Category Archives: infrastructure

Email Support Today for More Protected Bike Lanes and Safer Streets for Everyone!

Council Meeting February 27th, Item 3B

Tuesday Feb 27th Santa Monica City Council will hear the City Manager Report – on the Bike Action Plan and a Vision Zero Update — Special Item 3B on the Agenda.

Please join us with an email to Council TODAY voicing your support for more protected bike lanes (support the Bike Action Plan Amendment) and to support our city’s commitment to Vision Zero — to protect vulnerable road users, like people walking and biking, with streets designed to be safer for everyone.

Easy one click email please do add your comments and personal stories if you can!

Or use this “copy and paste / template”
send to:
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,

bcc us at: info@SMSpoke.org

Re: Item 3B City Manager Report – Bike Action Plan and Vision Zero Update.

Dear Santa Monica Mayor, City Council and City Manager:

I support the City’s commitment to safer streets and more protected bike lanes. Please prioritize improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure and Vision Zero. The City must continue the overwhelming community supported commitment to prioritize and protect vulnerable road users, like people walking and biking, with more protected bike lanes and streets designed to be safer for everyone.

Please support and prioritize safer streets!

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,

17th Street & Michigan Avenue Ribbon Cutting

Where: 17th and Colorado (Metro lot)
Please join us Dec. 2nd at 9am to celebrate the completion of the newest addition to the Santa Monica protected bike network with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a morning full of free, family-friendly activities. Enjoy donuts, local musicians and performers, remarks from the Mayor, giveaways, and bike rides along the project.
See more about the event HERE!
Hope to see you there! 

Schedule:
9 a.m. Donuts, coffee and hot chocolate (while supplies last)
9:30 a.m.  Ribbon cutting ceremony

  Confirmed Speakers:

  • Mayor Gleam Davis
  • Director of Transportation Anuj Gupta
  • Chief of Police Ramon Batista
  • Santa Monica Spoke Director Cynthia Rose

10 a.m. Santa Monica High School Marching Band
11:15 a.m. Academia de Danza Ballet Folklorico Flor de Mayo
10 a.m. – noon Guided bike tours 

Keystone projects like this improve bike and pedestrian safety and promote sustainability to help combat climate change. The completion of the Safe Streets for 17th Street and Michigan Avenue project marks a milestone step towards advancing the city’s key strategic priority of fostering a Sustainable & Connected Community. In addition to promoting sustainability and multi-modal transportation, Safe Streets for 17th Street and Michigan Avenue advances the City’s commitment to a Clean and Safe Santa Monica, including the Vision Zero initiative, which is the goal of eliminating severe traffic injuries and deaths on city streets. This critical project builds upon community engagement and feedback including the adopted Bike Action Plan Protected Network Amendment, Pedestrian Action Plan, the Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway (MANGo) Plan, as well as the city’s Land Use and Circulation Element.
Click to see a list of more exciting Mobility Projects

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. 

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: