-term success, officers from the department have delivered approximately 20 e-bike safety presentations at local schools, including La Colina Jr. High, Adams Elementary, Monroe School, Franklin Elementary, La Cumbre Jr. High, Providence High and Providence elementary, and Cleveland Elementary. These presentations focused on applicable laws, safe riding practices, helmet requirements, and the responsibilities associated with operating electric bicycles.

The Department has also utilized public outreach and education campaigns through social media to increase awareness of e-bike regulations and promote safe riding practices among riders and parents.

The Loop Shuttle Pilot
The Loop, a free electric shuttle, began running State Street on May 29, 2025, through a partnership between the City, the local company Sweep SB (which supplied the vehicles and drivers), and the nonprofit Friends of State Street. Service started with three carts, two five-passenger and one wheelchair-accessible, operating Thursday through Sunday ATTACHMENT 1
from noon to 7 p.m. between the waterfront and the upper promenade, with stops marked by painted stars on the pavement. Funding came in part from Measure C, and the sixmonth pilot was budgeted at $100,000 with additional cost funded by Friends of State Street. Ridership made the case for continuing it: since the launch, more than 18,000 people have ridden, and the Council voted unanimously to extend the program through May 2026 and add a fourth, also accessible, cart. On June 30, 2026, Council will determine whether to continue the Loop for another year, through June 2027.

Post-ride surveys collected on iPads aboard the carts have received a 99% satisfaction rating, with riders split fairly evenly across shopping, dining, entertainment, and sightseeing. The City’s Access Advisory Committee has maintained that the accessible cart may not be fully suitable, and the City is reviewing longer-term shuttle options that would meet requirements as well as additional adjustments to the existing carts.

MTD Downtown-Waterfront Circulator Shuttle
Separate from the Loop, the City provides funding to the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District to operate its Downtown-Waterfront shuttle in the summer months. After a four-year hiatus, MTD brought the route back in 2024 and ran it again in summer 2025, Friday through Sunday, on a longer route than the Loop, reaching from the harbor and waterfront out to the Zoo and along Chapala and Anacapa to the Arlington. Unlike the free Loop, the MTD shuttle charges a nominal fare. In season, the two services overlap, giving downtown a layered set of low-emission transit options while the corridor’s permanent mobility plan is worked out.

Outdoor Dining: Pedlet Pilot
In September 2025, the City installed prefabricated modular sidewalk extensions called “pedlets” along the 500 block, enabling the removal of on-street business facilities. The pedlets were purchased for roughly $528,000 from the Colorado manufacturer MODSTREET. This new temporary sidewalk space has given pedestrians a raised, ADAaccessible path separated from bike traffic in the roadway. The 500 block was chosen due to its concentration of restaurants (approximately 20 with outdoor dining) and high pedestrian volume. Restaurants were then able to expand their outdoor dining across the width of the sidewalks, creating a unified space that is easier to serve and maintain.

Benches, plants, and lighting were also added along the pedlets to enhance safety and comfort. This design is more reflective of the right-of-way configuration proposed in the Master Plan, and has been a good opportunity to test the concept. Business reaction has largely been positive since most operators were able to keep or increase their seat counts, although a few businesses lost some capacity depending on frontage. Feedback has also been received from the public that the pedlets provide a nice extension of the sidewalk with better delineation of space but do not provide a superior permanent aesthetic appearance for the sidewalk.

ATTACHMENT 1
Pedlets have the added benefit of providing better separation between bicycle and pedestrian spaces, and visually narrowing the travel lane in the roadway, which reduces bicycle speeds.

Sidewalk and Landscape Improvements: 1200 Block Pilot
In mid-2025, the City began work on a pilot project to re-think the sidewalk and landscaping design used throughout the State Street Plaza, beginning with the 1200 block. The existing ground-level landscaping was removed, leaving only established street trees. Electrical pedestals were re-located, and permeable pavers were added to shrink the size of the planters surrounding the trees to the greatest extent feasible. This opened additional sidewalk space for outdoor dining to expand without the need for onstreet installations, and without impeding on the 8-foot wide pedestrian path.

In December 2025 the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Friends of State Street, and the City coordinated a volunteer event and planted about 200 California native plants in the 1200 block, the first native plant project of its kind downtown. Forty volunteers installed water-wise, regionally appropriate species including Douglas iris, coral bells, monkeyflower, and ceanothus. Decorative black metal edging was installed around the beds to protect the new plants while they became established.

The Garden, Friends of State Street, and the City returned in February 2026 to add another 200 plants, after realizing that additional foliage would provide more vibrancy and excitement for the native plant program. Signage with a QR code invites passersby to weigh in. The aim is to test whether native landscaping holds up and looks good in a heavily used commercial corridor; if it succeeds, there may be opportunities to plant native plants on additional State Street blocks.

