Santa Barbara may have a reputation for safe streets, but a report delivered to the City Council this week found that in 2021, the city had the most cyclists killed or injured by vehicles – more than 100 other California cities similar in size.

Jessica Grant, the city’s senior transportation planner, shared the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report as the city prepares to develop a “Safe Streets for All” action plan using part of a grant federal government of nearly $800,000.

From 2017 to 2021, there were 25 traffic fatalities in the city, and in 2021 specifically, the city reported 85 cyclists killed or injured – the highest total among 105 cities of similar population size.

The same year, the city recorded the seventh highest number of pedestrians killed or injured (35), the third highest number of motorcyclists killed or injured (32) and the third highest number of alcohol-related crashes (95 ).

Grant said the city’s “robust active transportation network” meant there were many more cyclists than other “more vehicle-dominated” cities of the same size. “So we will always be ranked a little higher, just to put that in context,” she said. “But still, it’s not good to have such a high ranking.”

The Safe Streets for All plan, she said, would continue existing initiatives from the city’s Bicycle Master Plan and Vision Zero, which include dozens of infrastructure programs and projects.

Several council members expressed concerns about some of the updates to existing bike lanes in the Westside and Eastside neighborhoods.

City Councilwoman Alejandra Gutierrez said neighbors who lived near the “islands” intended to divert traffic and allow bicycle access on Alisos Street complained of having difficulty navigating the newly blocked streets . She was concerned that the city was not receiving enough community input, which created the impression “that the city cares more about cyclists than neighborhood residents.”

Councilman Oscar Gutierrez said he had heard similar complaints about an intersection on the west side that actually blocked a fire truck from entering the area.

The council unanimously accepted the federal grant of $799,400 for the action plan, which must be completed within two years. Council members also directed staff to engage in further discussions with the community about the impacts of recent bike path improvements on residents and emergency services.