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This closure is necessary so Caltrans can perform repairs to the bridge girders over the northbound lanes of US Highway 101 at Clark Avenue.

Motorists headed northbound will exit/re-enter US 101 via the off/on ramps at Clark Avenue.  Motorists will also encounter one-way reversing traffic control on Clark Avenue near the bridge.

The bridge work at this overcrossing is one of several locations which have been improved on US 101 and State Route 166 in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.

The contractor for this $1.2 million project is Souza Construction of San Luis Obispo, CA. This project is expected to be complete in late December, weather permitting.

Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway construction zones.

For traffic updates in Santa Barbara County, motorists may call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or can visit our website at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information

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Staff Report

For the sixteenth year in a row, Hancock College students had the highest transfer acceptance rate to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo of all community colleges in the state.

Hancock’s transfer acceptance rate of 64 percent was more than triple the state average of 21 percent of schools that transfer a significant number of students to the university.

Cal Poly’s Region 6 Spring Community College Update shows that 286 Hancock students applied to the university for fall 2017 and 182, or 64 percent, were accepted. The accepted students from Hancock had an average grade point average of 3.27.

The number of Hancock students accepted this year was the largest number in at least 14 years, and the transfer acceptance rate was the college’s highest rate in 10 years.

Hancock is one of eight community colleges from five counties included in Cal Poly’s Region 6. Overall, Cal Poly received 8,403 transfer applications for fall 2017 and accepted 1,786 students, or 21 percent.

Ashley Brackett, the transfer counselor in the college’s University Transfer Center, believes that Hancock’s high transfer acceptance rate to Cal Poly is due, in part, to its university transfer counseling process, coupled with the quality of instruction that students receive as they prepare to transfer.

“Our acceptance rate is so high because the college has a high-achieving, transfer-minded student population. The college’s counseling and instructional faculty are truly dedicated to student success. Counselors are well trained and aware of what is needed to transfer to four-year universities,” Brackett said.

Over the last six years, Hancock has posted an average transfer acceptance rate to Cal Poly of 55 percent. The state average during that period is 19 percent.

For more information, call 805-922-6966, ext. 3363.

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This project will result in a 24/7 four week closure of the southbound No. 2 (right) lane beginning 8 a.m. Monday, July 17.  Motorists can expect delays and should allow additional time for any travel planned through this area.

The contractor for this $1.2 million dollar project is Souza Construction of San Luis Obispo, CA.

Souza recently completed a project in the area to re-align the northbound lanes of US Highway 101 from north of Mariposa Reina to south of the Gaviota State Roadside Rest Area.

Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway construction zones.

For traffic updates in Santa Barbara County, motorists may call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or can visit our website at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information.htm

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By Kenneth Harwood

The number of hotel rooms in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties grew by 917 in the five years from January 2012 to January 2017, a net increase of 4 percent, but the rates of growth differed in the three coastal counties.

Santa Barbara County continued to offer the most rooms, followed by San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, but the greatest growth in both number of rooms and percent gain was in San Luis Obispo County. Ventura County had fewer rooms in 2017 than in 2012, and a negative growth of 1 percent in number of rooms.

Growth of 4 percent in the three counties was the same as the rate in Santa Barbara County. Rate of growth in San Luis Obispo County was 8 percent, double the average rate of the three counties.

Supply of rooms in 2017 is slightly outpacing demand for rooms in both the tri-county area and the nation. Growth in number of rooms follows years of historically low interest rates for owners. Hotel occupancy rates are beginning to fall, thus pressing down room rates, revenue per available room, and profits.

Changes such as these are typical of years-long business cycles in many industries. If demand for rooms is smaller than supply, it seems likely that growth in number of rooms will slow until demand is greater than supply. Then we can expect the increase in number of rooms to resume.

To read the census of rooms by STR Hotel Research, go online to industry.visitcalifornia.com and click on Research. An example of recent declining room occupancy rate is also online at STR: US hotel results for week ending 18 March.

Dr. Kenneth Harwood is the economist for the Solvang Chamber of Commerce.

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The Mud Creek area is ¼ mile in length, made up of five slides, four of which fell during this single event and consolidated into one slide. The remaining slide now extends 1,500 feet in length over State Route 1 and is about 35 to 40 feet deep.

Roadwork at Mud Creek was suspended and heavy equipment removed last week due to the threat of new slides and for safety of highway workers.  Caltrans geologists and engineers plan to assess it further when this area stabilizes.

There is no estimate when this section of State Route 1, approximately nine miles north of the San Luis Obispo/Monterey County line will re-open.

Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway construction zones. 

For traffic updates on other state highways in Monterey County, motorists can call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (831) 372-0862or visit the District 5 website

at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information.htm 

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