Public Art
In June 2025 Santa Barbara was named one of ten cities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to receive a $100,000 grant from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative, along with technical support from Bloomberg Associates. The City and the County Office of Arts & Culture selected the State and Carrillo intersection, the home of the Saturday Farmers Market and one of downtown’s busiest crossings, at roughly 15,000 vehicles and 10,000 pedestrians a day.

Lead artist Eddy Jimenez and designer Irene Ramirez developed a design drawn from Oaxacan, Zapotec, and Mixtec art and weaving traditions, honoring the heritage of many local residents and farmworkers. Installation ran approximately two weeks in April 2026, pairing the artwork at crosswalks and curb extensions with safety features such as planters, bollards, and pedestrian lighting. The City is comparing traffic and pedestrian behavior before and after to gauge the safety effect, building on Bloomberg’s earlier research showing reduced crashes at treated sites.

ATTACHMENT 1
The installation is set to remain in place for at least two years. The City hosted an opening reception and ribbon cutting event that was attended by over 200 members of the public in May 2026 and included dancing and music. The public has had mixed reviews on the artwork treatment, and the City is identifying regular opportunities for cleaning and maintenance to ensure the artwork continues to look its best.

Activations
SB Bubble Guy: The City of Santa Barbara hosted "Bubbles on State Street" events, that were free, family-friendly bubble play gatherings every Saturday in September 2025. They took place downtown on State Street between De La Guerra and Carrillo Streets and provided a low-cost way to provide elements of play on State Street.

Fiesta Dog Parade: This year, Old Spanish Days Fiesta, the City's biggest cultural festival, debuted its first Fiesta Dog Parade on State Street. Dogs and their owners in festive, Spanish-inspired costumes walked down the 700 and 800 blocks of State Street and continued through Paseo Nuevo, where a post-parade gathering with music, vendors, and awards ended the event.

Fiesta Mercado on State Street: Alongside Fiesta's established mercados, the City and Old Spanish Days are working on a Fiesta Mercado on the State Street promenade for August 2026. The idea is to bring the food, crafts and live music that make Fiesta's markets so popular onto the corridor in addition to De La Guerra Plaza, giving people a downtown gathering spot during the festival's busiest week. As an interim activation, it also lets the City try flexible vendor and market layouts that the permanent design could build in later.

DSBIA
The Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) is an active partner in maintaining and enlivening the State Street corridor, and its services provide a strong foundation for the interim period. DSBIA delivers daily street and sidewalk cleaning, graffiti removal, landscape maintenance, and paseo beautification, supported by a new security camera pilot, that help create a more welcoming Downtown environment. These efforts extend to dressing vacant storefront windows to keep the streetscape attractive during the transition.

On the programming side, DSBIA sustains a calendar of recurring events that draw residents and visitors downtown, including 1st Thursday, the monthly art walk operating since 2007, and the annual LIVE Art & Wine Tour, held since 1999, and a popular series of free, community dance lesson, along with other seasonal and holiday activations. In 2026, DSBIA also introduced a Downtown Activation Mini-Grant program, providing grants of $250–$1,000 for free, public activations on State Street. Together, these cleaning, safety, beautification, and programming functions position DSBIA as a key ATTACHMENT 1
implementation partner whose ongoing work the interim plan can leverage and coordinate as the corridor moves toward its long-term design.

Friends of State Street
This local nonprofit has assisted with several of the projects above, in addition to undertaking their own work to enliven Downtown. They have been a consistent partner on the interim work, collaborating with the City and Sweep SB on the Loop shuttle, including planning, promotion, and a share of the funding, and joining the City and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden on the native plantings. The group also commissioned Loop’s illustrated route map from a local artist. Its involvement has let the City move faster on pilots than it could alone, bringing private fundraising and volunteer capacity to projects that are lean by design.

Policy
As part of evaluating long-term funding mechanisms for downtown infrastructure, the City evaluated whether an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District could fund downtown and State Street infrastructure. An EIFD captures a share of future property tax growth within a set boundary and reinvests it in public improvements, without creating a new tax.

It is one of the main tools available to California cities since redevelopment ended in 2012.

Staff studied the potential increment, the boundary and County participation that would be needed, and the cost of preparing an Infrastructure Financing Plan and forming a Public Financing Authority. The concept went to the Finance Committee on February 24, 2026 for direction on whether to continue.

The City chose not to move forward. With the General Fund facing a structural deficit of roughly $8.7 million and reserves under pressure, diverting future property tax growth away from the General Fund could not be justified. A large share of the relevant downtown land is also tax-exempt, which limits the increment an EIFD could realistically generate, and any meaningful revenue would take years to accrue. The City will continue funding corridor improvements through grants, development impact fees, and other capital sources.

Summary
Across the corridor, these projects have served their purpose well. They put working versions of a future street design in front of the public, produced usage data and feedback, and surfaced the practical questions, business impacts, accessibility, and maintenance issues, that are far cheaper to identify now than after a permanent build. Those findings are informing the Master Plan as it moves toward adoption.

Memorandum
Date: June 22, 2026
To: Tess Harris, City of Santa Barbara
From: Lydia Rowen, Miguel Nunez, and Sarah Brandenberg, PE, Fehr & Peers Subject: State Street Emergency Vehicle Response 2025 Travel Time Evaluation Fehr & Peers conducted an evaluation that compares emergency vehicle response travel times for existing (2025) scenarios with State Street open and State Street closed to vehicle traffic. This memorandum summarizes the scenarios analyzed, methodology, and results of this analysis.

Project Background
As a response to COVID19, the City of Santa Barbara closed State Street to vehicle traffic to enable restaurants to operate with outdoor dining. The closure has been extended, and the City Council is weighing options for the future design of the corridor. Numerous factors inform the future of State Street, such as economic vitality, safety, mobility, and accessibility that impact various stakeholders such as businesses, residents, and travelers in the area. The closure of State Street results in vehicles adjusting their path of travel to avoid State Street and travel on parallel corridors.

Given the land use types and popularity of State Street, a variety of calls are made that require first responders (police, fire, and paramedics) to reach destinations along State Street. In coordination with city staff, Fehr & Peers was provided with five scenarios reflecting potential real-world first responder scenarios. The scenarios vary in terms of the nature of the call, time of day, number/type of responding vehicles, and where the responders would be originating from. The common element among the scenarios is the destination on State Street between Haley Street and Figueroa Street.

This analysis estimates the travel time for each scenario described in the following section to help evaluate the potential difference in travel time when State Street is open or closed.

Scenarios Analyzed
The following scenarios were analyzed to understand the relative change in travel time between existing scenarios with State Street open and closed to vehicle traffic:
 Existing (2025) vehicle volumes with State Street open  Existing (2025) vehicle volumes with State Street closed ATTACHMENT 2
State Street Emergency Response 2025 Travel Time Evaluation | 2 The existing 2025 scenario reflects current traffic volumes with State Street open or closed to vehicular traffic. In the 2025 State Street closed scenario, the closure reflects recent conditions with planters and bollards that would require most first responders to drive to the nearest intersecting east/west cross-street and then reach their destination on foot.

The State Street “closed” scenario assumes no north/south vehicular traffic between Haley Street and Victoria Street. East/west streets would remain open for east/west travel with the north/south legs of the intersections blocking vehicular access in the State Street closed scenario. The State Street “open” scenario assumes one-way northbound travel for vehicular traffic on this segment of State Street with access available at the east/west cross streets. This approach allows for a comparison of the relative difference in travel time with State Street open or closed in 2025.

Methodology
Fehr & Peers employed Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and various data inputs to estimate first responder travel times from various origins and destinations. The GIS tool used to estimate travel time uses anonymous historical travel time information from devices that reflect real world travel patterns and speeds. In addition to knowing the start and end points of each trip, additional considerations include:
 Travel route (corresponding distance)
 Time of day and day of week
 Vehicle typology (light and heavy-duty vehicles)
 Levels of background traffic
 Signal pre-emption for Fire Department vehicles
Five scenarios were analyzed, each reflecting the different variables above. While all calls are to a location between 500 and 1000 State Street, the origins of all first responders to the destination on State Street are found throughout the City of Santa Barbara. Figure 1 displays the locations of the origins and destinations being analyzed for each of the five scenarios, with the study area including the potential for routes that traverse much of the City of Santa Barbara.

The City of Santa Barbara provided the following inputs:
 Response call scenarios, including:
o Time of day and day of week
o Vehicle typology
 Response call origins and destinations
 Intersections with signal pre-emption for Fire Department vehicles Given the various origins and destinations, there are numerous routes that could be taken at any given time of day. Based on the information provided, the GIS tool helps to model and analyze the following inputs:
 Travel routes and corresponding distance
 Average travel speed (based on background traffic, signal pre-emption, and time of day and day of week)
The analysis was prepared for two vehicle types: light-duty vehicle (typical police squad car, ambulance, or police or fire SUV) and a heavy-duty truck (fire engine, fire truck, fire ladder truck) as State Street Emergency Response 2025 Travel Time Evaluation | 3 the vehicles have different travel speeds due to vehicle size, turning radii, and the space available to navigate the citywide roadway network. Table 1 displays the origins, destinations, time of day and day of week, vehicle types, and nature of the incident triggering a response.

When State Street is open, emergency response vehicles would be able to drive directly to the destination address in the north or southbound direction and walk in.

The 2025 State Street closed scenario reflects the existing planters and barriers that preclude drivers from driving onto State Street. In the 2025 analysis, first responders stop at the nearest cross-street and proceed on foot to their destination at the midpoint of each block. This analysis applies a walking speed of three miles per hour (just over four feet per second) for this portion of their trip.

The 2025 State Street closed analysis adds the walk time from the nearest cross street to the midpoint of the destination block. In addition, each State Street closed scenario may require Fire Department apparatus or emergency response vehicles at the midblock destination. Therefore, each scenario analyzes up to two first responder vehicles that would navigate the planters and bollards to reach the midpoint of the block while traveling three miles per hour.

Travel Time Evaluation
For each scenario, the background traffic levels were selected based on the time of day and day of week, and State Street configuration (open or closed) for that specific scenario. With that information, the GIS model simulated the potential travel among various routes to optimize travel time between the specified origin and destination for each scenario.

Because each scenario occurs at different times of day and days of the week, with different vehicles, origins/destinations, and potential travel routes and distances, the comparative analysis focuses on comparing 2025 State Street open or closed scenarios against each other to understand the potential differences in travel time arising from the differences in travel routes and background traffic associated with State Street being open or closed.

The following section provides a summary of each scenario and the results for 2025.  Scenario 1: Table 2 presents the average travel time estimates for this scenario. A summary of results indicates the following:
o 2025 Heavy emergency response vehicle average travel time is estimated at six minutes and six seconds with State Street open and seven minutes and 18 seconds with State Street closed
o 2025 Light emergency response vehicle average travel time is estimated at five minutes and 30 seconds with State Street open and six minutes and 30 seconds with State Street closed
o The average estimated travel time difference is one minute and 12 seconds more for heavy vehicles and one minute more for light vehicles with State Street closed, relative to State Street open
 Scenario 2: Table 3 presents the average travel time estimates for this scenario. A summary of results indicates the following:
o 2025 Heavy emergency response vehicle average travel time is estimated at five minutes and 12 seconds with State Street open and six minutes with State Street closed
State Street Emergency Response 2025 Travel Time Evaluation | 4 o 2025 Light emergency response vehicle average travel time is estimated at four minutes and 18 seconds with State Street open and five minutes and 12 seconds with State Street closed
o The average estimated travel time difference is 48 seconds more for heavy vehicles and 54 seconds more for light vehicles with State Street closed, relative to State Street open
 Scenario 3: Table 4 presents the average travel time estimates for this scenario. A summary of results indicates the following:
o 2025 Heavy emergency response vehicle average travel time is estimated at six minutes and 45 seconds with State Street open and eight minutes and 42 seconds with State Street closed
o 2025 Light emergency response vehicle average travel time is estimated at five minutes and six seconds with State Street open and seven minutes and 16 seconds with State Street closed
o The average estimated travel time difference is one minute and 57 seconds more for heavy vehicles and two minutes and 10 seconds more for light vehicles with State Street closed, relative to State Street open. This scenario reflects the largest travel time difference as this block is longer than the other destinations analyzed, and the travel time reflects the additional time required to reach the midpoint of the block.  Scenario 4: Table 5 presents the average travel time estimates for this scenario. A summary of results indicates the following:
o 2025 Heavy emergency response vehicle average travel time is estimated at eight minutes and six seconds with State Street open and eight minutes and 54 seconds with State Street closed
o 2025 Light emergency response vehicle average travel time is estimated at four minutes and 57 seconds with State Street open and five minutes and 42 seconds with State Street closed
o The average estimated travel time difference is 48 seconds more for heavy vehicles and 45 seconds more for light vehicles with State Street closed, relative to State Street open
 Scenario 5: Table 6 presents the average travel time estimates for this scenario. A summary of results indicates the following:
o 2025 Heavy emergency response vehicles are not part of this scenario o 2025 Light emergency response vehicle average travel time is estimated at five minutes and 12 seconds with State Street open and six minutes and 30 seconds with State Street closed
o The average estimated travel time for the light vehicle type is one minute and 18 seconds more with State Street closed, relative to State Street open Based on the results of estimated travel times for each scenario and data presented above, the travel time can vary by a range of 10% to 25%, where the State Street closed scenario results in longer travel times for light and heavy first responder vehicles. For scenario 3, the travel time is 29% to 42% longer for heavy and light vehicles, respectively, due to the longer block length.

