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Coronavirus Closures Allow Street Repair To Ramp Up In Santa Barbara

John Palminteri

When voters in Santa Barbara were asked to approve a 1 cent sales tax in 2017 aimed at improving streets, sidewalks, and eventually paying for a police station, the measure passed.

The police headquarters project is still under review, but now, new paving efforts are popping up all over Santa Barbara.

The tax is generating around $22 million a year.

Different streets are getting different types of repairs, says Transportation Manager Rob Dayton.

"If you let a street go too long, it gets more expensive, so it's all about the cost of maintenance." Dayton says, "Initially, it's all about catching up from all the deffered maintenance."

Daytons adds that changing striping patterns in the street could change driving patterns, and ultimately save lives.

Catching up on all the deffered maintenance will take about five years.

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