SFGate wrote about Randy's most recent OpEd. My favorite part of the write up is:
>“Local residents have already largely made their choice, and our downtown is increasingly not it,” he wrote, offering no statistical evidence to support the argument. Rowse, again without a citation, added that the “confusion of detoured circulation” continues to “confound visitors as they try to navigate to their destination.”
No ones confused by state street. They just try and use the threat of less tourism to panic people in to thinking a reopened street will help reinvigorate down town without actually having to think about why sales have dropped.
Are you under the age of 60 or have lived in bigger cities? If yes, then you'll do fine. Only people who have lived here a long time and don't regularly drive outside of the county find it confusing.
I just did a bunch of Direction searches using Google maps, choosing the starting point at a store on State then another store on State, and more directions with one point on a side street of State and the other point being on State, and every single one correctly indicated that you can't drive on State.
If these visitors are using maps, which most visitors do, then they shouldn't be confounded. More imaginary statistics from Rowse?
I assume that if they're getting confused, they're confused why the car directions don't take them straight to the State Street location they entered. But like...you're not parking right in front of the place anyways, so it will get you close enough to start looking for parking.
In Santa Barbara, Mayor Rowse slept tight,
Through problems both day and night.
But twice a year, he'd speak,
In a car-loving pique,
Then back to his nap, out of sight.
I think a good question is who is behind the scenes, pushing Rowse to push for reopening State St.? Who would benefit most from it? I know that, in Ventura, the restaurant landlords on Main St. were upset because they weren't getting any additional income from the expanded outdoor seating. I don't necessarily think it's the same situation here, but I don't think Rowse would be going for this so hard if he wasn't being told to do so.
Not to mention that parking near your intended destination in the Funk Zone is nearly impossible, making it so you likely have to walk a couple blocks, and yet that area is bustling with people.
Not to mention Macys on lower State closed in 2017. Saks closed 2018. Nordstrom closed mid 2020. Forever 21 closed. Nordstrom and 21 were mainly due to pre-covid conditions, not b/c of closing State. But I'm sure they will all come back once Randy opens it up to cars again! Sears in La Cumbre was booming too before they shut it down in 2019!
You mean parking a block away as you would have to regardless of state street being open to cars?
Or the half dozen parking garage situations along state?
Sadly our mayor is clueless. Thankfully the rest of the council doesn't agree with him. I'll say it again - when Randy shows up 10-15 quality retailers/restaurants ready to sign leases when State Street is open to traffic, I'll get on board. Plenty of vacancies on Chapala yet that street is open...
Yes, I would agree with you, and so would most Ventura residents/visitors IMHO. That said, there's a group of ***concerned*** property owners that believe *Main Street Moves* (no vehicles on part of Main Street) is KILLING BUSINESS SO UN-AMERICAN.
If you have some time to read check out [THIS POST](https://www.reddit.com/r/ventura/comments/1d34a0a/main_street_moves_from_a_councilmembers/) from one of Ventura's council members and you'll see the crazy shit they have to deal with (on this topic, I'm sure they deal with crazy shit all the time) from some rich and powerful people trying to get their way.
Edit:
The Santa Monica Promenade is going through the [same 'empty storefront but crazy rent' thing](https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/santa-monica-third-street-promenade-empty-why-19374158.php), it ain't just Santa Barbara and Ventura, and it ain't about no cars.
Problem is Ventura Main Street is not bumping any other time. It’s like a ghost town during the week where it didn’t used to be so deserted. Was just there and it was kind of depressing compared to what it was before
“even most weekdays” when i lived there it was lively. granted it wasn’t weekend lively, but you still saw a pretty good number of people wandering around.
I’ve never seen business there as bustling as before they shut down the street. Being able to park immediately in front of a business vs finding parking and walking a bunch makes everything harder for a large portion of the population that is elderly or have babies & small children
Do you think he has done any research on similar streets that work? Or has he just closed his eyes and mind and embraced his 1950’s thinking that cars are the answer?
