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Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Das Williams — Jump On The (New) Bus!

by Community Contributor • September 11, 2023 • Comments Off

Jump On The (New) Bus!

Our local transit service Santa Barbara MTD has began a new route serving the Eastside, Carpinteria, and Santa Barbara City College. With only 7 stops in each direction, Line 19X is an express, car-free option to get around.

Taking public transit is not only convenient, but it’s an important step we can all take to address climate change. Across Santa Barbara County, we are not on track to meet our climate goals, solely due to gas-powered car usage.

What we need is more of us “choice” transit riders — folks who usually commute by car, but occasionally choose alternative transportation — to get back on the bus. The experience of being shuttled to your destination, rather than sitting behind the wheel wrestling with bumper-to-bumper traffic, is much more enjoyable. Plus, you can reclaim travel time to do some homework, answer that email, or catch up on your favorite book.

If you drive a car, join me in taking a pledge to ride the bus at least one day a week.

Line 19X Schedule

Plan Your Route with SBMTD

Map of the 19X Carpinteria/SBCC Express Route

Stand With Cuyama To Protect The Basic Human Right To Water

Since taking office on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, I have also served on the Cuyama Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Cuyama is one of the most severely overdrafted basins in the state – largely because of two companies, not based in Cuyama, who have grown carrots and other products there for years with no regard to the overall water table. Now the agency I sit on is requiring them to make cuts to their water use and instead of accepting these cuts, their response has been to sue the other inhabitants of the Cuyama Valley for water rights. The residents I represent in the Cuyama Valley have little recourse aside from hiring expensive lawyers to protect their water rights. The community has organized and banded together to ask everyone to Stand with Cuyama and boycott products made by Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms. I believe strongly in voting with your dollar and only supporting companies that support my values, to the extent possible. Please watch the following video to hear directly from Cuyama residents on why they are doing this and please Stand with Cuyama.

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Highway 101 Construction Update

In Montecito, the San Ysidro Overcrossing and the new Roundabout are open! As construction continues, please expect stop signs at each leg and flaggers directing traffic as needed. Please be aware of new traffic patterns in the area. At the Olive Mill Roundabout, night paving occurs on September 10 and 11.

There will be consecutive off-ramp closures and a detour for the northern portion of Olive Mill Rd near the roundabout. Vegetation removal in preparation for upcoming freeway construction will occur in Montecito along Hwy 101 at night. Please expect night noise.

In Summerland, please expect night noise for pavement grinding on the freeway and ongoing work at the Evans Ave undercrossing.

As referenced above, the new 19X Carpinteria/SBCC Express will add some much-needed congestion relief during peak hour traffic.

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Agricultural Enterprise Ordinance

The Planning & Development Department released a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Agricultural Enterprise Ordinance for a 45-day public review and comment period. The public review period comes to a close on September 14, 2023. The Ag Enterprise Ordinance will allow various small-scale, incidental, and supplemental uses on land zoned AG-II countywide. Depending on the size and intensity of use, some may be permitted exempt, while others may require a Zoning Clearance, Land Use/Coastal Development Permit, or Conditional Use Permit.

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East Beach Clean Up Tomorrow

The Santa Barbara Public Health Department’s Tobacco Prevention and Cannabis Education program (TPCE) and the Coalition Engaged in a Smoke-free Effort (CEASE), invites all community members to join them in a beach clean-up event on Saturday, September 9, 2023, from 10 am- 12 pm at East Beach, 1400 East Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.

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