The name Eva Inbar is synonymous with pedestrian and traffic safety to many in the community, and rightly so. In just a few years, Inbar has become a very effective advocate for pedestrian safety and traffic calming in the Goleta area as well as the broader community.

"I came across glaring safety problems as my children went to school," said Inbar, "and nobody really wanted to take ownership."

One of the first issues that caught her attention was the danger facing students crossing Hollister Avenue going to and from San Marcos High School.

Although there was a faded crosswalk in front of the school at the time, few drivers seemed to notice it or the teens using it, and there had been a student hit and injured and several very close calls in front of the high school.

Inbar started getting other parents involved and took the issue to the school’s PTA, which, she said, is the way to get things done in the realm of student safety.

PTA supported action

The school’s PTA felt strongly about addressing the dangerous situation, and, according to Inbar, she quickly found herself in charge of the committee looking into what could be done about it.

"I never thought I would be doing this," said Inbar. "I have no professional background in traffic engineering whatsoever, but this is about lives."

At the council level of PTA, which is area-wide, she said members found that a lot of schools had the same issues, and they were all being frustrated individually.

"It was much easier to work together, learning from each other and making progress in a unified way," she said.

Eventually, a bold, wide yellow crosswalk, warning signs and flashing yellow lights were put in place on Hollister Avenue in front of the high school.

Speeding cars on Cathedral Oaks Road were a major concern in the community a couple of years ago. Inbar was very active in the effort to slow traffic on the wide thoroughfare, and as an outgrowth of serious public concern and citizen involvement, new legislation was passed in Sacramento setting the stage for a reduction in the speed limit, and the Livable Streets Coalition was founded.

New legislation

"We (members of the coalition) consider the legislation one of our major success stories," said Inbar. "We’ve been working a lot with the county and cities, and feel we have a very good relationship with the different agencies in the region."

The coalition, which is all volunteer and very independent according to Inbar, works on a variety of issues with the goal of a happier and safer environment.

"Credibility is really the most important thing you can have — and we have that now as an organization," said Inbar. The organization provides feedback on new development and redevelopment plans, and hosts community workshops and speakers.

Originally from Hamburg, Germany, Inbar worked as a lecturer in UCSB’s drama department when she first moved here from Irvine with her husband and 2-year-old son nearly 23 years ago. The Inbars now have four children ranging in age from 12 to 25.

Words are powerful

An experienced letter writer – to newspaper editors and governmental agencies – Inbar has found that "words really do have quite an impact. The right letter at the right time can help make things happen."

"It’s people that are the most rewarding," said Inbar, about her experiences working in the community. "I’ve had even strangers come up to me, people I don’t even know, and say ‘thank you, Eva, for all you do,’ and that’s really heartwarming."

Many, she said, have remarked to her that they could never do what she has in partnership with other concerned citizens.

"But that’s not true, at all," she said. "It just takes communicating about problems, involving others and staying with it."

Inbar, her husband Michael and her family very much enjoy the natural beauty of the environment in the Good Land, she said, the weather and the hiking opportunities.

"But most of all," she said, "I love the people, because they are friendly and laid back and they care about others."

Photo by Martha Lannan

Caption: A community leader in the area of pedestrian and traffic safety, Eva Inbar was motivated originally by unsafe conditions around local schools. She is a founder of the Liveable Streets Coalition, which promotes a safe and liveable community.