Conclusion
Estimated average travel times can vary due to various reasons including time of day, available routes, and vehicle type. This analysis focused on five specific scenarios and compared travel times State Street Emergency Response 2025 Travel Time Evaluation | 5 with State Street open and closed for existing (2025) conditions. To analyze potential worst-case scenarios, each destination was assumed to be at the midpoint of each block. The estimated average travel times indicate that the State Street closed scenario results in response times ranging from ten to 25% longer than the State Street open scenario on a typical block. The estimated average travel times indicate that the State Street closed scenario results in response times ranging from 29% to 42% longer than the State Street open scenario for the 700-800 block of State Street. Based on the estimated change in travel time for responding emergency vehicles, the average increase in travel time is in the 60 to 90 second range, with a n estimated low of 45 seconds and high of nearly three minutes. Based on this analysis the estimated travel time with State Street closed results in longer emergency responder travel times relative to State Street open.

Attachments:

Appendix A: Travel Time Analysis Routes and Results
State Street
San Roque Road
Cliff Drive
Calle Real
State Street
Foothill Road
El Camino Real
Milpas Street
E Anapamu Street
W Mission Street
1 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
2 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
8 3
1 2
3 4
5 7 6
8 9
5 4
1 2
3 4
1 2
3 4
5 Santa Barbara Public Safety Response Time Scenarios Locations FIGURE 1 Scenario 5
D
O
Scenario 4
D
O
Scenario 3
D
O
Scenario 2
D
O
Scenario 1
D
O
Santa Barbara City Limits
0 1 2
Miles
TABLE 1 - EMERGENCY TRAVEL TIME ANALYSIS SCENARIO OVERVIEW Scenario: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5Destination: 600 State St midblock (Even) 1000 State Street midblock (Even) 800 State Street midblock (Odd) 500 State Street midblock (Even) 900 State Street midblock (Odd) Incident Type: Large Incident Structure Fire Broken Gas Line Fight Robbery in ProgressTime of Day: Friday, 10:30 PM Tuesday, 4:30 PM Saturday, 1:30 PM Saturday, 8:00 PM Monday, 10:30 AMResponse Vehicle Origins Foothill Rd/Rose Ln Mission Ridge Rd/Mountain Dr Soledad St/Carpinteria St Calle Real/Camino De Remedio Mission Ridge Rd/Mountain Drive Portesuello Ave/Modoc Rd State St/Cabrillo Blvd Foothill Rd/Calle Laureles State St/Cabrillo Blvd San Miguel Ave/La MarinaFoothill Rd/Calle Laureles San Andres St/Canon Perdido St Argonine Cir/Calle Alamo Soledad St/Carpinteria St Coast Village Rd/Middle RdCoast Village Rd/Middle Rd Argonine Cir/Calle Alamo Foothill Rd/Rose Ln Foothill Rd/Rose Ln San Andres St/Canon Perdido StPueblo St/Bath St N. La Cumbre Rd/La Colina Rd Flora Vista Dr/Red Rose Way 215 E. Figueroa St/FD Station #1 N. La Cumbre Rd/La Colina Rd Portesuello Ave/Modoc Rd 215 E. Figueroa St/FD Station #1State St/Cabrillo Blvd San Miguel Ave/La Marina Portesuello Ave/Modoc Rd215 E. Figueroa St/FD Station #1 Pueblo St/Bath St San Miguel Ave/La MarinaCalle Real/Camino De Remedio N. La Cumbre Rd/La Colina RdFlora Vista Dr/Red Rose Way Soledad St/Carpinteria StSan Miguel Ave/La MarinaArgonine Cir/Calle AlamoSan Andres St/Canon Perdido StMission Ridge Rd/Mountain Dr Source: City of Santa Barbara, 2025
TABLE 2 - SCENARIO #1 TRAVEL TIME ESTIMATES
