The Modoc Road MUP project was clearly planned all in SB County right-of-way (ROW) on Modoc Road, with the existing Class II bike lanes removed. Now it L@@Ks like a governmental land grab…by ignoring and disrespecting the Modoc Preserve’s Deed of Conservation Easement Agreement signed in 1999 between La Cumbre Mutual Water Company (LCMWC – owner) and Land Trust for Santa Barbara County (LTSB – trustee)…in fact, 2nd District Supervisor Gregg Hart was quoted as saying that the Easement is : “just words written on a piece of paper 30 years ago.”
We shall see…TBD…stay tuned…
The SB County Public Works application for the $5.35MM ATP grant explicitly states “The project will reduce barriers along the corridor by REPLACING SECTIONS OF CLASS II BIKE LANES WITH A MORE SAFE AND ATTRACTIVE SEPARATED PATH, suitable for people of all ages and abilities.”
Key words: REPLACING THE CLASS II BIKE LANES…
Which is exactly what we have been asking for…Greenbelt Alignment…or, the Obern Trail extension… Building the MUP, up on Modoc Road, which is what the County asked for in the first place and is currently designed for the western half of the MUP. So, just like the 4.5 mile Obern Trail from Modoc Road out to Goleta Beach does not have Class II bike lanes running on either side of it…the Modoc Road MUP was never intended to also have Class II bike lanes…this is right up on the top of the application and was used to sell the $5.35MM ATP grant to CalTrans in Sacramento…
1.) Highlighted on Page 4 (reference image here) of the SB County Public Works ATP grant application it says:
“The Project will reduce barriers along the corridor by REPLACING sections of the Class II bike lanes with a more safe and attractive separated path, suitable for people of all ages and abilities.”
Therefore, like we have been saying…there is plenty of room on Modoc Road to build the MUP with a vehicle barrier without cutting any trees down (Alignment A) or going into the Modoc Preserve (Alignment B)…by REPLACING the existing wide Class II bike lanes with the vehicle separated Class I MUP. End of story.
Removal of Class II lanes and MUP built in existing County right-of-way…
2.) Highlighted on Page 22 (reference image here) of the SB County Public Works ATP grant application it says:
“For bicyclists significant safety barriers would be removed by upgrading existing shoulders and Class II bike lanes to a Class I pathway with a dedicated right-of-way and physical separation from vehicular traffic.”
Operative statement here is that the existing Class II bike lanes would get “UPGRADED to a Class I pathway“…which means that they will go away with this upgrade…
3.) Highlighted on Page 25 (reference image here) of the SB County Public Works ATP grant application it states:
“Finally by REMOVING the need for westbound travelers to cross midblock at the Obern Trail, yield compliance issues would be mitigated for some users.”
This means that the westbound lane on the north side of Modoc Road would be REMOVED eliminating the need to turn left across eastbound traffic onto the Obern Trail at West Encore Dr.
“The REPLACEMENT of the westbound bike lane with the path on the same side as the Obern Trail will ameliorate the problem of visibility and poor driver yield compliance.”
This clearly states that the westbound Class II bike lane which is on the north side of Modoc Road, would be REPLACED.
4.) Highlighted on Page 26 (reference image here) of the SB County Public Works ATP grant application it states:
“By adapting an existing right-of-way the County will be able to minimize costs, freeing up resources for improvements in other areas of the transportation system, while maximizing the use of an already established route.”
This very clearly states that the Class I MUP would use an existing County right-of-way…which is the strongest argument that the County should have never tried to go outside the guardrails of their own ROW, and their statement as such, in the ATP grant, by trying to obtain an Easement in the Preserve in the first place.
5.) Highlighted on Page 27 (reference image here) of the SB County Public Works ATP grant application it says:
“The Project design incorporates the new facility within the existing right-of-way by realigning the geometrics of the roadway through narrowing traffic lanes and reducing shoulder width. Implementation of the project will allow the County to gain experience with innovative buffer and pavement marking treatments.”
This clearly states again that the new Class I MUP would use the existing County right-of-way…
The County should stay within the guardrails of what they have sold to CalTrans in Sacramento to get the $5.35MM ATP grant…otherwise, it is false marketing and someone(s) should be held accountable…
3.) Page 25 (reference image here):
“Finally by REMOVING the need for westbound travelers to cross midblock at the Obern Trail, yield compliance issues would be mitigated for some users.”
These service vehicles include USPS mail vehicles, UPS, Fedex, Cox Cable, SCE electrical maintenance, potable water delivery, Amazon…etc…again, this is in addition to eliminating the inherent danger for cyclists of the left hand turn from the westbound Class II bike lane across eastbound Modoc Road traffic onto the Obern Trail Class I bike path…as well as failure to yield from motorists also going westbound and cyclists who fail to properly signal before initiating their left hand turns.This was the clearly stated intent of points 1.) and 2.) in the ATP grant application…
1.) Page 4 (reference image here):
“The Project will reduce barriers along the corridor by REPLACING sections of the Class II bike lanes with a more safe and attractive separated path, suitable for people of all ages and abilities.”
2.) Page 22 (reference image here):
“For bicyclists significant safety barriers would be removed by UPGRADING existing shoulders and Class II bike lanes to a Class I pathway with a dedicated right-of-way and physical separation from vehicular traffic.”
Why Alignment B is not Feasible:
