for people
[the landscape]
Santa Barbara is an idyllic location to live, work, and play. But under the cloudless skies, a conflict has been brewing throughout the past decade. Rising home prices, increased rental rates, and an increase in vacation rentals have displaced many South Coast employees to bedroom communities scattered throughout Santa Barbara County, and even the greater Central Coast in the most extreme cases. (Here we define the South Coast as the area of Santa Barbara County south of the Santa Ynez mountains.) These employees are forced to sacrifice a large portion of their day to commuting- missing out on valuable family time and living a “double life” without a sense of belonging to any one community.
In recent years, housing growth has been focused in the North County where prices are more affordable. But with the majority of jobs in Santa Barbara County located in the City of Santa Barbara, a huge housing-work imbalance has transpired. The result is a sprawling collection of bedroom communities and a lot of cars connecting them. On average, 8,700 North County residents commute to jobs on the South Coast, while just 2,100 South Coast residents commute to the North County. In addition, 7,200 San Luis Obispo County residents and 11,400 Ventura County residents commute into Santa Barbara County each day.
Transportation is a major source of the greenhouse gases (GHG) that contribute to climate change. And vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have increased greatly over the past decade.
- In 2014 transportation accounted for 28% of all U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making it the second greatest contributor behind the electricity industry.
- In California, transportation is the largest contributor of GHG emissions at more than 40%.
- From 1990 to 2013, U.S. transportation-related GHG emissions increased by 16% due to a 35% increase in VMT by passenger cars and light-duty trucks. The EPA attributes this increase in VMT to population growth, economic growth, and urban sprawl.
GHG emissions are a concern for all citizens of the world as they are the cause of climate change and have the potential for wide-spread and long-term effects.
[air pollution] As VMT increases, so do tailpipe emissions. This increases the output of harmful toxics such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen dioxide. Even as vehicle technology improves, the increased VMT are expected to cancel out any benefits. Short term increases in air pollution may cause increased mortality, increased hospital visits, increased asthma attacks, and overall reduced lung function.
[accidents and injuries] Of all the modes of transportation, road transportation has the highest incidence of accidents, injuries, and fatalities. From 2000-2009, there were 26,678 fatalities on US highways. In comparison, there were just 548 deaths related to air travel. Additionally, highways had an almost 3 times greater rate of death than urban roads. There are also many emotional and psychological effects from spending a large portion of your day in a car while commuting to and from work.
[the costs of commuting]
City planners and policy-makers are not blind to the issue. They realize that growth in Santa Barbara is uniquely constrained. Nestled between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the North and the Santa Barbara Channel to the South, any expansion is forced to go East or West. Additional pressure is placed on the downtown area of Santa Barbara City by a structural height restriction, which mandates that no building may be taller than the Courthouse, or four stories.
These limitations, combined with a growing population, put a lot of pressure on current housing. Today, Santa Barbara County is one of the least affordable places to live, for both home buyers and renters. A recent survey conducted by the Coastal Housing Coalition discovered that the vast majority of residents who own their home have either worked in the South Coast area for more than 15 years, or have a combined household income of at least $200,000.
But for city leaders, there is a delicate balance between allowing the growth the city needs and maintaining the distinct Santa Barbara character that everyone loves. The challenge then is to create housing that meets the needs of South Coast employees, maintains the Santa Barbara taste, and complies with state legislation to reduce GHG emissions.