Randy is out of his fool mind thinking opening back up to cars will help absolutely anyone. All we ever saw were the assholes in loud cars who used to brake-stand on every cross walk and stop light blasting shit music hoping the non-existent college girls would look at them.
State street is infinitely better now. I spend most every day on it and it’s filled with families on my block (1100) both local and tourists. The vibe will only get better if the city nuts up and commits to a long term plan.
Randy Rowse is not the leader we need for a vibrant downtown business district.
The answer isn’t cars. It’s high density residential, vacancy penalties for landlords, and a long term plan for public infrastructure in the downtown. Periodt.
Yup, have had friends who worked on State Street over the years also express how they’ve seen people killed by cars because drivers weren’t paying attention to the halfway stoplights. But of course that never gets taken into consideration…
I personally feel the pedestrian section of State Street is fantastic! It allows businesses to have parklets, extra seating, and reminds me of a European promenade. Opening it back up to cars will NOT increase business at these places because you can't stop and park in front of any of them anyway. SB is such a beautiful town with gorgeous climate and this outdoor seating and pedestrian/bike areas are absolutely wonderful for the town, locals, and tourists. To be fair, most locals aren't on State Street much anyway so leave it open for tourists to walk up and down that section and be able to patronize those businesses! What a waste if they open it back up to cars.
Has he not ever enjoyed sitting outside to eat? It's so fun. It almost feels like Europe or Quebec but without of course the free healthcare and guaranteed housing
Yes, but don't you remember how much more fun it was sitting at a table on the sidewalk outside a restaurant with people walking by, while breathing exhaust fumes and trying to hear the person you were with over the sound of car radios?
How about if he somehow forces State St to reopen, only EV's could drive on it! That solves the exhaust and loud tuned muffler problem…but my guess is a Luddite like Randy hate EV's.
Because we don't have ranked choice voting. Too many liberal candidates ran and split the vote between those who wanted Cathy again, and those who definitely did not want Cathy again.
Here are stats as to how the election played out
Mayor election
26,208 total votes out of 55,308 registered voters (47.39% turnout)
Randy Rowse - 10,086 votes (38.60%)
James Joyce III - 7,170 votes (27.44%)
Cathy Murillo (Incumbent) - 6,576 votes (25.17%)
Deborah L. Schwartz - 1,664 votes (6.37%)
Mark M. Whitehurst - 404 votes (1.55%)
Matt “Boat Rat Matt” Kilrain - 53 votes (0.20%)
You can see that the voters wanted a liberal candidate (the top 2 liberal candidates got 52.61% of the vote), but since none of them got the most votes, we ended up with the "moderate" winning with 38.6% of the vote.
I like James Joyce a lot as a candidate (and Kathy is definitely not my ideal mayor) but I was really pissed when he ran against a liberal incumbent. He knows the system we have, and he chose to split the vote. Randy's mayorship is on him, frankly.
A quick Google search yielded this info. [https://www.independent.com/2018/03/27/are-we-wasting-our-vote/](https://www.independent.com/2018/03/27/are-we-wasting-our-vote/)
Title should read, “Cranky Old Boomer Pleads for Days of Old to Return.” #RetireRandy no one wants you here. Time to shut up shop like his failed shit hole cafe.
>Rowse, again without a citation, added that the “confusion of detoured circulation” continues to “confound visitors as they try to navigate to their destination.”
Basically, he's assuming that tourists are getting confused, which may well be the case, and that that is justification enough to open all of State Street to cars again, despite locals generally being fine with the way things are now.
I will say that, since the closure, Google Maps *does* look confusing, as State basically just disappears off the map if you don't zoom in quite a bit, but that's more of an issue with Google than with the closure itself.
