ADA transition work advances while street-maintenance funding tightens

Santa Barbara City staff told the Access Advisory Committee on Aug. 12 that work to implement the city's ADA transition plan is proceeding, with new staff assigned and several projects either under construction or moving into procurement — but members were also warned that near-term sidewalk and ramp work will be constrained by budget reallocations to the city’s police station project.

Craig Schallenberger, who presented the update on the transition plan, said staff have added an engineering resource (Ashley Lopez) to the team and are preparing a sequence of bid packages. He said a small signage contract has already been issued at 630 Garden Street to establish procurement procedures and that larger path-of-travel items — curb ramps, handrails and restroom work — will follow.

Schallenberger said multiple city projects already underway overlap items in the transition plan, including the new police station, the Dwight Murphy Park renovation and Chase Palm Park work. He said…