Tag archives: traffic

Right-of-Way Rules
By Sharon Byrne   |   October 17, 2019

Knowing where your property ends and where roads begin can be confusing. The Montecito Association has received some calls about easements and encroachments and realized it might be a good idea to write about roads, bridges, and other related topics. Road right-of-way is dedicated when property maps are created to allow space for the County, […]

First Look at the San Ysidro Roundabout
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 10, 2019

Next week, Santa Barbara County’s Deputy Director of Transportation Chris Sneddon will take part in the Coast Village Association’s Transportation and Traffic Symposium to unveil the first set of renderings for the roundabout slated at San Ysidro Road and North Jameson Lane. The symposium, set to take place at Montecito Inn, will touch on various […]

Letters to the Editor
By Montecito Journal   |   September 5, 2019

Going Around That intersection at Coast Village-Olive Mill-North Jameson looks so good, but the intersection just requires manners to navigate. And the collision stats are not at all negative. If the southbound entrance to the 101 near Cabrillo Blvd. was never blocked in the first place (and will be for many more years), the traffic […]

Letters to the Editor
By Montecito Journal   |   August 15, 2019

Running for Congress I have been called upon by dozens of leaders throughout the Central Coast who believe we need and deserve better representation in the halls of Congress than currently is the case. Whereas, I have never had any personal political ambitions, I am, nevertheless, going to answer that call. That is because, just […]

Easing the Gridlock at Olive Mill and Coast Village Road
By Bob Hazard   |   August 15, 2019

On Monday, August 11, 2018, Montecito residents got their first look at the conceptual design for a proposed roundabout to be constructed at the intersection of Coast Village Road and Olive Mill Road.What makes this roundabout challenging and unique is the fact that the circle will have six legs and 10 lanes of traffic entering […]

What’s Up with the Highway 101 Widening?
By Bob Hazard   |   August 8, 2019

Last week, I had lunch with the two people who will either make your life more miserable or much happier over the next 10 years. They are the principal players in the widening of the US 101 as it slowly migrates northward toward Montecito. Scott Eades is the Caltrans point person designated as the Santa […]

Parking Problems
By J'Amy Brown   |   August 1, 2019

Q. What’s the on-street parking game-plan in Montecito? I’ve been shooed away by property owners, blocked by rocks, scarred by hedges, and nearly run off the road when I was walking. What’s private, what’s public, and what’s for pedestrians?  A. Montecito makes jockeying for pavement and parking rights one of our prime sports. With uniform […]

Gridlock Grips Montecito
By Bob Hazard   |   August 1, 2019

It is August, and the living in Montecito is easy… or at least it should be. Gone are May Gray and June Gloom; in their place are sunny skies, a beautiful blue-green ocean and mild temperatures. For the first time in seven years, we have adequate water with no prospect of mandatory rationing. Happiness prevails. […]

Coast Village News
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 25, 2019

Earlier this week drivers may have been caught in heavy traffic in lower Montecito, as Caltrans crews closed the Hot Springs exit at Highway 101 in order to clear out a long-term homeless encampment located under the freeway bridges.  The massive encampment had not been cleared in over three years. The Coast Village Association, the […]

Letters to the Editor
By Montecito Journal   |   July 4, 2019

Caltrans’ Punishment Regarding Addison Thompson’s letter (“Fake News Alert,” MJ # 25/25): I sat on the Montecito Association Board of Directors while the Caltrans plan to remove the 101 southbound on-ramp from Cabrillo Blvd. was being considered, and our Board’s objection to such an ill-conceived plan was loudly voiced and well documented directly to the […]

How Did We Get It So Wrong?
By Bob Hazard   |   June 13, 2019

Throughout history men have made some bad choices by unwittingly clinging to the past, rather than recognizing and embracing an uncertain future. Here are a few memorable misjudgments: In 1903, the President of the Michigan Savings Bank warned Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, to protect his money. “The horse is here to stay but the […]

Montecito Planning Commission
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 28, 2019

At this month’s busy Montecito Planning Commission meeting, Commissioners received a briefing on the roundabouts slated for Montecito at the intersections of Olive Mill/Coast Village/North Jameson and San Ysidro/North Jameson. “These types of meetings are very important to make sure we are having a transparent process and people are being kept in the loop,” said […]

Coast Village Traffic Updates
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 21, 2019

Last week, City crews were on Coast Village Road installing new traffic control planters at the entrance of two of the road’s parking aisles, in an effort to deter through traffic and speeding. The project was led by the Coast Village Association’s Traffic & Safety Committee, who worked with the City of Santa Barbara, local […]

Bridge Updates
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 24, 2019

This week, drivers can expect full overnight closures for two nights on Highway 101 through a portion of Montecito as Caltrans crews finish the final touches on the bridge rail replacement project on Olive Mill Road. The work will allow for the removal of the wooden support structure underneath the existing bridge, according to project […]

All I Want for Christmas is a Wider 101
By Bob Hazard   |   December 27, 2018

The Highway 101 corridor between the Ventura County Line and Santa Barbara is by far the most heavily traveled roadway in Santa Barbara County. Traffic estimates are that by 2020, some 100,000 cars and trucks will pass through Montecito every day. Many of these re-route through local streets, primarily on either the North Jameson frontage […]

The Need for Forward Thinking on the 101
By Bob Hazard   |   December 20, 2018

To plan for the future, it is helpful to recall the past. Montecito’s relationship with the 101 highway dates back 92 years to 1927 when residents approached the State Division of Highways asking them to pave the two dirt lanes through Montecito. John Jameson led a crusade to design America’s first scenic parkway, using planted […]

Caltrans Updates
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   December 6, 2018

Earlier this week, Caltrans released updates on the major construction projects currently underway in Montecito, all related to repairs following the 1/9 debris flow.   According to project manager Jason Kline, the project to replace the bridge rails on the Highway 101 overcrossing at Olive Mill Road is nearing completion; the installation of bridge rails on […]

Coast Village Traffic Update
By Tim Buckley   |   October 4, 2018

At a Coast Village Association (CVA) Board meeting in September, the board was given an update on several traffic initiatives along Coast Village Road.  The CVA’s Traffic & Safety Committee has been working with City engineers to increase the flow of traffic on Coast Village Road, while making it a safer place for both drivers […]

No More “Anonymous”
By Montecito Journal   |   September 13, 2018

I was pleased that President Trump stands four-square behind public disclosure on opinion pages and has come out so strongly against the use of “Anonymous” as cover for accountability. I would hope that the Journal would adhere to our president’s common sense and stop allowing letter writers to be “Anonymous” when stating their opinions in […]

Olive Mill Bridge Work Begins
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 30, 2018

Earlier this week, travelers driving along southbound Highway 101 at night and in the early-morning hours were detoured off the freeway along Coast Village Road, as Caltrans began a four-month project to replace the bridge rails on the 101 overcrossing at Olive Mill Road. Full overnight closures are expected through the end of the week, […]