Visit the project page here.

Construction is underway to improve traffic circulation in Old Town Goleta by installing two roundabouts at the Hollister Avenue and State Route 217 ramp intersections. Additionally, a new bridge will replace the existing bridge over San Jose Creek to achieve 100-year storm flow capacity and link the recently completed downstream San Jose Creek Capacity Improvement & Fish Passage project.

Click here to view the Hollister Avenue map.

Purpose and Need

Laboratory testing has confirmed that the existing bridge was constructed using reactive aggregate and is deteriorating rapidly. The existing bridge does not conform to current design standards and retrofitting is not feasible. The replacement of this bridge also completes the San Jose Creek Capacity improvements project by removing the geometric constraints on the channel under the existing bridge.

Funding Sources

Funding for this project is a combination of sources, including the Federal Highway Bridge Program (HBP) funds. The project will be funded 88.53% by the HBP.

Construction is underway to build a new road, the Ekwill Street extension, across Old Town Goleta from Kellogg Avenue to Fairview Avenue. Construction will also extend existing South Street (and rename it Fowler Road) to Technology Drive.

Click here to view the Ekwill Street and Fowler Road Maps.

The new streets will have one travel lane in each direction along with left turn pockets, Class II bike lanes, sidewalks and landscaped parkways will extend along both roadways. In addition, the project will construct a roundabout at the Pine Avenue and Ekwill Street intersection.

Ekwill Street & Fowler Road Extension Projects Background

A project more than 20 years in the making - when the City first incorporated, it inherited the project from the County during the conceptual phase. Since that time, the project’s scope has evolved into a complex project, requiring right-of-way acquisitions and numerous permits.

The existing roadway system within Old Town Goleta has inadequate east-west circulation both north and south of Hollister Avenue and lacks direct access into the southern portions of Old Town Goleta and the Santa Barbara Airport. This project will relieve regional congestion, enhance bicycle and pedestrian circulation, and improve access to the airport.

Funding Sources

Funding for this project was a combination of Redevelopment Agency (RDA) (prior to dissolution), Development Impact Fee (DIF) and State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds. Only the STIP and DIF funds are still available.

The contractor, Security Paving, has four different project areas to complete under their Project Connect contract: 1) Hollister Avenue roundabouts and San Jose Creek bridge, 2) Hollister Old Town Interim Striping, 3) Ekwill Street and 4) Fowler Road. Construction scheduling is based on numerous factors, including the completion of utility relocations, temporary construction easement agreements, environmental permit requirements, weather, among other constraints.

Currently, crews are constructing the Hollister Old Town Interim Striping Project, which began in May 2024 and is anticipated to be complete at the end of July 2024. Following utility relocations on Hollister Avenue near 217, the contractor plans to begin work on the bridge over San Jose Creek.

For the most updated information, visit: www.CityofGoleta.org/ProjectConnect. 

There are several ways to keep updated about Project Connect:

• Visit the project webpage: www.CityofGoleta.org/ProjectConnect
• Sign up for City of Goleta news and updates: www.cityofgoleta.org/connect/stay-connected
• Email: connect@cityofgoleta.org
• Call: 805-690-5116

The grinding of the pavement is to implement preventative maintenance to help preserve the underlying structure of the road and extend its lifespan. In addition, it helps prevent more extensive and costly repairs by addressing the issue before they become major problems. 

The City uses a Pavement Management Program that utilizes a critical point management approach to select and prioritize which streets will be considered for treatment. The critical point approach incorporates pavements from all parts of the deterioration curve, not just the best or worst. This approach optimizes every budget dollar by seeking to apply the right treatment to the right pavement at the right time.

The back-in angled parking reduces conflicts with vehicle doors swinging into the bike path, maximizes visibility between bicycles and drivers exiting the parking space, and keeps the transition from passenger to pedestrian next to the sidewalk, shielded from traffic by the open car door. Back-in angled parking also allows for more parking spaces than traditional parallel parking spaces.

The Hollister Old Town Interim Striping Project is a pilot project designed to provide cost-effective interim parking and safety improvements in Old Town Goleta. This project allows the City to evaluate its effectiveness in meeting the needs of the community and will help shape the final design of streetscape improvements once funding becomes available for the Hollister Avenue Complete Streets Corridor Project.

The interim striping layout will be evaluated to determine if adjustments are needed, including but not limited to modifications to traffic signal timing to improve traffic flow. Project Connect construction may also cause temporary traffic delays; information about anticipated traffic impacts can be found on the project webpage: www.CityofGoleta.org/ProjectConnect.

As required, and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was developed and approved on behalf of the project. An amendment was adopted in 2019.

Native Plant Selection and Non-Native Plant Removal

Plants and trees selected for this project have been carefully considered and include California native species. They are being procured through Santa Barbara Natives, and a full plant list is available here.

The mitigation efforts don’t stop at the planting of new plants and trees. They also include the careful removal of non-native and invasive plant species that currently degrade Goleta’s riparian habitats. This combined effort will increase the diversity and abundance of native plants while providing critical food and shelter sources for a variety of wildlife species.

Most notably, these efforts will help improve roosting habitat for the Monarch butterfly, a sensitive species that is iconic to California’s coastal communities.

Maintenance and Plant Protection

All restoration areas will be monitored and maintained for a five-year period to ensure successful establishment.  

Restoration Area Locations

The mitigation area for the Ekwill Street and Fowler Road extensions is off-site from the project area, located at Devereux Creek and Northwestern Tributary, Fowler Road Drainage Ditch, Old San Jose Creek and Old San Jose Creek (East Ekwill). This area is a total of 4.78 acres. Restoration work in this area will expand and increase functional capacity of this sensitive riparian corridor by increasing the diversity and abundance of native species along an area otherwise dominated by non-native species and damaged by erosion scars.

The mitigation area for the Hollister Avenue work is also off-site from the project area, a total of 0.56 acres at Lake Los Carneros. This work will also increase the diversity and abundance of native species at a local waterway that is currently dominated by non-native species.

Mitigation Documents

Ekwill & Fowler – Restoration Contractor Scope of Work for Off-Site Devereux Creek & Northwestern Tributary (Elwood Mesa) Mitigation Site

Ekwill & Fowler – Restoration Contractor Scope of Work for On-Site Fowler Road Drainage Ditch & Old San Jose Creek (Fowler Road) -- On-Site Old San Jose Creek (east Ekwill Street) -- On-Site Temporary Riparian Impact Areas (Ekwill Street & Hollister Avenue)

Ekwill & Fowler – Biological Mitigation & Monitoring Plan

Hollister Avenue Bridge Replacement Project – Restoration Contractor Scope of Work for Off-Site Lake Los Carneros Mitigation Site

Hollister Avenue Bridge Replacement Project – Off-Site Mitigation Plan at Lake Los Carneros

Ekwill & Fowler – Tree Inventory & Protection Plan

Ekwill & Fowler – Biological Mitigation & Monitoring Plan