A city plan aimed at improving safety along two of Lompoc’s main corridors, H Street and Ocean Avenue, is drawing mixed reactions from residents and business owners, some of whom say they are just learning about the proposal.
The Streetscape Multimodal Improvement Plan, approved by the Lompoc City Council in 2022, focuses on potential safety and design changes along two state highways, which serve as key routes through the city.
Supporters say the plan could reduce crashes and improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, while others worry about impacts on traffic flow, parking, and nearby businesses.
Rachel Neil, owner of Jupiter’s Spark Collection at 101 South H Street, said she first learned about the plan Monday morning after seeing a Facebook post by Mayor Jim Mosby.
“I just heard about it this morning, and I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re going to be cutting down trees,’” Neil said.
Neil said she plans to attend Tuesday night’s City Council meeting to learn more, but worries about how any major construction could affect customers.
“Are people going to want to come and navigate through a town where the two main streets are being demolished and completely redone?” she said.
According to city and Caltrans data cited in the plan, nearly half of Lompoc’s traffic collisions have occurred along H Street and Ocean Avenue. The planning document also includes community survey responses highlighting concerns about speeding, pedestrian safety, and limited bicycle infrastructure.
Mayor Mosby said the scope and cost of the plan raise serious concerns.
“It’s part of a $46.6 million project, and with inflation now, it’s probably twice that,” Mosby said.
The plan itself was funded through a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant, which covers planning only. Mosby said the funding sources the city once expected to rely on are no longer available to the area.
According to Mosby, the city no longer qualifies for the same state Active Transportation Program (ATP) grants that were expected to support the project, raising questions about how any future work would be funded. He said the city has no construction funding set aside and has not approved spending for implementation.
Mosby also believes that some proposed changes could negatively affect businesses.
“This restriction, narrowing lanes down, eliminating lanes down, I think it would be detrimental to a lot of businesses,” he said.
He added that, as currently written, the plan calls for the removal of sidewalks and trees along H Street and Ocean Avenue, a claim city staff have not independently confirmed.
City officials stress the document is a planning tool only, and that any physical changes would require additional studies, funding, and future city council approval.
Longtime Lompoc resident Billy McCabe said he avoids biking on both streets due to safety concerns but supports changes that could reduce crashes.
“When there’s cars parked along the curb and you’re riding on your bike and you have to pull out, you’re pulling out into traffic and you’re hoping somebody is paying attention,” McCabe said.
Despite potential traffic impacts, McCabe said slowing drivers down could improve safety.
“I know everybody’s in a hurry to get somewhere, and if you’re in that big of a hurry, leave five minutes early,” he said.
City leaders say the plan does not mean construction is imminent. A discussion on the Streetscape Multimodal Improvement Plan is expected at Tuesday night’s Lompoc City Council meeting.