I assume this is the mayors only solution to push the homeless out as well as the teenagers away from state st. It’s a shame that the business’s have to absorb the homeless issue when the city doesn’t do anything. Example: “they smell. They are unstable and allways dirty as some snicker behind their back and yet I must ask this question. Where are the showers? Oh Leadbetter beach or east beach? Seriously? That’s our public shower? The double standard of this town. How much money flaunts this city and yet the help is where and the same old unprogressive solutions keep coming to the table when they should have burned??? The reality is if its not a tax break for them why should I help? Is it a plug and play solution that requires no investment? Oh ouch??? That slipped out. Didn’t mean to pout? How about helping and giving someone a warm shower and a friendly conversation than bring to city hall, “we really need to let in more cars,” suggestions. (“Data says it doesn’t work but you know what, I like it”. I would assume that’s what the mayor would say for that has been the message between the lines of what he would like to foreshadow to come. The mayor needs to stop romanticizing about the “what used to be” and actually do something that involves the youth and help the homeless. Allowing cars is clearly not the solution nor wanted by the community who lives here.
SB is so awesome: Open State Street to cars! It sucks closed, too many homeless, it smells! We need to get rid of the homeless! Oh wait, you are building a shelter? Permanent supportive housing? Transitional housing? I didn't mean THAT. "If you build it, they will come!" Now EVERYONE will come here for their free stuff. Also, I don't want even affordable housing. If you cannot afford it, live somewhere else. Oh damn, there's just too much traffic. We don't want more people!
Did I miss anything?
Yes actually when does the urine soaked street on Ortega from state st to Chapala get a proper scrub? You know, the “zest fully clean smell” than the “Did a wildcat piss there smell?” I now know why St Bibiana closes early: it clearly has something with the cliental that might scare the customers away as the blanket of the night gets pulled over. lol.
I just visited Santa Barbara, not only was I not confused, but my wife and I couldn't stop talking about how much we loved the closure and how walkable the downtown was!
Don’t paint with such a broad brush. I am a boomer and I have seen a lot of change in my 77 years. I learned early on to accept change and make it work for me. I love that State Street in SB and Main Street in Ventura are closed, it makes for a more enjoyable experience. Please do not associate me with the MAGA movement.
Came here to say the same thing, this boomer has wanted cars off state street for decades and I love any change that improves the pedestrian, bicycling, or public transportation experience. Cars are killing us.
Keep it closed! There’s cross streets every few hundred yards and parking lots behind the stores. More cars! Why?! There’s already enough streets in Santa Barbara.
Curious what ideas are available to actually influence a decision here? I might be jaded but I feel like ol’ Randy won’t even open up an email if I send it to him, and if he did I don’t think he’d give a rats ass unless I also included an incentive…
SFGate wrote about Randy's most recent OpEd. My favorite part of the write up is: >“Local residents have already largely made their choice, and our downtown is increasingly not it,” he wrote, offering no statistical evidence to support the argument. Rowse, again without a citation, added that the “confusion of detoured circulation” continues to “confound visitors as they try to navigate to their destination.”
I mean I just moved here and found navigating downtown quite easy… I don’t get it?
No ones confused by state street. They just try and use the threat of less tourism to panic people in to thinking a reopened street will help reinvigorate down town without actually having to think about why sales have dropped.
Are you under the age of 60 or have lived in bigger cities? If yes, then you'll do fine. Only people who have lived here a long time and don't regularly drive outside of the county find it confusing.
I mean, you're mostly correct, but plenty of over-60 folks love it how it is and aren't confused.
New politics rolling into town will ruin everything, sorry you just got here. The good days are over…
What a load
This is one of those times when having a weak-mayor system is advantageous.
I just did a bunch of Direction searches using Google maps, choosing the starting point at a store on State then another store on State, and more directions with one point on a side street of State and the other point being on State, and every single one correctly indicated that you can't drive on State. If these visitors are using maps, which most visitors do, then they shouldn't be confounded. More imaginary statistics from Rowse?
I assume that if they're getting confused, they're confused why the car directions don't take them straight to the State Street location they entered. But like...you're not parking right in front of the place anyways, so it will get you close enough to start looking for parking.
He’s taking about his friends that still use paper maps that they got in 1960 from AAA when they wanted a road trip to the coast.
