On Tuesday, the Santa Barbara City Council will take a vote on the short-term future of State Street. This week’s regular council meeting includes a decision on whether to extend the current car-free configuration of State Street, an issue that has been hotly debated by community groups and residents since the street was converted to a pedestrian-and-bicycle-focused promenade in 2020.
Technically, the council will take a vote on whether the city should reauthorize Title 31, a measure put in place to codify the closure of State Street between Victoria Street and Haley Street while the city worked on the long-term master plan. When it was approved in 2023, Title 31 was to expire at the end of 2026 — or upon the adoption of the State Street Master Plan — but with the long-term plan still in the works, the council will now decide whether to extend the current car-free setup or return to the pre-COVID configuration.
While a four-vote majority on the council has supported the closure of State Street in the past, the upcoming vote has reignited public discourse about traffic on downtown’s main drag, with competing op-eds pouring in from concerned community members, business owners, and advocacy groups on either side of the argument.
For those who support the current car-free designation, the closure has prompted a resurgence of economic vitality, vibrant public events, and a focus on the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Those who want the return of vehicular traffic argue that the COVID-era closure has yet to prove its permanence, and that the current configuration has led to e-bikes taking rule of the road. Some business owners have been outspoken about their support of the car-free State Street, while those who have struggled to survive downtown hope that reopening the street to cars will bring back the customers they so desperately need.
Tuesday’s council meeting is likely to be a lively debate, with advocates from each side expected to show up in large numbers to make their case to council. But with the city’s precariously balanced budget also on the docket during the same meeting, the State Street Title 31 decision may be influenced by the costs associated with reopening the street to cars.
According to the staff report prepared by Downtown Services Manager Sarah Clark and State Street Master Planner Tess Harris, if the council were to flip its current decision and return to the two-way traffic configuration, this would come at an extra cost of at least $700,000. This cost would cover the removal of all on-street dining facilities, pedlets, and BCycle stations in the roadway. This would also force the city to grind down the street surface to slurry seal and restripe the traffic lanes.
This decision could cause complications with the new Saturday Farmers’ Market location on State and Carrillo streets and the slate of community events planned for State Street through the summer season. City staff also predict that allowing a return of vehicles would reintroduce the risk of traffic collisions, “potentially reversing the decrease seen since the removal of private vehicle traffic from the corridor,” the report states.
The decision would not affect current plans to bring the December holiday parade back to State Street, which the city is pursuing regardless of the Title 31 extension. The short-term decision is also separate from State Street Master Plan efforts, which moved forward in a 6-1 vote when city council last discussed a pedestrian-focused permanent plan in April 2026.
If the council elects to keep the current State Street configuration in the interim, the city would continue with pilot projects such as the downtown loop shuttle and expanded sidewalk dining on the 500 block. The city would also move ahead with no-cost and low-cost improvements such as restored benches, floral landscaping, lighting enhancements, and furniture updates approved by the Historic Landmarks Commission.
The city council meeting will begin Tuesday at 2 p.m. and can be watched live at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/CAP or via the city’s YouTube channel. Community members can submit written public comments to [email protected] prior to the beginning of the meeting, or can speak in-person or via Zoom during the hearing itself. View the entire meeting agenda here.
