Category Archives: action alert

Action Item 16D: Improve Safety and Support Safe Routes to School funding. Email Council Today

This Tuesday, 12/19, Santa Monica City Council proposes an opportunity to create funding for Safe Street Infrastructure and Safe Routes to School.

On Tuesday, at the request of safety champions Councilmembers Zwick, Davis, and Torosis, Santa Monica City Council will vote on item 16D potentially placing a measure on the November 2024 ballot to increase the parking facility tax while preserving free 90-minute parking in the downtown lots. This measure can help to address traffic congestion and with it the risk of traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Santa Monica.

Send an email to voice your support of the City Council Agenda Item 16D motion by Councilmember Zwick, Torosis and Mayor Davis to reduce traffic and improve safety. Click here to send your email

This measure would generate funding to be used to prioritize today’s youth and future generations by restoring essential resources to Santa Monica’s Safe Routes to School programs. Resources would fund safety-enhancing street infrastructure to protect children, elderly and disabled residents; add additional school crossing guards and traffic enforcement officers. Additionally funds would be used to address the deferred maintenance needs of the City’s downtown parking structures.

Join us in support of item 16D and help create a significant and positive impact for street safety and climate resiliency in Santa Monica with resources to fund safety-enhancing street infrastructure and protect the most vulnerable in our community, and all who live in or visit Santa Monica.

Easy One click to Email Council
We encourage you to personalize, add your own stories or comments – and please don’t forget to sign your name and add your zip code.

Council item emails: 
gleam.davis@santamonica.govphil.brock@santamonica.govchristine.parra@santamonica.govlana.negrete@santamonica.govjesse.zwick@santamonica.govCaroline.Torosis@santamonica.govoscar.delatorre@santamonica.govcouncilmtgitems@santamonica.govdavid.white@santamonica.gov, Anuj.Gupta@santamonica.gov, council@smgov.net,

Safer Streets item 16C Unanimously Approved

Thank you Councilmember Zwick, Torosis and Mayor Davis for Agenda Item 16C presented on the November 14th City Council Agenda to strengthen Santa Monica’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate all preventable fatal and severe-injury crashes from Santa Monica’s roads. This action came on the heels of the recent fatal crash on Idaho Ave. October 27th where 69 year old Tania Mooser — our neighbor, mother, sister and retired teacher — was struck and killed while riding her bicycle. Two weeks later another bicyclist was struck and injured at the same intersection.
See more info here on the agenda item HERE

Councilmember Zwick, Torosis and Mayor Davis
Public Testimony

Adjournment in honor of Tania Mooser

Action Alert – Support Safer Streets in Santa Monica: Email Council Today!

UPDATE: Nov 15th — ITEM 16C PASSED UNANIMOUSLY

Support City Council Item 16C to Improve Street Safety

and strengthen Santa Monica’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate all preventable fatal and severe-injury crashes from Santa Monica’s roads. This action comes on the heels of the recent fatal crash on Idaho Ave. October 27th where 69 year old Tania Mooser — our neighbor, mother, sister and retired teacher — was struck and killed while riding her bicycle. Two weeks later another bicyclist was struck and injured at the same intersection.

Send an email to voice your support of the City Council Agenda Item 16C motion by Councilmember Zwick, Torosis and Mayor Davis. Click here to send your email

Santa Monica has made great strides in advancing ambitious Vision Zero goals, yet more work remains to fully realize the initiative. With motion 16C the City Council directs the City Manager to work with staff to implement the following initiatives to improve roadway safety through what are commonly referred to as the three E’s of transportation safety: engineering, enforcement, and education.

  • Immediately initiate engineering analysis of outstanding community requests to upgrade intersections to all-way stops, with the intersections on Idaho Avenue to be prioritized.
  •  Develop and publish locally tailored City of Santa Monica guidelines for upgrading unsignalized intersections to all-way stop controlled intersections that further our City’s adopted goal of zero fatal and severe-injury crashes.
  • Upgrade the portal through which residents can report a dangerous intersection, allowing for staff to determine a variety of possible safety interventions, including all-way stops, traffic circles, and diverters. In all such analyses, the determination that furthers our City’s adopted goal of zero fatal and severe-injury crashes shall be recommended whenever possible.
  • Establish criteria for the use of “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” warning signs at two-way stop-controlled intersections that are not recommended for conversion, and develop an installation plan and timetable for such signage on intersections that meet the criteria. 
  • Establish a regular meeting series between the Santa Monica Police Department and Department of Transportation to review traffic safety enforcement priorities, including locations and violations of highest concern, and capacity for reallocation of enforcement resources to priority areas and violations. 
  • Refresh the City’s popular “Take the Friendly Road” roadway safety messaging campaign and initiate a new push of community messaging, including, but not limited to, bus ads, public service announcements, digital media efforts, and physical collateral. 
  • Develop and submit a proposal in the upcoming biennial CIP process that evaluates and proposes safety countermeasures including the creation of “daylighting” zones to address illegal parking that obstructs sight-lines, with a focus on priority un-signalized intersections as identified in the 2022 Local Roadway Safety Plan. 
  • Identify shortfalls in resources, if any, required to implement these vital safety measures, and consider possible sources of funding needed beyond any CIP dollars requested per the above item, including, but not limited to, transportation impact fees, administrative fines for parking violations, the parking facilities tax, and any available grants. 

