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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – Local officials recently celebrated the groundbreaking of two transportation projects adjacent to Highway 101. The Santa Claus Lane Streetscape Improvements Project near Carpinteria and the Wallace Avenue Summerland Coastal Access Project will provide residents and visitors with increased coastal access parking, pedestrian at-grade crossing of Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) facilities, traffic calming measures, landscaping, stormwater control, and sidewalk improvements.
Supervisor Das Williams said, “This is a beloved spot for the community. People from Carpinteria and all along the coast come to Santa Claus Lane to shop, eat, and recreate at the beach. I want to thank residents for putting up with all the construction. I know it tests everybody’s patience. But I think we’ve already seen an improvement.”
The Santa Claus Lane and Wallace Avenue projects, under construction by the County of Santa Barbara, are made possible through the collaborative efforts of various entities. These projects are part of the larger Highway 101: Carpinteria to Santa Barbara effort, which is a partnership involving Caltrans, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), the County of Santa Barbara and the Cities of Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. The funding for these projects is from a combination of local Measure A transportation sales tax and state Senate Bill 1 funding, which has been approved by the California Transportation Commission.
SBCAG Executive Director Marjie Kirn said, “Everyone traveling on Santa Claus Lane or visiting Summerland — whether on foot, bike, bus, or car — will experience a revitalized sense of place and community. This includes enhanced safety and improved connectivity. These improvements will benefit businesses, residents, and visitors, promoting a thriving community. Effective partnerships are vital to getting projects like these done. I express my sincere admiration and appreciation to the public, the California Transportation Commission, and everyone involved in making these improvements a reality.”
The Santa Claus Lane project near Carpinteria, when fully constructed, will increase coastal access parking, providing an authorized pedestrian at-grade crossing of Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) facilities onto Santa Claus Lane Beach and coastal resources, traffic calming measures, landscaping, stormwater control measures, continuous sidewalk along the beach-side of the roadway and increased multi-modal transportation through the coastal corridor between the City of Carpinteria and the community of Summerland. The pedestrian at-grade crossing of UPRR facilities will allow visitors to cross the railroad tracks via a concrete sidewalk with controlled access safety features, where currently pedestrians cross the railroad tracks in multiple locations with no safety features.
The Santa Claus Lane transportation project is funded and will be constructed in multiple phases. Phase 1 is focused on constructing a multi-use path, new curb and gutter, and traditional angled parking. The estimated cost is $7.6 million. Phase 1 will be constructed by Toro Enterprises, and is expected to be completed by the end of Summer 2025.
The Wallace Avenue project will include increased coastal access parking and back-in angled parking, traffic calming measures, landscaping, stormwater control measures, accessible sidewalk improvements, and a pedestrian at-grade crossing of UPRR facilities into Lookout Park in the community of Summerland. The estimated cost is $4.6 million and will be constructed by Taylor Jane Construction. It is expected to be completed in Summer 2025.
The projects are funded by Senate Bill 1 (California Gas Tax) approved by the California Transportation Commission and Measure A, administered by SBCAG.
