|
The California Transportation Commission recently awarded Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) $132.4 million to complete construction of Highway 101 improvements and carpool lanes in Montecito and the City of Santa Barbara to the Hermosillo Road off-ramp, while also providing planned electric buses for Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District, coastal access improvements, zero emission vehicle charging and contactless card readers for the Coastal Express operated by the Ventura County Transportation Commission.
This funding is part of a $2 billion investment, announced by the state from the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and competitive Senate Bill 1 (SB1) grant programs.
The Road Repair and Accountability Act, widely recognized as SB1, has been a game-changer for transportation in Santa Barbara County investing $316 million into the U.S. 101 corridor. Measure A, the local transportation sales tax, is leveraging $150 million, along with a multitude of local, state, and federal funding sources to make the SB1 investments possible.
SBCAG in collaboration with Caltrans and support of the City, the County, Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transportation District and several elected, education, nonprofit, labor, economic, rail, social justice and tribal government partners throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties worked for nearly two years on the development and submittal of applications to the Senate Bill 1 funding programs.
The $132.4 million SB1 funding award provides funding for six components of the Highway 101 Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project:
-
Highway 101 Improvements: Completes funding for full construction and a peak hour carpool lane in both directions from Sheffield Drive north to Hermosillo off-ramp for the Montecito segment and start of the Santa Barbara segment. Improvements also include safety features to improve sight distance and add noise-reducing continuously reinforced concrete pavement.
-
Sheffield Drive to Ortega Hill Pedestrian and Bicycle Connector: Creates a connection for pedestrians and cyclists on the California Coastal Trail and Pacific Bike Route in Summerland/Montecito to improve accessibility and safety.
-
Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (SBMTD) Electric Buses: Purchase of six electric buses and six associated chargers for SBMTD line 20 that provide service within the corridor from Downtown Santa Barbara to Carpinteria.
-
Contactless Card Readers for Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) Coastal Express: Installation of 41 contactless credit and debit card readers on Coastal Express buses to allow for easy fare payment within the corridor.
-
Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Charging Infrastructure: Installation of sixteen ZEV charging stations for light-duty vehicles in five locations in the corridor including disadvantaged communities in the City and County unincorporated areas.
$145 million is needed to fully fund the remaining construction the ends at Sycamore Creek in the City. The State of California, SBCAG and Caltrans District 5 are working in partnership to pursue and secure additional funding and the coastal development permit to complete the final portions of the Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara Project, including seeking federal competitive grant opportunities.
The public is encouraged to learn more about the Highway 101 Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project and sign up for construction updates online at www.sbroads.com or by telephone at (805) 845-5112.
You can read the full media release here.
| 
