AnonymousSource: Public Works
Santa Barbara County is pleased to announce that it received a $475,000 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Award from Caltrans. This grant, along with over $60,000 in County matching money funding, will fund development of the County’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP). The ATP will integrate and update existing plans, including the Circulation Element, Bicycle Master Plan, and community. It will also serve as a master plan and policy document to guide development and maintenance of active transportation infrastructure, including sidewalks, multiuse trails and bikeways, and Safe-Routes-to-School programs for the unincorporated County. The project includes public outreach, an existing conditions analysis and user needs assessment, and an innovative plan that can serve as a blueprint for other rural and coastal counties in the State. The countywide planning process is expected to begin in fall 2020 and finish in spring 2023.
The County’s Public Works and Planning and Development Departments will co-manage ATP development to ensure the plan identifies and prioritizes facilities that will best promote active modes of transportation throughout the unincorporated County, including its disadvantaged and underserved communities. Public Works Director Scott McGolpin said, “The hard work paid off for the teams from both departments that submitted this application. This is a very competitive grant. Caltrans awarded 77 grants from 178 applications, and the County received one of the highest amounts in the State.”
Planning and Development Deputy Director Dan Klemann said, “This grant will help us address alternative transportation in the County as part of our current update of the County’s Circulation Element to address vehicle-miles-traveled. We don’t have an Active Transportation Plan or a recent countywide transportation plan, so this is a first-of-its-kind planning document.”
The ATP will also guide the County’s efforts to pursue funding opportunities for new or improved facilities. For more information on the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grants, visit https://dot.ca.gov/programs/transportation-planning/regional-planning/sustainable-transportation-planning-grants.