Scenario Destination Origin ID Origin Vehicle Vehicle Type 2025 State Street Open Average Travel Time 2025 State Street Closed Average Travel Time Travel Time Difference Route 1.1 Foothill Rd/Rose Ln Fire Truck (Heavy)Route 1.2 Portesuello Ave/Modoc Rd Fire Heavy RescueRoute 1.4 Foothill Rd/Calle Laureles Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 1.5 Coast Village Rd/Middle Rd Fire Heavy RescueRoute 1.8 Pueblo St/Bath St Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 1.9 N. La Cumbre Rd/La Colina Rd Fire Heavy RescueRoute 1.12 State St/Cabrillo Blvd Fire Ladder Truck (Heavy)Route 1.3 215 E. Figueroa St/FD Station #1 Police SUV (light)Route 1.6 Calle Real/Camino De Remedio AMR Ambulance (Light)Route 1.7 Flora Vista Dr/Red Rose Way AMR Ambulance (Light)Route 1.10 Soledad St/Carpinteria St Police SUV (light)Route 1.11 San Miguel Ave/La Marina Fire BC SUV (light)Route 1.13 Argonine Cir/Calle Alamo AMR Ambulance (Light)Route 1.14 San Andres St/Canon Perdido St Police SUV (light)Route 1.15 Mission Ridge Rd/Mountain Dr AMR Supervisor SUV (Light) Large Incident
600 State Street (even, midblock)
Heavy Vehicle
Light Vehicle
6:06 7:18
5:30 6:30
1:12
1:00
TABLE 3 - SCENARIO #2 TRAVEL TIME ESTIMATES
Scenario Destination Origin ID Origin Vehicle Vehicle Type 2025 State Street Open Average Travel Time 2025 State Street Closed Average Travel Time Travel Time Difference Route 2.1 Mission Ridge Rd/Mountain Dr Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 2.2 State St/Cabrillo Blvd Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 2.3 San Andres St/Canon Perdido St Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 2.4 Argonine Cir/Calle Alamo Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 2.5 N. La Cumbre Rd/La Colina Rd Fire Truck (Heavy)Route 2.6 Portesuello Ave/Modoc Rd Fire BC SUV (Light)Route 2.7 San Miguel Ave/La Marina Fire BC SUV (Light)Route 2.8 Pueblo St/Bath St AMR Ambulance (Light) 5:12 6:00 0:48
4:18 5:12 0:54
Heavy Vehicle
Structure Fire
1000 State Street (even, midblock)
Light Vehicle
TABLE 4 - SCENARIO #3 TRAVEL TIME ESTIMATES
Scenario Destination Origin ID Origin Vehicle Vehicle Type 2025 State Street Open Average Travel Time 2025 State Street Closed Average Travel Time Travel Time Difference Route 3.1 Soledad St/Carpinteria St Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 3.2 Foothill Rd/Calle Laureles Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 3.3 Argonine Cir/Calle Alamo Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 3.4 Foothill Rd/Rose Ln Fire Engine (Heavy)Route 3.5 Flora Vista Dr/Red Rose Way Fire Truck (Heavy)Route 3.6 215 E. Figueroa St/FD Station #1 Police SUV (light)Route 3.7 Portesuello Ave/Modoc Rd Fire BC SUV (Light)Route 3.8 San Miguel Ave/La Marina AMR Ambulance (Light)Route 3.9 N. La Cumbre Rd/La Colina Rd Fire BC SUV (Light) 7:16 2:10
Broken Gas Line
800 State Street (odd, midblock)
Heavy Vehicle
Light Vehicle
6:45 8:42 1:57
5:06
TABLE 5 - SCENARIO #4 TRAVEL TIME ESTIMATES
Scenario Destination Origin ID Origin Vehicle Vehicle Type 2025 State Street Open Average Travel Time 2025 State Street Closed Average Travel Time Travel Time Difference Route 4.3 Calle Real/Camino De Remedio Fire Engine (heavy) Heavy Vehicle 8:06 8:54 0:48Route 4.1 State St/Cabrillo Blvd Police SUV (light)Route 4.2 Soledad St/Carpinteria St Police SUV (light)Route 4.4 Foothill Rd/Rose Ln AMR Ambulance (light) Fight
500 State Street (even, midblock) Light Vehicle 4:57 5:42 0:45 TABLE 6 - SCENARIO #5 TRAVEL TIME ESTIMATES
Scenario Destination Origin ID Origin Vehicle Vehicle Type 2025 State Street Open Average Travel Time 2025 State Street Closed Average Travel Time Travel Time Difference Route 5.1 Mission Ridge Rd/Mountain Drive Police SUV (light)Route 5.2 San Miguel Ave/La Marina Police SUV (light)Route 5.3 Coast Village Rd/Middle Rd Police SUV (light)Route 5.4 San Andres St/Canon Perdido St Police SUV (light)Route 5.5 215 E. Figueroa St/FD Station #1 Police SUV (light) Light Vehicle Robbery in Progress 900 State Street (odd, midblock) 5:12 6:30 1:18 Draft State Street Emergency Response 2025 Travel Time Evaluation | 6 APPENDIX A: TRAVEL TIME ANALYSIS RESULTS AND ROUTES
APPENDIX A: TRAVEL TIME ESTIMATES BY ROUTE
Origin ID Origin Vehicle
Emergency Response
Time Estimates (State
Street closed 2025)
Emergency Response
Time Estimates (State
Street open 2025)

