Two Major Active Transportation and Coastal Access Projects Moving Forward in Summerland

Summerland is about to get a lot easier to reach — and to bike through. Two county infrastructure projects totaling more than $12.5 million are moving forward in the small unincorporated community between Montecito and Carpinteria, promising safer beach access and a long-missing link in the regional active transportation network.

According to a Santa Barbara County Public Works announcement published by the Santa Barbara Independent, construction of the Santa Claus Lane Streetscape and Coastal Access Improvements Project Phase 2 began September 1, while a companion project — an 800-foot multi-use path over Ortega Hill — is slated to start later in September 2026 and wrap up by January 2027. Toro Enterprises, Inc. is the contractor on both jobs.

For residents and visitors who have long juggled limited shoreline access and a dicey bike corridor along the 101 corridor, the two projects address complaints that have lingered for years.

A Safer Crossing to Santa Claus Lane Beach

The larger of the two efforts is the $11 million Santa Claus Lane Phase 2 project, funded through the State Interregional Transportation Improvement Program. Its centerpiece is a new pedestrian at-grade railroad crossing designed to give the public safe access to Santa Claus Lane Beach — a stretch of shoreline where the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way has effectively walled off safe entry for decades.

Beachgoers know the drill: reaching the sand at Santa Claus Lane has meant informal, sometimes hazardous crossings of active rail lines. County officials say the new crossing will formalize and secure that access.

The construction will come with temporary disruptions. While road travel along Santa Claus Lane will not be affected, beach access will be limited to an entrance west of the commercial area during construction. A temporary fence will cordon off the work zone until the project is complete, and "no parking" signs will be posted along the construction area — though the county notes the contractor may temporarily remove those signs during non-working hours to open up additional parking.

The timeline is a long one: construction is expected to continue into summer 2027.

Closing the Ortega Hill Gap

The second project tackles one of the most notorious missing links for cyclists and pedestrians on the South Coast. The county will build an 800-foot multi-use path connecting the existing Class I bike path over Ortega Hill — the popular route that parallels Highway 101 between Summerland and Montecito — to bicycle and pedestrian facilities along N. Jameson Lane.

County officials say the new segment fills a long-standing gap in both the California Coastal Trail and the Pacific Bike Route, improving safety and mobility for cyclists and pedestrians traveling between Montecito and Summerland. Currently, riders moving between the two communities face a segment where the protected path simply ends, forcing them to mix with vehicle traffic.

The $1.5 million construction contract is fully funded through the state's Solution of Congested Corridors Program, according to the county. Construction is anticipated to run from September 2026 through January 2027.

Drivers should expect some delays: during working hours, the contractor will use traffic control with one lane of alternating traffic. During non-working hours, if the full width of the lane cannot be restored, temporary traffic signals will direct traffic through the construction zone.

Why It Matters for the South Coast

The projects represent a meaningful down payment on two long-standing regional goals: expanding coastal access and building out a contiguous active transportation network along the Gaviota-to-Ventura corridor.

The California Coastal Trail — envisioned as a continuous route along the state's 1,200-mile coastline — remains a patchwork, and rail lines are among its most stubborn obstacles in Southern California. An engineered pedestrian crossing at Santa Claus Lane is the kind of infrastructure that turns a legal gray area of trespass into a sanctioned public pathway to the shore.

Likewise, the Ortega Hill connection addresses what cyclists have long described as one of the most dangerous seams in the South Coast bike network. For commuters riding between Santa Barbara, Montecito, and the Carpinteria Valley, a continuous off-street facility reduces reliance on Highway 101 shoulders and surface streets that weren't designed for bicycle traffic.

What Comes Next

Residents seeking more detail can follow the county's Transportation Division projects at pwsb.net. In the near term, the practical guidance is straightforward: expect limited beach access at Santa Claus Lane via the western entrance, watch for posted parking restrictions, and plan for occasional one-way traffic control near Ortega Hill through the end of the year.

By summer 2027, if all goes according to schedule, Summerland will have a safer route to the sand and a bike path that finally connects the dots between two of the South Coast's most-trafficked communities.