Bonnie, thanks again for your efforts! Originally, I was all for the vision of a carless State Street with more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. And maybe somewhere else it might work. But it's become more than apparent to me that the city can't pull this off and the current status of State street is an ongoing failure with really no hope in sight. I'd much rather have what we had than continue to fail at what is now obviously a dream off its rails..
Good points. I didn't own a car for years when I lived in NYC. Loved that! I rented cars when I got out of the city. I walked miles every day just routinely. And I never felt in danger from cyclists, the way I do in Santa Barbara. Yes, there were accidents, but they were freak occurrences. But that's because NYC evolved into what it is. It wasn't some top-down order like they're trying to impose here.
And if you had a car in NYC, then you have to find a place to park it. When in college in SF, I purchased a brand-new Honda motorcycle and parked it in my room. Fortunately, it fit diagonally in the elevator <g>. In my room, I enjoyed looking at the 1965 red Honda 305cc Superhawk. Try stopping on a hill upslope in SF, manipulating the brakes, throttle and clutch! Or pulling the tires out of a trolley car track as you are being forced to follow the tracks. Those were the days.
Santa Barbara was just ranked the second most expensive tourist destination in the US. If this doesn't cause alarm over State Street, then what will? Once it gets out how awful Santa Barbara is now to spend this kind of money to visit, our tourism revenues will be in the toilet and it will take decades to bring it back to what it once was.
I'm Bonnie's biggest fan! I'm also Shalhoob's Butcher Shop's biggest fan - this week I made a Bulgogi Beef Stew with your sirloin tips stew meat, duck leg confit hash, roasted a split chicken with Za'atar rub and today going to make flank steak fajitas. All the meat and poultry from Shalhoob's expertly delivered by Art.
Bonnie, great article, unfortunately it’s that’s same drum beat that has been going on for years. Interesting comments on Bork, she was the darling of the city until she wasn’t. I think we need to consider that city staff really drives the direction of city policy. From my experience their mind set is totally “green” , anti car and we know what is best. Look at all $ that have been just on the striping of bike lanes compared to that cost to the number of riders. We need to open state street now. We had a local architect submit a preliminary plan for state street and it was for FREE. I’m am glad that the SBCCGJ is still investigating e-bikes and regulations. I was on the GJ 3 years ago when we first started to investigate. We were told there wasn’t enough data to warrant any changes at that point, I guess we have the data now.
There is no viable reason we are still forced to fund the entire city department of “sustainability and resilience”. None.
They are the poster child for what has gone so very wrong with our city today and why the city needs to keep shifting more and more city operations debt on to the taxpayers. Mission accomplished. They serve no critical purpose today.
Cross-train them all to be city code enforcement officers, if we are going to save this city. Stop the make-work virtue signaling projects when massive graffiti, illegal food carts and ugly signage creeps in to take over our city. More code enforcement officers, please.
I agree with you! The staff is running the city. I would love to ask, but I think I know the answer. "When hiring for city employment, do you have to support: 1) bikes, 2) unions, 3) the 15-minute city, 4) government housing, 5) overbuilding? I could go on...
All excellent questions, Bonnie. We all must ask these exact questions. Put them on notice that growing number of steady voters are on to their purely insider game.
Bonnie, your columns are the best example of what I feel the SB Current is here for. Pertinent and detailed discussions of what is wrong with SB, in the "all politics is local" mode.
All of us who have memories of strolling State Street in what now appears to have been a Golden Age are horrified at what it has become.
Now, for a note of realism, I refer readers to the documentary videos by
If you watch his videos you will see what has happened to cities all over California, many of whom closed streets to vehicular traffic and saw stores abandoned when foot traffic withered. What we have here in SB is bad, but it WILL get worse. There are plenty of cities to look to for the example of what NOT to do, and we already have studies that have predicted and documented what has happened here.
I also refer readers to my SB Current column of 2/28/24 in which I document the way the bicycle lobbies have taken over the local front country mountain trail system
and I will reiterate the obvious that it is this same bicycle agenda that has demanded the closure of lower State.
Everywhere in town the local parking has been limited to allow for more un-used bicycle lanes, causing delivery trucks to go in circles and residents to grow increasingly frustrated. While the potholes get bumpier the road closures and detours proliferate.
Years ago I read "The state of a city's streets are the state of its government."
How is it that what we citizen residents SEE as obvious is ignored by the elected officials?
Very awakening article Bonnie. All this goes to show that City Staff decides what State Street public policy is, NOT our elected officials. So, Staff decides if State Street is opened or closed? Does anyone believe that Staff is using delay tactics or obstructing the reopening of State? I guess they do as they please? Do we have activists running our City government?…of course we do! And apparently they do so at the behest of the climate and bike lobby…what a surprise!
