Landlords have run amok for years.
High rent crazy apts where water is cold, heaters don't work, bug infestation.
They don't want to fix anything just collect rent
The city has spent thousands if not millions of dollars on a project that was dead in the water from the beginning. Parklets are a joke. No regard for disabled/aged. Very few walk on the street because of E bikes. Restaurants in the 500 block are the only ones who profit
The city has spent hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars on a project that was dead in the water from the beginning. Hiring multiple consultants, re-stripping the street multiple times & losing businesses along the way. Restaurants in the 500 block are the only ones who win
We need to keep the history of Santa Barbara the way it was. State Street should go back to being open both directions like it was. So many people love driving up and down for something to do and historically should stay the way it was before Covid.
While I appreciate the goals of those who advocate for these pedestrian zones, my suggestion is to embrace this plan but move it over two blocks to Santa Barbara Street (even though that directly impacts my office). This way, we can create walking only blocks around the Presidio, History Museum, etc
It goes too far
1. Not sure how we're going to pay for it.
2.Any pedestrian malls longer than 3 blocks have a 89% failure rate.
3. Bike traffic does not result in sales at stores and receipts at restuarants.
State Street is a street that is for cars not a mess of let's do this or that. Most of us miss the regular normal street. Plus the fact you have to drive around to get to another corner on the side streets is ridiculous and takes up space. The homeless have taken over and ebikes are a nuisance.
State Street open to normal traffic is critical to the returning the vitality and safety to the core of what was a thriving Central Business District. The Promenade sidewalks and special event closures were a great balance to the business functions of Downtown. This closure has been a total failure.
just open state street allow businesses to be businesses
Santa Barbara is A
Tourist destination tourists don't want to go down state street with all the homeless people defecating on the sidewalks. If the businesses were to come back, the homeless would leave
This isn’t an “I think” or “I feel” debate. It’s just math.
If the city council actually carries out this Portland-style, car-free initiative, we will never have a parade on State Street again. The physical infrastructure and insurance liabilities will make it impossible.
People forget how our creat
Landlords have run amok for years. High rent crazy apts where water is cold, heaters don't work, bug infestation. They don't want to fix anything just collect rent
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