Bike maps help bicyclists identify and navigate routes throughout their region and understand a route’s classification—from multi-use trails to bike lanes on the street. However, Santa Barbara County’s mapping system is outdated by more than a decade, said Lauren Bianchi Klemann, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.
“With roads and infrastructure, a lot happens on a regular basis, so we don’t have an up-to-date map for bike infrastructure to share with the public right now,” Bianchi Klemann said.
In an effort to update Santa Barbara County’s regional bike map, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) secured a $480,000 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant, Bianchi Klemann said.
“We are just really excited to be recognized by the state and receiving this grant,” Bianchi Klemann said.
SBCAG is a 13-member agency that has representatives from every Santa Barbara County jurisdiction to help make regional decisions, Bianchi Klemann said.
“We’re independent from the county. We do regional transportation planning, … we like to solve problems that cross jurisdictional boundaries,” she said.
Although Santa Barbara County’s bike map was reprinted in 2018, it hasn’t been updated since 2013—leaving the current available information outdated as new infrastructure came in place, said Aaron Bonfilio, SBCAG’s director of multimodal programs.
“In addition, Caltrans has developed a classification system for bike routes—while helpful it’s not the most intuitive,” he said.
Now, SBCAG will be able to update its maps thanks to the $480,000 Caltrans grant. In partnership with UC Santa Barbara and Simon Fraser University, over the next two to three years the entities will gather public input and train artificial intelligence to map Santa Barbara County’s bicycle infrastructure and develop a universal wayfinding plan to help identify bike routes and their accessibility.
“This project builds a comfort classification system so bikers know how comfortable they might be on a bike route,” Bonfilio said. “It will be self-updating to a degree so a digital version will be updated with those same technologies that created it in the first place.”
As more transportation updates get completed in the county, the AI system will automatically make adjustments to the bike routes throughout the region, he said.
“Having a universal standing in terms of wayfinding is helpful from a user standpoint because, as you can imagine, ... [signage standards] might switch from jurisdiction to jurisdiction,” Bonfilio said, adding that the region agreeing on the signage will make it intuitive, easy-to-use, and cohesive as bike riders go between jurisdictions in the county.
Once the wayfinding system is in place, it will also give SBCAG future funding opportunities to help install the signs throughout the region, Bianchi Klemann added.
“One of the most compelling aspects of the project is that it could be replicated throughout California. So that’s really exciting for our entire county,” she said. “We’re really excited to have a reliable and accurate source of information for the public going forward.”
Highlights
• The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Lompoc-Vandenberg Branch announced that it received a $10,000 Movement Building Grant from the Fund for Santa Barbara for two nonpartisan dual language candidate forums. AAUW will collaborate with the League of Women Voters of Northern Santa Barbara County and the city of Lompoc for a venue. In addition, the Future for Lompoc Youth and Allan Hancock College will collaborate with the AAUW and work to engage younger and more diverse voters.
• Lompoc Parks and Recreation will host an end-of-summer Pooch Plunge at the Lompoc Aquatic Center on Aug. 11 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Pet owners must pre-register for each pup with a $10 fee and provide proof of vaccination before participating. There will be limited drop-ins accepted the day of the event. Register at the Andersen Recreation Center, 125 W. Walnut Ave. Find the registration form and the event’s rules at cityoflompoc.com/recreation. Direct questions to (805) 875-8100.
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at [email protected].
