Santa Barbara report lists 139 curb ramps, new accessible parking and pilot shuttle as priorities

Santa Barbara Public Works Director and city ADA coordinator Brian DeMore reported to the City Council Oct. 7 on the Access Advisory Committee’s annual update and the city’s refreshed Americans with Disabilities Act transition plan.

The committee recommended priorities and recognized local accessibility leaders; DeMore said the city refreshed surveys of nine priority locations, completed 139 sidewalk access ramps in the prior year, and will begin deploying accumulated funds to remove additional barriers in calendar year 2026.

"All entities were required to develop a transition plan," DeMore told the council, summarizing the law and the city’s recent work to update and prioritize needed fixes. He said staff updated spreadsheets that track completed work and remaining items so projects can be packaged for construction and funded next year.

DeMore and committee members highlighted a mix of small and larger projects: on-street accessible parking changes (seven new locations added, three planned, three removed where no longer needed), three accessible parking spaces in the City Hall employee lot that are now open to public use, and accessibility upgrades at downtown theatres and public facilities.

"There were 139" curb ramp installations "in the last year," DeMore said, adding the city coordinates ramp work with pavement maintenance so upgrades happen when streets are repaved.

The report also noted recent completion or progress on several capital projects that include accessibility improvements: the library lower-level elevator and plaza, the State Street undercrossing, the Dwight Murphy Field renovation (which includes Gwendolyn's Playground, billed as an adaptive playground), and the Santa Barbara Police Station (listed among nine priority locations in the transition plan).

Rick Bowler of the Santa Barbara Bowl accepted a committee recognition in person; DeMore said the Bowl has taken steps to improve access on a steep site and that the organization "does a really good job of making that accessible." The committee also recognized long-time volunteer and accessibility advocate Bob Burnham; Burnham was not present and members offered remarks about his years of service.

Committee members and public commenters praised a recent pilot of the downtown loop shuttle. DeMore said the pilot units were retrofitted to accommodate wheelchairs and that staff brought a vehicle to the Access Advisory Committee for review; an attending committee member said the shuttles "worked really well" but suggested the wheelchair tie-down mechanism could be simplified.

Councilmembers asked about next steps. DeMore said the shuttle pilot used retrofitted carts and recommended that, if the council wants to continue the program permanently, staff would likely recommend purchasing vehicles built for ADA accessibility rather than continuing retrofit work. He also noted a small Measure C allocation for on-street accessible parking retrofits and said staff will work with the Access Advisory Committee to prioritize locations.

Public speakers and committee members raised additional accessibility concerns and suggestions: improving wayfinding to shuttle pick-up points for people using canes or assistive technology; adding tactile indicators near shuttle locations; and addressing City Hall elevator capacity and Wharf board surfaces for easier wheelchair passage.

This was an informational item; council did not take formal policy action during the meeting. Staff said they expect construction packages and project starts to accelerate in calendar year 2026 as funds are deployed.