SBPDPIO
By the Santa Barbara Police Department
Santa Barbara’s Summer Solstice parade will take place on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Due to the closure of State Street, the parade will occur on Santa Barbara Street, between East Cota Street and East Micheltorena Street.
Partial road closures around the Summer Solstice workshop (631 Garden Street) will begin around 7:00 am.
Complete street closures of the 9 blocks of Santa Barbara Street (between East Cota & East Micheltorena Street), as well as east/west cross traffic for those 9 blocks, will be diverted either onto Anacapa Street or Garden Street between 11:00 am to 3:00 pm (estimated conclusion of the event). Santa Barbara Street will not be accessible to vehicles during this time.
Temporary no parking along the parade route (Santa Barbara Street and other adjoining cross streets) will be enforced. Vehicles parked within the no parking zone during the posted no parking times could be issued a citation and/or towed. No parking signs have been posted on the impacted streets.
Expect traffic delays in this area during that time. Please plan accordingly to accommodate for this event.
FLOAT STAGING AREA: CLOSED AT 7:00 AM
600 Garden St (between Cota & Ortega)
FORMING AREA: CLOSED AT 8:00 AM
100 & 200 E. Ortega (between Garden & Anacapa)
SANTA BARBARA ST.: CLOSED AT 10:00 AM
PARADE ROUTE: CLOSED AT 11:00 AM
(Santa Barbara St. & East/West Adjoining Roads)
PARADE START TIME: 12:00 PM
PARADE ROUTE: NORTH ON SANTA BARBARA STREET From Ortega St. to Sola/Micheltorena St.
Parade disbands on Santa Barbara and uses Alameda Park
PARADE END & ROADS OPEN: 3:00 PM (Estimated Time)
I’d be much more supportive of the closure of State St. to vehicles if the parades were brought back to State.
Right?? Even if we keep most of the Promenade as a permanent feature. Percievably a “Disneyland-type” environemnt. For Tourists.
Although, Legally?
Thus!
If the Promenade could be temporarily interrupted as needed (removed) here and there for other normal traffic and masses, plus emergency responce situations. Then Great! Block it off forever, yet at a push of a button open it up, and if barriers could become , sunken and effectively absent in an emergency, Logically, to allow for safety traffic to easily be accesible / temporarily available to all Emergency Vehicles and Law Enforcement.
Even also, removable for Historical parades. Special Events and those real emergencies that may need real immediate access,
NOW, that would be ultimately genious.
*genius!
Geo – that sent me to spellcheck (as a “very weak speller” myself), finding this:
https://www.geneious.com/ as well as https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/genious
♥️ peace out!!!
State Street was closed to through traffic due to the need for outdoor dining during the Pandemic, which optimized restaurants and bars over regular businesses. As a result, downtown Santa Barbara has seen a high level of unoccupied businesses and a local populace having no reason to want to go to the downtown area. Having events to entertain and attract people recreationally to downtown does nothing to occupy the vacant buildings. The Pandemic is over. Let’s go back to having State Street exist for all of Santa Barbara and not just eateries and drinkers.
I walk down State and patronize local stores far more often now than I did when it was full of noisy traffic. It’s not like you could park in front of those stores before.
As for the unoccupied businesses, how about we fix whatever accounting or tax dodge is going on that makes it more attractive for property owners to leave them empty than to lower rents?
“downtown Santa Barbara has seen a high level of unoccupied businesses and a local populace having no reason to want to go to the downtown area.”
That is true. Wonder why?
“SCANNER REPORTS 6-20-23
By Geo Duarte
2:20 PM, a Code 242 (Battery) episode, a number of teens allegedly attacked a security guard at The Paseo Nuevo Mall. Possibly a teenage group might include a teen Hispanic male, a teen white male and a teen black male. They caused some kind of serious injury requiring ambulance and fire response.
3:23 PM A male fell down, likely under the influence. Now, 3:30 PM male is now faced down in a ditch, fire, medics have been called.”
Another day in paradise.
SB politicians please think about what you have done to prevent the use of State street for events like Solstice , 4th of July and Fiesta Parade with State St handed over to the chosen few parklets. Its a vert bad biz decision to say it simply. During many years of construction and planning State street has evolved and kept the Old Spanish look, from architecture down to the store signage, improved wider sidewalks, to provide a nice setting overall year round. And this setting has worked so well in the past to show case events, draw local and out of town visitors ready to have a good time and spend money. Think about all the people on St Street during the events exposed to the retail and restaurants. Now misguided decisions will take the parades off St Street. I recommend SB take to fate of St Street to the voters one fall election with one option being “Return St Street to Car (EVs included) and Bikes- as it was for the last 30 years – before covid”
Trying to look at this as a glass half full (at least we have a parade), but it is unfortunate that while the parade goes up SB St, State St sits idle. Another reason to require the restaurants to only have portable furniture so as to clear the Street for occasions like this.
It seems like we should be able to have parades on State Street with the promenade. I mean, they close State for the half marathon – why not parades? Also, bring back the State Street Mile!