As you know Cars Are Basic, Inc. has called for the opening of State St. for 2 decades. The Dave Davis promotion of the MIG plan (Frisco based company) failed and started its failure within 5 years of completion of the first 3 blocks (Victoria to Carrillo). Davis promised if it did not work he would retro-fit State to 4 lanes.
CAB made the point that the City refused to state what the costs of the initial closing was to the taxpayers "Impossible to calculate." When Goleta started a remarkable recovery almost from the first day COVID restrictions ended CAB made this point in both Public Comment and letter to the Council. Their response? The 3 Brass Monkeys.
It is only getting worse. Vision Zero has failed and cost 10's of Millions. State Street open? That should not even be a question.
I read this article by ever-knowing Ms. Bonnie Donovan titled
"Make State Street Accessible to All" and I have a supporting
title as follows "SB Conceals It All The Big and the Small; No Accountability"
I quote from Ms. Donovan "As we are far removed from that unprecedented time in our world, we are clinging to a fiscally failing model of a downtown that continues to spiral downward"
AND "NO, Joe Holland hasn’t been found yet"
Maybe Joe, like some others in the SB local Government are "Hidden from View of SB So-Called Leaders" Wonder why? How about "Turn Kings Evidence" or Flipped.
While I agree with most everything you say, I'm still a State street Doomer. That being said, after Pat Fish posted her thoughts about this, and I watched "Newsmakers with Jerry Roberts" a couple weeks ago I did my own poll. Surprisingly it's about 50/50. Most people under 40 years old favor the present look, and even more shocking to me was the number of folks my age that agreed. . .
On another episode of "Newsmakers," Jerry had the mayor on. Unfortunately Randy is outvoted every time this comes to vote. But there is some hope in local media, both Jerry and Josh Molina of Noozhawk favor opening the street to vehicles. Whereas, Nick Welsh and Ryan Cruz of The Independent want the street to remain closed. And we all know The Palm, having almost been run over by a wheelie popping bike rider is in favor of changing the present status.
Yes letters should be written, but mostly to Kristen Sneddon, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon and Wendy Santamaria. And two letters for Kelly, city administrator.
I used to love going to shop on State Street. Every once in a while, I do try it again, but no thank you. It’s ugly and dangerous. I don’t like having to dodge bikes—motorized or not.
Santa Barbara City Council has some other agenda that doesn’t seem to be pro-business or pro Santa Barbara.
The city owns a former restaurant property that used to produce rent and sales tax that is now sitting empty on the airport property. It is producing nothing but decay now.
Wouldn’t it have been better to temporarily drop the cost of rent and still collect sales taxes?
Five stars on all fronts Bonnie..albeit falling/failing on deaf ears.
The e-bike situation is out of control. Too many arrogant pubescent punks ignoring stop signs and traffic lights. Waterfront area is a joke. The bike lane adjacent the parking lot near Marinas 2-3-4 is a serious hazard zone often with groups of 3 or more racing by pedestrians trying to cross.
Zero enforcement. Zero. I'm not opposed to e-bikes...I own more than one.
If a member of the Waterfront Staff and/or a City Council member ended up on the short end of that stick things might change...until then expect more hollow and unenforced bureaucratic smoke being blown up your....well you get it. Thanks Bonnie.
More Great work by Bonnie…why is that the city staff’s mentality controls the decision makers? There are way too many low level bike lovers/green monsters circulating within the system. So much so that the decision makers are overwhelmed by the small minority of wrong thinkers. Open State Street today, watch it thrive tomorrow. Thanks again Bonnie
Bonnie, thanks again for your efforts! Originally, I was all for the vision of a carless State Street with more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. And maybe somewhere else it might work. But it's become more than apparent to me that the city can't pull this off and the current status of State street is an ongoing failure with really no hope in sight. I'd much rather have what we had than continue to fail at what is now obviously a dream off its rails..
Good points. I didn't own a car for years when I lived in NYC. Loved that! I rented cars when I got out of the city. I walked miles every day just routinely. And I never felt in danger from cyclists, the way I do in Santa Barbara. Yes, there were accidents, but they were freak occurrences. But that's because NYC evolved into what it is. It wasn't some top-down order like they're trying to impose here.
