Santa Barbara SAFE Streets believes that our streets should be SAFE:

Safe. Our streets should be physically and psychologically safe for all who use them. The needs of drivers, pedestrians, transit passengers, and cyclists all must be considered. We oppose the imposition of gratuitous road hazards by our City's misguided transportation planners.

Aesthetic. We believe in preserving and enhancing the beauty of Santa Barbara's historic street grid. We oppose the wanton desecration of that grid and the careless proliferation of faddish "improvements" in the name of "traffic calming."

Fair. We believe that all Santa Barbarans have a right to choose the mode of travel that seems right depending on circumstances, and not to be coerced into what the planners deem best for us.

Efficient. Streets have the mundane but vital role of moving people, goods, and services in the most efficient way possible. This is vital to the economic health of our city and to the well-being of her citizens. The utopian idea that large numbers of people can be "encouraged" to use bicycles or buses for most of their transportation needs has been tried for thirty years, and has failed. The automobile--though not necessarily the petroleum-dependent vehicles of today--will continue to be a primary mode of transportation for many decades to come. We should plan and develop our transportation system accordingly.