Sign Our Petition!

SUPPORT SAFE PASSAGE IN THE HISTORIC MISSION CANYON AREA OF SANTA BARBARA

Petition Summary and Background

Mission Heritage Trail Association is leading the initiative to demand from our City and County leaders a safe passage for pedestrians, bikers and drivers who travel through the Mission Canyon area.  Pedestrian, bike and vehicle traffic have dramatically increased along Los Olivos Street and Mission Canyon Road, and the current situation isn’t safe for visitors, residents, families, children or pets.  

Everyday bikers and cars must share a narrow stretch of road leading to the Mission Canyon Bridge.  Every day pedestrians traverse a dilapidated foot bridge on one side or walk along the narrow traffic lane with no protection from quickly moving vehicles.  Moreover, the 19% of our population who have disability challenges to walk or use movement aids to enjoy this corridor have no accessible way through the area at all.  Movement through the corridor is difficult and dangerous!

Efforts to improve circulation go back many decades.  In 1930, the population of Santa Barbara was 33,600, when the stone bridge over Mission Creek was widened from 19 to 34 feet and the stone walls were moved to accommodate that change.

Since then, the population of just the city of Santa Barbara itself has tripled to more than 91,600!  Efforts to adapt to increasing population, traffic and the needs of a diverse populace have faltered in the face of incompatible priorities and demands, particularly those that what nothing to be done at all for a Safe Passage.

There is no denying it: we need a more efficient, safe and sustainable multimodal network that will accommodate current and future traffic conditions, green mobility, and the vast number of people drawn to the institutions, events and recreational sites that serve the public good in the Los Olivos Street/Mission Canyon Road corridor.   

Action to ensure a safe infrastructure and access for all pedestrians, cyclists and motorists is long overdue!  Don’t let the continuing lack of action by our local decision makers go on for another decade!

Please show your support for these improvements:

• Provide pedestrian and bicycle access on both sides of Mission Canyon Bridge
• Provide ADA Access
• Protect the historic stegosaurus stone wall
• Underground utilities to avoid power outages and wildfires
• Retrofit Mission Canyon Bridge to withstand seismic activity
• Create a