And if you had a car in NYC, then you have to find a place to park it. When in college in SF, I purchased a brand-new Honda motorcycle and parked it in my room. Fortunately, it fit diagonally in the elevator <g>. In my room, I enjoyed looking at the 1965 red Honda 305cc Superhawk. Try stopping on a hill upslope in SF, manipulating the brakes, throttle and clutch! Or pulling the tires out of a trolley car track as you are being forced to follow the tracks. Those were the days.
Thomas, what you wrote above is exactly what should be in your letter to the city council.
Please send one in.
I will! I might tame down the "can't pull it off" part just a shade.
Thank YOU!
Santa Barbara was just ranked the second most expensive tourist destination in the US. If this doesn't cause alarm over State Street, then what will? Once it gets out how awful Santa Barbara is now to spend this kind of money to visit, our tourism revenues will be in the toilet and it will take decades to bring it back to what it once was.
https://nypost.com/2025/07/04/lifestyle/most-expensive-tourist-destinations-in-the-us-in-2025/
Can Visit Santa Barbara be sued for false advertising??? :)
LOL, I can think of a thousand places that are more appealing than taking a week off in SB.
Bonnie you are so spot on, something has to change, because obviously what is going on is absolutely not working !
I love all your articles, I think I’m your biggest fan in Santa Barbara.
Thank you,
Jerry Shalhoob
I'm Bonnie's biggest fan! I'm also Shalhoob's Butcher Shop's biggest fan - this week I made a Bulgogi Beef Stew with your sirloin tips stew meat, duck leg confit hash, roasted a split chicken with Za'atar rub and today going to make flank steak fajitas. All the meat and poultry from Shalhoob's expertly delivered by Art.
Thanks, Jerry :)
We need everyone to send a letter to the City Council and the City Administrator ASAP
Bonnie, great article, unfortunately it’s that’s same drum beat that has been going on for years. Interesting comments on Bork, she was the darling of the city until she wasn’t. I think we need to consider that city staff really drives the direction of city policy. From my experience their mind set is totally “green” , anti car and we know what is best. Look at all $ that have been just on the striping of bike lanes compared to that cost to the number of riders. We need to open state street now. We had a local architect submit a preliminary plan for state street and it was for FREE. I’m am glad that the SBCCGJ is still investigating e-bikes and regulations. I was on the GJ 3 years ago when we first started to investigate. We were told there wasn’t enough data to warrant any changes at that point, I guess we have the data now.
Keep it going ! Cheers
You are right, ultimately all this comes from the global warming fairy tale.
There is no viable reason we are still forced to fund the entire city department of “sustainability and resilience”. None.
They are the poster child for what has gone so very wrong with our city today and why the city needs to keep shifting more and more city operations debt on to the taxpayers. Mission accomplished. They serve no critical purpose today.
Cross-train them all to be city code enforcement officers, if we are going to save this city. Stop the make-work virtue signaling projects when massive graffiti, illegal food carts and ugly signage creeps in to take over our city. More code enforcement officers, please.
I agree with you! The staff is running the city. I would love to ask, but I think I know the answer. "When hiring for city employment, do you have to support: 1) bikes, 2) unions, 3) the 15-minute city, 4) government housing, 5) overbuilding? I could go on...
All excellent questions, Bonnie. We all must ask these exact questions. Put them on notice that growing number of steady voters are on to their purely insider game.
Bonnie, your columns are the best example of what I feel the SB Current is here for. Pertinent and detailed discussions of what is wrong with SB, in the "all politics is local" mode.
All of us who have memories of strolling State Street in what now appears to have been a Golden Age are horrified at what it has become.
Now, for a note of realism, I refer readers to the documentary videos by
METAL LEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en1xC-Lmkw0
If you watch his videos you will see what has happened to cities all over California, many of whom closed streets to vehicular traffic and saw stores abandoned when foot traffic withered. What we have here in SB is bad, but it WILL get worse. There are plenty of cities to look to for the example of what NOT to do, and we already have studies that have predicted and documented what has happened here.
I also refer readers to my SB Current column of 2/28/24 in which I document the way the bicycle lobbies have taken over the local front country mountain trail system
https://www.sbcurrent.com/p/adios-to-los-padres-trail-riders
and I will reiterate the obvious that it is this same bicycle agenda that has demanded the closure of lower State.
Everywhere in town the local parking has been limited to allow for more un-used bicycle lanes, causing delivery trucks to go in circles and residents to grow increasingly frustrated. While the potholes get bumpier the road closures and detours proliferate.
Years ago I read "The state of a city's streets are the state of its government."
How is it that what we citizen residents SEE as obvious is ignored by the elected officials?
Thanks, Pat. Please write all of that in your letter to the city council, Please.
All of this has been apparent for so long. I hope the city Council starts listening and takes heed.
Brian, would you please write to the city council, Please.
Pearl Chase must be rolling over in her grave.
Very awakening article Bonnie. All this goes to show that City Staff decides what State Street public policy is, NOT our elected officials. So, Staff decides if State Street is opened or closed? Does anyone believe that Staff is using delay tactics or obstructing the reopening of State? I guess they do as they please? Do we have activists running our City government?…of course we do! And apparently they do so at the behest of the climate and bike lobby…what a surprise!
Bonnie well done article.
As you know Cars Are Basic, Inc. has called for the opening of State St. for 2 decades. The Dave Davis promotion of the MIG plan (Frisco based company) failed and started its failure within 5 years of completion of the first 3 blocks (Victoria to Carrillo). Davis promised if it did not work he would retro-fit State to 4 lanes.
CAB made the point that the City refused to state what the costs of the initial closing was to the taxpayers "Impossible to calculate." When Goleta started a remarkable recovery almost from the first day COVID restrictions ended CAB made this point in both Public Comment and letter to the Council. Their response? The 3 Brass Monkeys.
It is only getting worse. Vision Zero has failed and cost 10's of Millions. State Street open? That should not even be a question.
I read this article by ever-knowing Ms. Bonnie Donovan titled
"Make State Street Accessible to All" and I have a supporting
title as follows "SB Conceals It All The Big and the Small; No Accountability"
I quote from Ms. Donovan "As we are far removed from that unprecedented time in our world, we are clinging to a fiscally failing model of a downtown that continues to spiral downward"
AND "NO, Joe Holland hasn’t been found yet"
Maybe Joe, like some others in the SB local Government are "Hidden from View of SB So-Called Leaders" Wonder why? How about "Turn Kings Evidence" or Flipped.
https://www.legalbriefai.com/legal-terms/turn-states-evidence
Howard Walther, Member of a Military Family
I haven't been down state since they closed it.
So yeah open it back up
While I agree with most everything you say, I'm still a State street Doomer. That being said, after Pat Fish posted her thoughts about this, and I watched "Newsmakers with Jerry Roberts" a couple weeks ago I did my own poll. Surprisingly it's about 50/50. Most people under 40 years old favor the present look, and even more shocking to me was the number of folks my age that agreed. . .
On another episode of "Newsmakers," Jerry had the mayor on. Unfortunately Randy is outvoted every time this comes to vote. But there is some hope in local media, both Jerry and Josh Molina of Noozhawk favor opening the street to vehicles. Whereas, Nick Welsh and Ryan Cruz of The Independent want the street to remain closed. And we all know The Palm, having almost been run over by a wheelie popping bike rider is in favor of changing the present status.
Yes letters should be written, but mostly to Kristen Sneddon, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon and Wendy Santamaria. And two letters for Kelly, city administrator.
Thanks again Bonnie
Going back to the way it was makes too much sense!
I hope I’m wrong but they will never admit that they should have reopened the street at least 3 years ago.
That would bring me back.
I got tired of having to protect my wife from people on E-bikes.
Also,seeing people sitting in a circle passing a joint around isn’t something I’m interested in.
Clean this crap up already!
I used to love going to shop on State Street. Every once in a while, I do try it again, but no thank you. It’s ugly and dangerous. I don’t like having to dodge bikes—motorized or not.
Santa Barbara City Council has some other agenda that doesn’t seem to be pro-business or pro Santa Barbara.
The city owns a former restaurant property that used to produce rent and sales tax that is now sitting empty on the airport property. It is producing nothing but decay now.
Wouldn’t it have been better to temporarily drop the cost of rent and still collect sales taxes?
Five stars on all fronts Bonnie..albeit falling/failing on deaf ears.
The e-bike situation is out of control. Too many arrogant pubescent punks ignoring stop signs and traffic lights. Waterfront area is a joke. The bike lane adjacent the parking lot near Marinas 2-3-4 is a serious hazard zone often with groups of 3 or more racing by pedestrians trying to cross.
Zero enforcement. Zero. I'm not opposed to e-bikes...I own more than one.
If a member of the Waterfront Staff and/or a City Council member ended up on the short end of that stick things might change...until then expect more hollow and unenforced bureaucratic smoke being blown up your....well you get it. Thanks Bonnie.
More Great work by Bonnie…why is that the city staff’s mentality controls the decision makers? There are way too many low level bike lovers/green monsters circulating within the system. So much so that the decision makers are overwhelmed by the small minority of wrong thinkers. Open State Street today, watch it thrive tomorrow. Thanks again Bonnie