The bulbouts are back.
The Santa Barbara City Council on Tuesday approved adding curb extensions to the four corners at the intersection of Figueroa and De la Vina streets.
The vote was 4-3, with councilmembers Dale Francisco, Frank Hotchkiss and Randy Rowse voting against the curb extensions.
Since 2001, 10 pedestrians have been involved in accidents at the intersection. One person died in an accident involving an MTD bus.
The cost to install curb extensions on all corners, plus new street lighting is about $251,000. The city obtained the money to pay for the project from a Highway Safety Improvement Project grant.
The city will pay design costs of about $25,000.
“We have $250,000 in grant money,” said councilwoman Cathy Murillo. “It seems like a lot of money. I think the public wants us to be fiscally responsible. These curb extensions would be a way to help motorists recognize and see pedestrians.”
The vote indicated the political power shift since the November election of Murillo to the City Council.
A year ago, the council, led by a conservative majority that included former councilwoman Michael Self, launched a crusade to essentially ban bulbouts or “hardscape” from intersections,
The conservative council managed to remove bulbouts from the Chapala Street design guidelines last year. Francisco, Rowse and Hotchkiss philosophically believe that bulbouts make the roads less safe because they become physical barriers for motorists, bicyclists and even pedestrians.
“Anything that sticks into the roadway impedes traffic,” Hotchkiss said.
City engineers believe that they improve visibility by moving the starting point for the pedestrian closer to the travel lane and decreasing the pedestrian crossing distance.
The conservatives on the council instead wanted the city to paint crosswalks in the area and add warning signals – at a cost of $1,000.
Even though the city obtained a grant to pay for the curb extensions, Hotchkiss said he preferred that the city go with the less expensive option.
“You don’t build something bad just because you have the money,” Hotchkiss said. “Simple solutions are the best and can be instituted mostly overnight.”
Hotchkiss said curb extensions can hurt traffic flow.
“I would like to be cautious on this and not do something permanent even though it is someone else’s money,” Hotchkiss said. “It is still money.”
Councilman Bendy White said that these curb extensions would be smaller than some of the ones in other parts of the city that have sparked controversy.
At this intersection, he said, the curb extensions work.
“This is tailored to this location to minimize impact,” White said. “It makes good business sense for the city to go forward with this.”
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