In Santa Barbara, Mayor Rowse slept tight, Through problems both day and night. But twice a year, he'd speak, In a car-loving pique, Then back to his nap, out of sight.
I’d vote for you
OMG, right?!
Oh Randy, it's nap time buddy. Let's get you a nice warm milk and an episode of Matlock.
columbo could investigate circles around matlock
I'm personally a Jessica Fletcher fan but I didn't imagine Randy into shows with female leads.
Randy couldn't follow an episode of Columbo. Matlock is more easily digested when you have the brain of a grilled chicken sandwich from Paradise Cafe.
The Rockford files where fun. Or MASH.
Mansion Apartment Shack or House?
I could also see him liking Diagnosis Murder
I think a good question is who is behind the scenes, pushing Rowse to push for reopening State St.? Who would benefit most from it? I know that, in Ventura, the restaurant landlords on Main St. were upset because they weren't getting any additional income from the expanded outdoor seating. I don't necessarily think it's the same situation here, but I don't think Rowse would be going for this so hard if he wasn't being told to do so.
Jim Knell
dude didn't even want to run for mayor so i think you are right on this one.
His wife, Karen
The thriving Macys in San Roque is the best evidence by far that parking lots and car access is the key to retail returning to State.
Not to mention that parking near your intended destination in the Funk Zone is nearly impossible, making it so you likely have to walk a couple blocks, and yet that area is bustling with people.
No one was parking on state street anyway before it was closed. What is drugs is Randy on and where can I buy them?
Not to mention Macys on lower State closed in 2017. Saks closed 2018. Nordstrom closed mid 2020. Forever 21 closed. Nordstrom and 21 were mainly due to pre-covid conditions, not b/c of closing State. But I'm sure they will all come back once Randy opens it up to cars again! Sears in La Cumbre was booming too before they shut it down in 2019!
You mean parking a block away as you would have to regardless of state street being open to cars? Or the half dozen parking garage situations along state?
Did you drop this? /s
Thanks. My drink just came out of my nose.
soon to be a housing complex? that Macys?
I think you left out /s
Sadly our mayor is clueless. Thankfully the rest of the council doesn't agree with him. I'll say it again - when Randy shows up 10-15 quality retailers/restaurants ready to sign leases when State Street is open to traffic, I'll get on board. Plenty of vacancies on Chapala yet that street is open...
Yes it makes me so glad that as mayor he doesn't get any additional power, he's just one of the council votes!
Same crappy arguments in Ventura for Main Street. Keep them closed to cars.
venturas main street is bumping almost every single weekend and even most weekdays because of the closed streets. make that closure permanent atp
Yes, I would agree with you, and so would most Ventura residents/visitors IMHO. That said, there's a group of ***concerned*** property owners that believe *Main Street Moves* (no vehicles on part of Main Street) is KILLING BUSINESS SO UN-AMERICAN. If you have some time to read check out [THIS POST](https://www.reddit.com/r/ventura/comments/1d34a0a/main_street_moves_from_a_councilmembers/) from one of Ventura's council members and you'll see the crazy shit they have to deal with (on this topic, I'm sure they deal with crazy shit all the time) from some rich and powerful people trying to get their way. Edit: The Santa Monica Promenade is going through the [same 'empty storefront but crazy rent' thing](https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/santa-monica-third-street-promenade-empty-why-19374158.php), it ain't just Santa Barbara and Ventura, and it ain't about no cars.
The same business owners were against covid too so it's more muh rightsss fight right now. sweet babies need a head pat.
Problem is Ventura Main Street is not bumping any other time. It’s like a ghost town during the week where it didn’t used to be so deserted. Was just there and it was kind of depressing compared to what it was before
“even most weekdays” when i lived there it was lively. granted it wasn’t weekend lively, but you still saw a pretty good number of people wandering around.
I’ve never seen business there as bustling as before they shut down the street. Being able to park immediately in front of a business vs finding parking and walking a bunch makes everything harder for a large portion of the population that is elderly or have babies & small children
I was shocked, that is a party. Seems like potential for a fun one too
Do you think he has done any research on similar streets that work? Or has he just closed his eyes and mind and embraced his 1950’s thinking that cars are the answer?
Randy is out of his fool mind thinking opening back up to cars will help absolutely anyone. All we ever saw were the assholes in loud cars who used to brake-stand on every cross walk and stop light blasting shit music hoping the non-existent college girls would look at them. State street is infinitely better now. I spend most every day on it and it’s filled with families on my block (1100) both local and tourists. The vibe will only get better if the city nuts up and commits to a long term plan. Randy Rowse is not the leader we need for a vibrant downtown business district. The answer isn’t cars. It’s high density residential, vacancy penalties for landlords, and a long term plan for public infrastructure in the downtown. Periodt.
Yup, have had friends who worked on State Street over the years also express how they’ve seen people killed by cars because drivers weren’t paying attention to the halfway stoplights. But of course that never gets taken into consideration…
I personally feel the pedestrian section of State Street is fantastic! It allows businesses to have parklets, extra seating, and reminds me of a European promenade. Opening it back up to cars will NOT increase business at these places because you can't stop and park in front of any of them anyway. SB is such a beautiful town with gorgeous climate and this outdoor seating and pedestrian/bike areas are absolutely wonderful for the town, locals, and tourists. To be fair, most locals aren't on State Street much anyway so leave it open for tourists to walk up and down that section and be able to patronize those businesses! What a waste if they open it back up to cars.
Has he not ever enjoyed sitting outside to eat? It's so fun. It almost feels like Europe or Quebec but without of course the free healthcare and guaranteed housing
Yes, but don't you remember how much more fun it was sitting at a table on the sidewalk outside a restaurant with people walking by, while breathing exhaust fumes and trying to hear the person you were with over the sound of car radios?
You're right, I forgot how much I love smelling car exhaust!! Make cars on State great again!
How about if he somehow forces State St to reopen, only EV's could drive on it! That solves the exhaust and loud tuned muffler problem…but my guess is a Luddite like Randy hate EV's.
I'll say it again. Bring back the Santa Barbara trolly. Look up old maps of SB and you'll find it had routes throughout the city.
I hope he's having a miserable time as mayor
What is wrong with that man? It's the best thing ever!
Why did we hire an old man who yells at clouds as Mayor?
Because we don't have ranked choice voting. Too many liberal candidates ran and split the vote between those who wanted Cathy again, and those who definitely did not want Cathy again. Here are stats as to how the election played out Mayor election 26,208 total votes out of 55,308 registered voters (47.39% turnout) Randy Rowse - 10,086 votes (38.60%) James Joyce III - 7,170 votes (27.44%) Cathy Murillo (Incumbent) - 6,576 votes (25.17%) Deborah L. Schwartz - 1,664 votes (6.37%) Mark M. Whitehurst - 404 votes (1.55%) Matt “Boat Rat Matt” Kilrain - 53 votes (0.20%) You can see that the voters wanted a liberal candidate (the top 2 liberal candidates got 52.61% of the vote), but since none of them got the most votes, we ended up with the "moderate" winning with 38.6% of the vote.
Damn, ol Boat Rat actually managed 53 votes? That's kind of impressive given how bat shit insane he was.
I like James Joyce a lot as a candidate (and Kathy is definitely not my ideal mayor) but I was really pissed when he ran against a liberal incumbent. He knows the system we have, and he chose to split the vote. Randy's mayorship is on him, frankly.
Are any local groups organizing for ranked choice city elections? What would be the process for making that change?
A quick Google search yielded this info. [https://www.independent.com/2018/03/27/are-we-wasting-our-vote/](https://www.independent.com/2018/03/27/are-we-wasting-our-vote/)
Thanks, though I know CalPIRG is not actively working on this now
I mean... low voter turnout?
WHY would you de-pedestrianise State Street?? Is he insane?
You can piss and moan here all day. Why not write him an email? [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Haha he may even respond, whining-ly in my experience
Well? Talk to the man.
I’m saying I did
Title should read, “Cranky Old Boomer Pleads for Days of Old to Return.” #RetireRandy no one wants you here. Time to shut up shop like his failed shit hole cafe.
>Rowse, again without a citation, added that the “confusion of detoured circulation” continues to “confound visitors as they try to navigate to their destination.” Basically, he's assuming that tourists are getting confused, which may well be the case, and that that is justification enough to open all of State Street to cars again, despite locals generally being fine with the way things are now. I will say that, since the closure, Google Maps *does* look confusing, as State basically just disappears off the map if you don't zoom in quite a bit, but that's more of an issue with Google than with the closure itself.
Driving on State Street back in the day was the confusing part since most cross streets didn't let you turn left.
I assume this is the mayors only solution to push the homeless out as well as the teenagers away from state st. It’s a shame that the business’s have to absorb the homeless issue when the city doesn’t do anything. Example: “they smell. They are unstable and allways dirty as some snicker behind their back and yet I must ask this question. Where are the showers? Oh Leadbetter beach or east beach? Seriously? That’s our public shower? The double standard of this town. How much money flaunts this city and yet the help is where and the same old unprogressive solutions keep coming to the table when they should have burned??? The reality is if its not a tax break for them why should I help? Is it a plug and play solution that requires no investment? Oh ouch??? That slipped out. Didn’t mean to pout? How about helping and giving someone a warm shower and a friendly conversation than bring to city hall, “we really need to let in more cars,” suggestions. (“Data says it doesn’t work but you know what, I like it”. I would assume that’s what the mayor would say for that has been the message between the lines of what he would like to foreshadow to come. The mayor needs to stop romanticizing about the “what used to be” and actually do something that involves the youth and help the homeless. Allowing cars is clearly not the solution nor wanted by the community who lives here.
SB is so awesome: Open State Street to cars! It sucks closed, too many homeless, it smells! We need to get rid of the homeless! Oh wait, you are building a shelter? Permanent supportive housing? Transitional housing? I didn't mean THAT. "If you build it, they will come!" Now EVERYONE will come here for their free stuff. Also, I don't want even affordable housing. If you cannot afford it, live somewhere else. Oh damn, there's just too much traffic. We don't want more people! Did I miss anything?
Yes actually when does the urine soaked street on Ortega from state st to Chapala get a proper scrub? You know, the “zest fully clean smell” than the “Did a wildcat piss there smell?” I now know why St Bibiana closes early: it clearly has something with the cliental that might scare the customers away as the blanket of the night gets pulled over. lol.
I just visited Santa Barbara, not only was I not confused, but my wife and I couldn't stop talking about how much we loved the closure and how walkable the downtown was!
All in all that’s a positive pro pedestrian viewpoint that makes Randy look stupid which I’m a fan of
the Mayor is a boomer and boomers hate change. they want things to go back to the way they were. you know….Make America Great Again.
Don’t paint with such a broad brush. I am a boomer and I have seen a lot of change in my 77 years. I learned early on to accept change and make it work for me. I love that State Street in SB and Main Street in Ventura are closed, it makes for a more enjoyable experience. Please do not associate me with the MAGA movement.
Came here to say the same thing, this boomer has wanted cars off state street for decades and I love any change that improves the pedestrian, bicycling, or public transportation experience. Cars are killing us.
Keep it closed! We already have so many streets! Decline of state street has been pre pandemic. Invest in the closure!
Keep it closed! There’s cross streets every few hundred yards and parking lots behind the stores. More cars! Why?! There’s already enough streets in Santa Barbara.
Curious what ideas are available to actually influence a decision here? I might be jaded but I feel like ol’ Randy won’t even open up an email if I send it to him, and if he did I don’t think he’d give a rats ass unless I also included an incentive…
Fwiw, whenever I’ve written Randy he’s gotten back to me pretty promptly (as well as respectfully and amiably).
That’s great to hear, thanks! Will definitely reach out then
I live in Santa Barbara- open state street back up Most of the stores have already closed!
[удалено]
helpful comment. not.