1.1 Foothill Rd/Rose Ln Fire Truck (Heavy) 9.2 8.3

1.10 Soledad St/Carpinteria St Police SUV (light) 5.2 4.2

1.11 San Miguel Ave/La Marina Fire BC SUV (light) 6.2 5.2

1.12 State St/Cabrillo Blvd Fire Ladder Truck (Heavy) 4.6 2.7

1.13 Argonine Cir/Calle Alamo AMR Ambulance (Light) 6.6 5.7

1.14 San Andres St/Canon Perdido St Police SUV (light) 5.8 4.9

1.15 Mission Ridge Rd/Mountain Dr AMR Supervisor SUV (Light) 7.1 5.8

1.2 Portesuello Ave/Modoc Rd Fire Heavy Rescue 6.2 5.3

1.3 215 E. Figueroa St/FD Station #1 Police SUV (light) 4.9 3.6

1.4 Foothill Rd/Calle Laureles Fire Engine (Heavy) 9.0 7.7

1.5 Coast Village Rd/Middle Rd Fire Heavy Rescue 6.7 4.9

1.6 Calle Real/Camino De Remedio AMR Ambulance (Light) 8.6 7.6

1.7 Flora Vista Dr/Red Rose Way AMR Ambulance (Light) 7.9 7.0

1.8 Pueblo St/Bath St Fire Engine (Heavy) 7.6 6.7

1.9 N. La Cumbre Rd/La Colina Rd Fire Heavy Rescue 8.1 7.3

2.1 Mission Ridge Rd/Mountain Dr Fire Engine (Heavy) 5.8 5.1

2.2 State St/Cabrillo Blvd Fire Engine (Heavy) 6.4 5.5

2.3 San Andres St/Canon Perdido St Fire Engine (Heavy) 3.4 2.6

2.4 Argonine Cir/Calle Alamo Fire Engine (Heavy) 7.4 6.7

2.5 N. La Cumbre Rd/La Colina Rd Fire Truck (Heavy) 7.1 6.3

2.6 Portesuello Ave/Modoc Rd Fire BC SUV (Light) 4.4 3.5

2.7 San Miguel Ave/La Marina Fire BC SUV (Light) 5.4 4.5

2.8 Pueblo St/Bath St AMR Ambulance (Light) 5.9 4.9

3.1 Soledad St/Carpinteria St Fire Engine (Heavy) 7.6 5.7

3.2 Foothill Rd/Calle Laureles Fire Engine (Heavy) 9.5 7.6

3.3 Argonine Cir/Calle Alamo Fire Engine (Heavy) 8.3 6.3

3.4 Foothill Rd/Rose Ln Fire Engine (Heavy) 10.1 8.1

3.5 Flora Vista Dr/Red Rose Way Fire Truck (Heavy) 8.0 6.0

3.6 215 E. Figueroa St/FD Station #1 Police SUV (light) 5.9 3.2

3.7 Portesuello Ave/Modoc Rd Fire BC SUV (Light) 6.4 4.4

3.8 San Miguel Ave/La Marina AMR Ambulance (Light) 8.3 6.3

3.9 N. La Cumbre Rd/La Colina Rd Fire BC SUV (Light) 8.4 6.5

4.1 State St/Cabrillo Blvd Police SUV (light) 4.6 3.0

4.2 Soledad St/Carpinteria St Police SUV (light) 4.7 3.9

4.3 Calle Real/Camino De Remedio Fire Engine (heavy) 8.9 8.1

4.4 Foothill Rd/Rose Ln AMR Ambulance (light) 7.9 7.9

5.1 Mission Ridge Rd/Mountain Dr Police SUV (light) 6.4 4.9

5.2 San Miguel Ave/La Marina Police SUV (light) 8.0 7.2

5.3 Coast Village Rd/Middle Rd Police SUV (light) 8.2 6.7

5.4 San Andres St/Canon Perdido St Police SUV (light) 6.1 4.7

5.5 215 E. Figueroa St/FD Station #1 Police SUV (light) 3.8 2.3 N Salinas St
S
a
n
Marcos
Pass Rd
E Cabrillo Blvd
Sycamore CanyonRd
Coast
Castillo St
Village Rd
W CarrilloSt
E Carrillo St
Foothill Rd
W Mission St
N Milpas St
Me
ig
s
R
d
N La Cumbre Rd
Shoreline Dr
L
a
s
P
o
s
i
t
a
s
Rd
Calle Real
Hollister Ave
San Andres St
Las Palmas Dr
Mountain
D
r
Bath St
Santa Barbara St
StanwoodDr
Anacapa St
San Roque Rd
E Mason St
E Mission St
E Gutierrez St
Marina Dr
State St
E Haley St
Roble Dr
Cathedral Oaks Rd
EValley Rd
W Cabrillo Blvd
Spring Rd
Gibraltar
Rd
Cliff Dr
State St
S Milpas
St
City of Santa
Barbara
G:\GIS\LA\LA253671 Santa Barbara Safety Response\_Tools\FGDB_VTPK\SMP_North_America_Custom_Roads.aprx Heavy Duty Vehicle - 2025 State Street Open
FIGURE 1
0 1 2
Miles
101
101

