Project Update

Public Invited to Share Input on Santa Ynez Valley Trail Project

August 11, 2026

Community encouraged to explore interactive map, attend outreach events and sign up for project updates.

Residents, businesses, property owners, visitors and trail users are invited to share input on the Santa Ynez Valley Trail Project as the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) begins public outreach. The public can submit comments through an interactive map at the Santa Ynez Valley (SYV) Trail website at SYVTrail.com, sign up to receive project updates and meet the project team at community events throughout the Santa Ynez Valley.

The Santa Ynez Valley Trail Project proposes approximately nine miles of multi-use trail connecting Buellton, Solvang, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Reservation and surrounding unincorporated communities. The trail would link existing and new trail segments to improve opportunities for walking, bicycling and, where appropriate, horseback riding.

The Santa Ynez Valley Trail Project team is evaluating potential trail routes across the Santa Ynez Valley while considering transportation, recreation, environmental and community needs. Public feedback will help the project team better understand how people travel through the Valley today, where connections are needed, locations with safety concerns and the local features the project team should consider while evaluating potential trail routes.

The interactive map allows participants to provide location-specific comments about places where they walk, bike or ride horseback, accessibility or safety concerns, environmental considerations and destinations they would like to see connected.

No final trail alignment has been selected. Public feedback will help inform engineering, environmental and design studies as the project team evaluates potential trail alignments.

“Local knowledge is one of the most valuable resources we have at this stage of the project,” said Marjie KIRN, executive director at SBCAG. “The people who live, work and recreate in the Santa Ynez Valley know where connections are missing, where safety concerns exist and what makes these communities unique. We want that knowledge to help guide this work.”

The project team will also attend community events throughout the Santa Ynez Valley, providing opportunities for residents to ask questions, learn more about the project and provide feedback in person.

Meet the project team at these upcoming community events:

Project team participation is subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

• Monday, August 17 – Buellton Farmers’ Market
• Wednesday, August 26 – Solvang Music in the Park
• Saturday, October 3 – Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Intertribal Powwow
• Friday to Sunday, November 6 to 8 – Buellton Fall Fest 

The project team will continue engaging with the community by participating in local events and hosting public workshops throughout the planning process.

Planning for the Santa Ynez Valley Trail Project officially began earlier this year following approval by the SBCAG Board of Directors. The project team is currently collecting data, developing maps, conducting environmental studies and evaluating preliminary trail concepts.

“This is the beginning of the conversation, not the end,” said Tom Vo, SBCAG principal transportation planner and Santa Ynez Valley Trail Project manager. “No trail alignment has been selected, and we’re asking the community to help us identify the places, connections and local considerations we should evaluate as engineering, environmental and design work moves forward.”

The Project is organized into multiple segments so each portion of the trail can advance as funding becomes available. Segment A within the City of Buellton is the first segment advancing toward construction. From 2026 through 2028, the project team will complete environmental review, engineering, final design, right-of-way activities and permitting to prepare the Buellton segment for construction.

“In 2023, I was proud to secure state funding to advance the Buellton segment of the Santa Ynez Valley Trail, and it is exciting to see that investment moving this important project closer to construction,” said Assemblymember Gregg Hart. “This trail will create safer opportunities for walking and bicycling while strengthening connections between communities throughout the Valley.”

During that same period, work will continue on Segments B through F through a corridor-wide planning study evaluating potential trail routes through eastern Buellton, Solvang, unincorporated Santa Barbara County and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Reservation toward Highway 154. This work will advance environmental and technical studies and preliminary design to prepare these segments for future pre-construction efforts as additional funding becomes available.

This phased approach allows the Buellton segment to advance toward construction while continuing progress across the approximately nine-mile corridor.

SBCAG is leading the Santa Ynez Valley Trail Project in partnership with the cities of Buellton and Solvang, the County of Santa Barbara, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and Caltrans. Approximately $2.6 million in federal, state and local funding has been secured to support planning, environmental studies and preliminary design.

To learn more about the Project, explore the interactive map, submit comments or sign up for project updates: