Lighted Crosswalks Coming to San Ysidro Road

Three existing crosswalks on San Ysidro Road will soon be outfitted with flashing lights, thanks in part to a grant from the State of California. San Ysidro Road at Manning Park, Mimosa, and Sinaloa will be outfitted with the new pedestrian-activated flashing lights in June, according to Public Works traffic engineer Gary Smart. “We don’t consider it a huge impact on the larger community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be able to install them,” Smart said. 

The conversation of safer pedestrian crossings on the road began with nearby residents in 2017 after the County applied for the grant opportunity. The Board of Supervisors, which approved the project in 2019, received letters of support for the lighted crosswalks from Montecito Union School, the YMCA, and All Saints-by-the-Sea. The existing crosswalk signs will be replaced with a sign accompanied by a horizontal light, with a small solar panel on the top of the pole. The flashing lights are activated for about 15 seconds when a pedestrian pushes the button, Smart said. 

The three new lighted crosswalks in Montecito are in addition to five others in Goleta (Turnpike at La Gama, Camino del Remedio, South Patterson at Obern Trail) and Mission Canyon (Mission Canyon at Puesta del Sol, Mission Canyon at Las Encinas). The cost to install the crosswalks is estimated at $350K, with funding from the County General Fund and the California Local Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The installation will occur this summer. For more information, email pwweb@countyofsb.org or call (805) 568-3000.