Established in 1987, Santa Barbara County’s emergency call box network once included more than 350 roadside phones across the region.
With 47 of those phones remaining, the county continues defying a statewide trend of dismantling public call boxes and is on track to become “a call box island,” Transportation Planner Peter Williamson said.
During the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments’ (SBCAG) Aug. 20 meeting, Williamson told board members that several jurisdictions across California—including San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties—have either removed or are now in the process of removing their emergency call box systems.
If Santa Barbara County were to follow suit, it could redirect the call box network’s $100,000 budget—funded annually by a $1 fee paid as part of county residents’ vehicle registration costs—to support alternative programs SBCAG ultimately directed staff to explore.
“The allocation for the DMV $1 fee is dedicated to our county for motorist aid safety systems,” Williamson told SBCAG board members. “They are dedicated to our region, and we can apply them how it makes sense to serve the motorists.”
Before directing staff to return with potential uses that could benefit from the call box funding, SBCAG board members took turns questioning Williamson about his deep dive into the both the county’s and neighboring regions’ call box networks.
SBCAG board member and Buellton Mayor David Silva asked Williamson if he observed “any unforeseen consequences” of call box removals in San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.
“For [Ventura County], there was some interest in keeping one call box for a museum purpose/situation,” Williamson said. “Beyond that, I haven’t heard any feedback.”
As for San Luis Obispo County, Williamson said it was too early to tell.
“SLOCOG [San Luis Obispo Council of Governments] just made this action as of August,” Williamson said. “So, their system is theoretically removed in the next 12 months.”
At its Aug. 5. meeting, SLOCOG approved a multi-month, phase-out project to incrementally remove all 41 of San Luis Obispo County’s remaining emergency call boxes, posted along the U.S. 101 and state highways 1, 166, 33, and 41.
“All major cellular service providers report coverage along SLO County freeways and state highways,” the SLOCOG staff report stated, “eliminating the original need for a fixed-roadside communication system.”
SBCAG board member and Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino said she doubted that Santa Barbara County could make the same claim.
“I travel 166 and there are a lot of dead zones on 166. I would hate to see people get stranded there,” Patino said. “I still think we need to maintain some of them on 166.”
Williamson said that staff will bring back options that include preserving some call boxes and/or enhancing cellphone coverage in “dead zones” that raise concerns.
All 47 of Santa Barbara County’s remaining call boxes are stationed in “rural, mountainous, or low-coverage corridors where cellular reliability varies,” according to the staff report.
However, amid recent tests Williamson conducted near each call box, he reported successful cellphone calls and texts to emergency services near 43 of the 47 boxes.
Over the past decade, Santa Barbara County’s call box network experienced a 90 percent decline in call volume, Williamson told board members. On average, the 47 call boxes are used 1.5 times per year, he added.
“What you’re really telling us is it’s so antiquated that it’s gone the way of the buggy whip?” SBCAG board member and Solvang Mayor David Brown said.
Fellow SBCAG board member and county 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino added that emergency call boxes have “gone the way of phone booths and phone books.”
This article appears in August 27 – September 3, 2026.
