City of Santa Barbara's Interactive Bike Network Map

This interactive story map will introduce you to Santa Barbara's robust bikeway network and explain the various types of facilities you may encounter. You can use the map to navigate through the different types of bikeways in the City of Santa Barbara and select different segments to learn more about the specific bike facility located there.

Before you begin, please take a moment to learn about the different types of bikeways you may experience here in Santa Barbara.  

Class I bikeways, also known as bike paths, or shared-use or multi-use paths, are facilities with exclusive right of way for bicyclists and pedestrians, separated from the roadway and with cross flows by motor traffic minimized.

Class II bikeways are bike lanes established along streets and are defined by pavement striping and signage to delineate a portion of a roadway for bicycle travel. Bike lanes are one-way facilities, typically striped adjacent to motor traffic travelling in the same direction.

A Class II (buffered) bike lane provides greater separation from an adjacent traffic lane and/or between the bike lane and on-street parking by using chevron or diagonal markings. Greater separation can be especially useful on streets with higher motor traffic speeds or volumes.

Class III bikeways, or bike routes, designate a preferred route for bicyclists on streets shared with motor traffic not served by dedicated bikeways to provide continuity to the bikeway network. Bike routes are generally not appropriate for roadways with higher motor traffic speeds or volumes.

A Class IV separated bikeway, often referred to as a cycle track or protected bike lane, is for the exclusive use of bicycles, physically separated from motor traffic with a vertical feature. The separation may include, but is not limited to, grade separation, flexible posts, inflexible barriers or posts, or on-street parking.

Peak hour lanes are automobile parking lanes that become available for exclusive bicycle use during peak travel times of the day (typically 7-9am and 2-4pm; some parking allowed from 6pm to 7am in residential zones).

The City of Santa Barbara is exploring the potential for a public bike share system to reduce traffic congestion, parking demand, and support our City’s sustainability efforts. This program provides a citywide fleet of electric-assist bikes (e-bikes) available for rent in the public right of way. Designed with short trips in mind, bike sharing is great for those trips that are too far to walk, but too close to drive. 

To find a BCycle station near you, click the button below. 

Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries in Santa Barbara while enhancing safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all. The concept was introduced in Sweden in the 1990s. It has proven successful across Europe and is gaining momentum in many cities in the USA. The Santa Barbara City Council voted to adopt the Vision Zero perspective in September 2018.

Vision Zero is about evolving our thinking about what causes traffic-related collisions and what can be done to prevent them. Traditionally, traffic fatalities and severe injuries have been viewed as “accidents.” Yet in fact, each traffic-related collision has a cause and can be prevented. That’s why Vision Zero regards traffic collisions as a policy problem that can be addressed through focused evaluation, education, engineering, and enforcement.

About 77 percent of collisions resulting in serious or fatal injuries are concentrated on just 20 percent of Santa Barbara streets. These Vision Zero “Priority Corridors” are where transportation efforts and investments can have the greatest results improving safety. To address collision patterns and enhance safety for our most vulnerable roadway users (pedestrians and bicyclists), City staff regularly review collision records and traffic operations to identify opportunities to incorporate cost effective safety changes into our routine pavement maintenance efforts. Many of the projects here are also funded in part by grant funding from the Active Transportation Program (ATP), the Highway Safety Improvement Project, or regional grant sources.

Sam Furtner, Mobility Coordinator for the City of Santa Barbara  SFurtner@SantaBarbaraCA.gov  805.991.2422