Continued Item for Safer Bike Lanes is back on the Council Agenda this week – email your support!

Agenda item 16E was continued from the last council meeting when 4 council members shocked the community and voted no on a motion to extend the meeting past 11pm — without finishing the Agenda. We cannot ever remember a meeting where this occurred. Two former Santa Moinca Mayors weighed in on the shocking vote here:
Kevin McKeown | Denny Zane, plus a community opt-ed here.

Please join us – again- along with our Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance partners to support Santa Monica City Council Members Zwick, Torosis, and Mayor Davis’ Item 8K (formerly 16E) that proposes we prioritize timely and effective solutions to make our streets safe for everyone.

Click here to go see the full Council Agendanow agenda Item 8K

Voice your support in directing the City to measures that prevent dangerous motor vehicle incursions into our current and future bike infrastructure. Please join us and send your support to Council in advance of the meeting Tuesday, September 26th with this “One click to Email Council.” We encourage you to personalize, add your own stories or comments – and please don’t forget to sign your name and add your zip code.

View our letter of support here

Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance is a collaboration of local and regional advocacy organizations and community members that together promote and support the implementation of our community’s shared goals of complete streets that are designed to be safe, equitable and welcoming to everyone.

Easy One click to Email Council
Feel free to personalize, add your own stories or comments – and please don’t forget to sign your name and add your zip code.

Council item emails:
gleam.davis@santamonica.govphil.brock@santamonica.govchristine.parra@santamonica.gov, lana.negrete@santamonica.gov, jesse.zwick@santamonica.govCaroline.Torosis@santamonica.govoscar.delatorre@santamonica.govcouncilmtgitems@santamonica.gov, david.white@santamonica.govcouncil@smgov.net

Weigh in on LADOT Westside Mobility Projects!

Join us providing input for better bikeways in WLA!

Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) is in the process of planning a network of four bikeways connecting Westside neighborhoods and adjacent cities. The proposed bike routes will feature traffic calming measures to make them comfortable for riders of all ages and abilities. These routes will mostly follow neighborhood streets.

There are multiple ways you can weigh in on these projects – and maybe win a bike too!
We will share more events as they are scheduled.

THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS WILL SEEK INPUT ABOUT SAFETY CONCERNS AND POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENT MEASURES.  

Open House Workshop –
Focus on Santa Monica to Westwood Corridor 
Tuesday, September 12, 2023 | 5-7 PM 
Collins & Katz Family YMCA, 1466 S Westgate Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025 

Pop-Up –
Focus on Santa Monica to Ballona Creek & West LA to Del Rey
Sunday, September 17, 2023 | 9 AM-2 PM 
Mar Vista Farmer’s Market, 3826 Grand View Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90066 

Pop-Up –
Focus on Santa Monica to Ballona Creek & West LA to Del Rey
Friday, September 22, 2023 | 6-9 PM 
Penmar Summer Concert Series, 1233 Rose Ave Venice, CA 90291  

Virtual Workshop –
Focus on Santa Monica to Ballona Creek & West LA to Del Rey 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM 
Click HERE to register: Zoom Meeting ID: 826 6749 4445 

Open House Workshop –
Focus on Santa Monica to Ballona Creek & West LA to Del Rey
Friday, September 29, 2023 | 5:30-7:30 PM 
Bikerowave, 12255 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066 

Pop-Up –
Focus on Santa Monica to Westwood Corridor
Thursday, October 5, 2023 | 10 AM-2 PM 
UCLA Sustainable Transportation Fair 

THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS WILL SHARE FINDINGS FROM THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED IN THE EVENTS LISTED ABOVE AND RELATED TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATIONS. 

Virtual Workshop – Focus on Santa Monica to Westwood Corridor 
Thursday, October 12, 2023| 5:30 – 7:30 PM 
Click HERE to register: bit.ly/WestsideOct12 Zoom Meeting ID: 865 3463 9625

Virtual Workshop – Focus on Santa Monica to Ballona Creek & West LA to Del Rey 
Thursday, November 9, 2023 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM 
Click HERE to register: bit.ly/WestsideNove9 Zoom Meeting ID: 871 8483 8306

Check out the English/Spanish Flyers HERE: