Pedlet Walkways and Sidewalk Seating Now Ready for Use in Downtown Santa Barbara
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Out to test a concept, the City of Santa Barbara has snapped together a pedlet walking path in one block of downtown as a trial to see if it is a good fit for the rest of the street.
The pedlets are prefabricated pieces that were delivered on a truck Monday and off loaded for use on State St, between Cota St. and Haley St.
It was power washed from side to side prior to the pedlet work.
Thursday the final touches were going in. The pedlets all have ramps for wheelchairs and are ADA compliant. The ramps had to be modified by the city to meet California standards and that took extra work, metal sheets, welding and time. The work was finished late Friday. The city says the ramps that arrived met federal standards, but California’s requirements are wider.
Some benches have been added for seating. They are in the street near the pedlets.
Dining on the sidewalk that is already in place will be enhanced by more tables and chairs in front of restaurants that choose to use that space.
Joe’s Cafe was one of them. Five tables were set up on the sidewalk surrounded by flowers and dividers the restaurant had when they used the street for seating. The restaurant did not add or lose any tables. Spacing was also in place for wheelchairs.
This comes at no charge now. The city is normally charging for tables and chairs on sidewalk space, which is city property.
Nearby Old Kings Road has some chairs and tables out but the full layout was still being designed.
Restaurants that are next to businesses that are not using the outside space, have been told they can not use the adjacent space, only what is in front of their address.
Santa Barbara Resident Alexadra Cole said, ” I think that’s a good idea. It’s not the most attractive, but at least if all the pedestrians are walking on it, that is free range for the people (businesses) to be able to spread their tables and get their table crowd back again.”
A visitor from Texas, Debra Boyle was in Santa Barbara with a large group of friends who were planning their day and checking out the changes. “Yes, I actually look for that when I’m researching cities. I look for sidewalk dining or piazza, anything like that that can bring me outdoors.”
She says at home in Texas it is often too hot or uncomfortable to sit outside for dining.
An Old Kings Road bartender Joe Crosby said the plan can be viewed two ways. “Absolutely it would make serving easier. But it also takes the foot traffic further away from our front door, where there would be potentially entering.” He says passersby who see their bar, the decor, the other elements that would draw them in, may not see it from the street.
No awnings can go up. Only umbrellas.The outside of the pedlets do not have a rail. They are elevated a few inches above the street.
It took extra work to make sure they were level and adjusted evenly since the older street is irregular in many area. The pedlets also do not go the full length of the block on both sides.
Signs indicating the walkways are open are mounted on some orange construction stanchions.
By early evening the public was using the new walkway, along with some portions of the street and some open areas of the sidewalk.
The downtown Loop shuttle is still able to use the center area of the street to transport its riders from Stearns Wharf to the Arlington Theatre area and back.
This project is a trial for one block. A full master plan for the downtown area is still in the works.
It has a cost of $580,000. The pedlets were purchased from Modstreet, which has set these up in other communities and has examples on its website.
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