S A N T A

B A R B A R A C H A N N E L
Traffic Signal
Preemptive Signal
Travel Routes
Destination
Origin
N Salinas St
S
a
n
Marcos
Pass Rd
E Cabrillo Blvd
Sycamore CanyonRd
Coast
Castillo St
Village Rd
W CarrilloSt
E Carrillo St
Foothill Rd
W Mission St
N Milpas St
Me
ig
s
R
d
N La Cumbre Rd
Shoreline Dr
L
a
s
P
o
s
i
t
a
s
Rd
Calle Real
Hollister Ave
San Andres St
Las Palmas Dr
Mountain
D
r
Bath St
Santa Barbara St
StanwoodDr
Anacapa St
San Roque Rd
E Mason St
E Mission St
E Gutierrez St
Marina Dr
State St
E Haley St
Roble Dr
Cathedral Oaks Rd
EValley Rd
W Cabrillo Blvd
Spring Rd
Gibraltar
Rd
Cliff Dr
State St
S Milpas
St
City of Santa
Barbara
G:\GIS\LA\LA253671 Santa Barbara Safety Response\_Tools\FGDB_VTPK\SMP_North_America_Custom_Roads.aprx Light Duty Vehicle - 2025 State Street Open
FIGURE 2
0 1 2
Miles
Traffic Signal
Preemptive Signal
Travel Routes
Destination
Origin
101
101

S A N T A

B A R B A R A C H A N N E L
N Salinas St
S
a
n
Marcos
Pass Rd
E Cabrillo Blvd
Sycamore CanyonRd
Coast
Castillo St
Village Rd
W CarrilloSt
E Carrillo St
Foothill Rd
W Mission St
N Milpas St
Me
ig
s
R
d
N La Cumbre Rd
Shoreline Dr
L
a
s
P
o
s
i
t
a
s
Rd
Calle Real
Hollister Ave
San Andres St
Las Palmas Dr
Mountain
D
r
Bath St
Santa Barbara St
StanwoodDr
Anacapa St
San Roque Rd
E Mason St
E Mission St
E Gutierrez St
Marina Dr
State St
E Haley St
Roble Dr
Cathedral Oaks Rd
EValley Rd
W Cabrillo Blvd
Spring Rd
Gibraltar
Rd
Cliff Dr
State St
S Milpas
St
City of Santa
Barbara
G:\GIS\LA\LA253671 Santa Barbara Safety Response\_Tools\FGDB_VTPK\SMP_North_America_Custom_Roads.aprx Heavy Duty Vehicle - 2025 State Street Closed
FIGURE 3
0 1 2
Miles
Traffic Signal
Preemptive Signal
Travel Routes
Destination
Origin
101
101

S A N T A

B A R B A R A C H A N N E L
N Salinas St
S
a
n
Marcos
Pass Rd
E Cabrillo Blvd
Sycamore CanyonRd
Coast
Castillo St
Village Rd
W CarrilloSt
E Carrillo St
Foothill Rd
W Mission St
N Milpas St
Me
ig
s
R
d
N La Cumbre Rd
Shoreline Dr
L
a
s
P
o
s
i
t
a
s
Rd
Calle Real
Hollister Ave
San Andres St
Las Palmas Dr
Mountain
D
r
Bath St
Santa Barbara St
StanwoodDr
Anacapa St
San Roque Rd
E Mason St
E Mission St
E Gutierrez St
Marina Dr
State St
E Haley St
Roble Dr
Cathedral Oaks Rd
EValley Rd
W Cabrillo Blvd
Spring Rd
Gibraltar
Rd
Cliff Dr
State St
S Milpas
St
City of Santa
Barbara
G:\GIS\LA\LA253671 Santa Barbara Safety Response\_Tools\FGDB_VTPK\SMP_North_America_Custom_Roads.aprx Light Duty Vehicle - 2025 State Street Closed
FIGURE 4
0 1 2
Miles
Traffic Signal
Preemptive Signal
Travel Routes
Destination
Origin
101
101

S A N T A

B A R B A R A C H A N N E L