Re: Santa Barbara County - Update: The End.

[superhands]

Very Good Md RickD

every detail is accounted for! especially the water ways.

-Dave


edit: welcome to page 4! and congrats on 60 replies.

[Battlecat]

Congratulations on OSTIM!  Love your work in the last couple updates, your work with the natural details looks fantastic! 

[Nardo69]

Great work. As always I might say. Love the river shores. So easy, so simple, so empty, so convincing. Mine are always kinda full. Might try to use a little bit less of everything. Just the bigger white rocks look a bit too systematic, the green ones, in a smaller amount, may look better there.

Glad I could help you with the beach props. Now I just need to find my boat to reach the other shore until the night falls.  Hey, that person over there, wasn't that Jasons's Mama?

Take care my friend


Bernhard

[EDGE4194]

Raphael- congrats on the OSITM  Not sure if I have commented here yet, but I have been following your MD and must say you have done fantastic work here. There is a great attention to detail and you've really captured the essence of the real SB. 

[Neofita]

Congratulations on the OSITM
I really like 

[ManuelR]

Wow, this MD is really a treasure! I love the realism and you're playing style. And it all looks pretty alive, because of all the traffic.

[Haljackey]

Wow RickD, this MD is great! Very OSITM worthy. Glad I found it!

Fantastic use of the RHW too, that's a huge quantity of custom interchanges. I like it! 

And those nature shots in the last update... just awesome.

I'll have to keep my eye on this one from now on. 

[nedalezz]

Santa Barbara looks great! I was wondering where in terms of the region map is the forest park located?

[RickD]

OMG, the new NAM is out! This will delay the next update a few days. I can't possibly publish a new roadgeeking update without utilizing the new NAM. 

[RickD]

Charles Francis Harper Expressway - Part 1

A plan for a major highway connecting the City of Santa Barbara's western suburbs and eventually the city of Goleta (which I have not completely built yet, but let's pretend, ok? ) to downtown Santa Barbara has been proposed by Charles F. Harper in 1967, about 15 years after completion of I-5. He was head of the Public Works Department's Transportation Division at the time and a very passionate and foreseeing planner but infamous for his hot temper. It was evident to him that I-5 would not be able to handle future traffic levels caused by rising population numbers and the urban sprawl in the region and he should be proven right.

After some back and forth about the routing between Charles Harper and the city council which got very emotional at times (including a temporary suspension of Charles Harper and and a big fine for insulting the mayor and several members of the city council), an agreement has been reached. Mr. Harper wanted the road to begin right at the city center of Santa Barbara but this area was already built up densely. He had to finally accept that it was virtually impossible to gain a right of way through this area. It would have meant to relocate many people, buy privately owned land for horrendous prices and tear down many buildings.


Numbers indicate where the following pics where taken.

Construction of Phase 1 started in 1971. The last stretch opened to traffic in February 1977. Phase 2, however was never even started. In the 80s most road construction projects were cancelled and the budgets were diverted to public transport projects. But Phase 2 is still included in the countie's regional transportation and infrastructure masterplan. The right of way is still reserved. In fact, the Transportation Division is currently competing for state money for this very project. (hint hint)

1

CFH Expressway starts/ends right at the western border of the area that is officially defined as the city center. The Mall benefits immensly from all the traffic.


2

The first major intersection. CFH Expwy. is running up/down in the picture. The other stretch of avenue connects to an industrial and commercial area and to I-5.


3

We will sidetrack here a bit and leave the expressway to follow the short stretch of avenue in northern direction. It cuts through a hill with a wealthier part of suburbs.


4

A major intersection. which has been upgraded recently. Well turn around here and get back on CFH Expwy.


5

Back on the Expressway at night. The suburbs have grown immensly after the road was completet. There is little room for expansion. A soundwall protects the houses from traffic noise.


6

This used to be the center of a once independent town that has been swallowed by the ever growing suburbs.
I love the night lighting of the little Shell station.


7

And a day shot of the same area.


8

Towards the end of Phase 1 construction it gets more rural. Somewhere around here is the border between the City of Santa Barbara and the City of Goleta. Traffic levels are low here because this stretch of road basically leads to nowhere.


9

And this is the abrupt ending of Charles Francis Harper Expressway.


10 (Bonus Pic)

I love the new NAM!

Thanks for reading and remember: This is not a recreation of the actual Santa Barbara.



Replies:

scott1964:
Me, too. 

superhands:
Thanks! I'm glad you like it.

Battlecat:
Thank you my friend.

Nardo69:

I am still working on my shoreline technique. I try not to plop too much but sometimes I get carried away with it. I agree that the white rocks are too uniform. But I wanted to have those bright withe rocks there because I have a picture in mind of a river in the alps where I used to go for holiday when I was a kid. There is not much variety in white rocks available. Everything else is grey, brown or green.

EDGE4194:
Thank you.

Neofita:
Thanks for the compliment.

ManuelR:
Cool to hear this from you considering that your MD is a great inspiration for me.

Haljackey:
Welcome! Great to have you here.

nedalezz:
It is in the upper right tile. I did not show a region shot because I cheated a bit. I pretty much only detailed the areas where I took the photos. I am hand plopping eveything there, even the trees. It is much work.

[ManuelR]

Great work, with the new NAM and good choice of Bats. The only problem is now that you have a grey sidewalk-mod and the NAM pieces have white sidewalks.  I also really like the name of the highway, it somehow reminds me of a series I use to watch all the time. And also Malibu isn't that far away...

[Nardo69]

Great work that is indeed!

About the Sawtooth with the grey sidewalk mod, maybe two oneways would like better?

And your roadgeekery makes me wish I could fire up SC4 - NOW!

Take care my friend!

Bernhard 

[Haljackey]

Nice!

Excellent use of the new NAM components, especially the TuLEPs! Fantastic job!

[marsh]

Sounds great! never read this MD before, guess i better start! *bookmarked*



,marsh

[ecoba]

Great update, Raphael. The chronicles of the expressway are really interesting, and of course the surrounding suburbs are beautiful as well. Your showcasing of the new TuLEPs and the NWM is excellent as well.

Ethan 

[Nexis4Jersey]

nice update , good to see the New NAM pieces in use.

[io_bg]

Great work here, I love Tulep and the NWM usage! Can't wait till the second part!

[nbvc]

Great update.

[TmiguelT]

The work that you put in your MD is phenomenal !!
I was one of the many that when they look at an MD, they just see the pictures and that's it. Somehow you caught my attention with your big paragraphs and hook me into reading. 

Keep up the good work and i expect to see more of this magnificent MD

PS. Congratulations on your OSITM ... It took me a while to find your MD.. 1 hour to be honest 

[canyonjumper]

Rick! I love your use of the new NAM! The TuLEPS look great, and the TLA-5's are used well . I can't wait to see what you've done with RHW 4.0!

                          Your friend,
                                         Jordan