The formal public comment period for the 2021 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) begins January 18. FTIP identifies federally funded surface transportation projects in Santa Barbara County that are proposed for implementation within the next four to five years.

This is the single, go-to, reference document for the public and government agencies to understand where, when, and how federal funding will be spent within the county. The 2021 FTIP is posted on the SBCAG website.  

Public comment will be accepted via mail through the U.S. Postal Services to SBCAG at 260 North San Antonio Road, Suite B, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, or via email to info@sbcag.org through 5:00 p.m. on February 17.  The SBCAG Board of Directors will consider adoption of 2021 FTIP on February 18, 2021.  

SBCAG Board of Directors recently elected their 2021 leadership and approved the Board of Directors regular meeting schedule through December 2021. Additionally, four newly elected city and county representatives joined the Board of Directors. Holly Sierra, Mayor of Buellton was selected to serve as Chair and Das Williams, County Supervisor First District to serve as Vice-Chair. The Board expressed their appreciation to outgoing Chair Gregg Hart, County Supervisor Second District. The four new members to the Board include: Ariston Julian, Mayor of Guadalupe; Bob Nelson, County Supervisor Fourth District; Jenelle Osborne, Mayor of Lompoc; and Charlie Uhrig, Mayor of Solvang.
 
“The era of 2020, amid the COVID-19 global public health crisis, stressed the importance of regional transportation investments and construction activities throughout Santa Barbara County to improve our communities, put people to work, and promote economic recovery,” said Chair Holly Serria. “Looking forward to 2021, I will work with my Board colleagues, SBCAG staff and our community partners to seek federal investment to meet the demands of moving goods and people through our county, including aggressively pursuing full funding to complete the Highway 101 project in the south coast and creating opportunities to prioritize safety improvements on our local roads for bicyclists and pedestrians.”
 
In 2021, SBCAG in partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will continue to focus on the Santa Barbara U.S. 101 Multimodal Corridor Project, which is the number one transportation priority project of the region through Measure A, the transportation sales tax measure passed overwhelmingly by voters in 2008. In 2018, Measure A funding helped leverage $184 million in competitive State Senate Bill 1 funding for the project from Carpinteria to Summerland which began construction in April 2020. In the new year, SBCAG will seek federal investment through stimulus opportunities and the reauthorization of the Federal surface transportation bill to support the project. Additional funding will also help to improve local connections for pedestrians, bicyclists as well as transit and rail users. The public can stay informed on construction activities and progress by signing up to receive updates on the project's website.
 
The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process that began in 2020 is anticipated to conclude this year. RHNA is coordinated by SBCAG as directed by the State of California to support how Santa Barbara communities can adequately plan to meet the housing needs for our region. The Board will also consider adoption of Connected 2050, Santa Barbara County’s next Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP-SCS).  The RTP-SCS is a long-range transportation plan that is updated every four years and helps guide future planning efforts and policy decisions that affect transportation, including its relationship with housing and land use. 
 
Other notable efforts this year include integrating the 2020 Census data into transportation planning efforts, adoption of the Federal Transportation Improvement Program which outlines when and how federal transportation funds are to be spent in Santa Barbara County, and adoption of an updated Public Participation Plan. Additionally, SBCAG is collaborating with the Caltrans District 5 and Central Coast partners to develop a U.S. 101 Business Plan and apply for a grant to create a Central Coast Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy.    
 
Regular meetings of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments Board of Directors occur on the 3rd Thursday of each month, convening at 10:00 a.m. Listed below is the 2021 Meeting schedule. SBCAG Board of Directors meetings, temporarily, no longer provide in-person public participation in response to California Governor’s stay at home orders as well as a regional stay at home order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Alternative methods of participation are listed on meeting agendas, which can be found on SBCAG’s website.  
 
2021 SBCAG Board of Directors Regular Meeting Dates (link)
All meetings will be conducted virtually for members of the public until further notice