Goleta Public Works holds 'Street Talk' open house to gather input on Vision 0 and pavement priorities

An evening open house hosted by Goleta Public Works invited residents to sit at one of three tables, review an aerial map and point out transportation needs the city should prioritize, a Public Works staff member said.

“We wanna really hear from you,” the staff member said, describing the event as an open-house style "table talk" where attendees could flag safety improvements and pavement needs. The staff member repeated the initiative’s motto: “bike it, walk it, drive it, shape it.”

The staff member said the input collected will help prioritize the city’s capital improvement program transportation projects and guide implementation of what the meeting called "Vision 0," summarized in the event as aiming for “0 fatalities, 0 injuries.”

A resident praised the outreach as unusually open, saying they had not previously been part of a municipality that invited such direct feedback and calling the exchange “genuine.” The staff member noted specific local topics on the map, including a flashing light beacon on Hollister, as examples of issues attendees raised.

City staff described the process as incremental: gather public input, make changes, then solicit further feedback as projects advance. The staff member said organizers recorded comments and will use them to shape a future list of transportation projects for the CIP.

No votes or formal actions were taken at the event; staff characterized it as information-gathering to inform project prioritization and Vision 0 implementation. The city did not specify a timetable or budget for projects discussed at the open house.

Goleta Public Works said it will compile attendees’ feedback and incorporate that input into planning documents for transportation improvements and pavement work.