About this form

This web form was created to simplify the process of emailing the Caltrans District 5 office and the Union Pacific southern California public projects manager (Lupe Valdez).

Upon submission, this form will generate an email addressed to info-d5@dot.ca.gov and lcvaldez@up.com with the subject heading "San Jose Creek Path (Goleta, CA)," signed by the provided name and zip code (to indicate local residency or otherwise). Your provided email address will also be cc'd. 

The San Jose Creek path must pass through land owned by Caltrans and Union Pacific. Both are stonewalling the Goleta Public Works department's attempts to coordinate construction with them. Fill out this form to send them an email urging them to cooperate with Goleta.

Suggested talking points are provided here, however users of the form are strongly encouraged to personalize the contents of the email:

• Caltrans and Union Pacific are impeding the progress of an important public infrastructure project meant to increase safety and quality of life for Goleta residents.

• By refusing to communicate with Goleta Public Works, they're endangering the entire San Jose Creek path project and the $18 million grant provided to Goleta by the state of California.

• Failing to make use of the grant money (ie. not completing the path and having to return the provided funds to the state) is anticipated to have significant negative impact Santa Barbara and Goleta's ability to obtain active transportation grants in the future, ultimately hampering future public infrastructure projects.

• Caltrans claims to prioritize non-motorized, vulnerable users, etc., so the San Jose Creek path should be high on their priorities list. https://dot.ca.gov/about-caltrans

About this form

This web form was created to simplify the process of emailing the Goleta City Council.

Upon submission, this form will generate an email addressed to mayor Paula Perotte (perotte@cityofgoleta.org) and project manager Teresa Lopes (tlopes@cityofgoleta.org), signed by the provided name and zip code (to indicate local residency or otherwise). Your provided email address will also be cc'd. 

Suggested talking points are provided here, however users of the form are strongly encouraged to personalize the contents of the email:

• The northern and southern portions of the San Jose Creek path are not connected across Hollister; the northern portion ends abruptly at a sidewalk mid-block leaving users to navigate to the southern portion of the path by either biking/walking down the sidewalk to the Kellogg/Hollister intersection or simply going down Kellogg itself (where there aren't any bike lanes), and crossing 6 lanes of traffic to then bike down Kellogg on the road with cars until finally linking up with the southern portion. This design leaves users vulnerable at what the city has already identified as a particularly collision-prone road. 

• Similarly, the northern portion of the path appears to dump path users out on Calle Real with no apparent facilities to cross the road to the Class II bike lane on the other side.

• Further, a the Ekwill and Fowler road extensions to be completed in the future include bike/pedestrian paths, however said paths do not appear to connect to the San Jose Creek Path in any way despite being one block apart on Hollister. This is tremendously short-sighted. Safe bicycle infrastructure should be connected for ease of use and maximal safety.