Category Archives: SaMo Safe Streets Alliance

Action Alert: Local Safe Streets Funding

Meeting: Tuesday, June 25th, Council Agenda Item 14A (attachment B)
Support item 14A: Parking Facilities Tax Measure

Santa Monica Spoke and the Santa Monica Safe Street Alliance request your help in support of placing a measure on the November ballot that – if approved – would help fund safer streets in Santa Monica. The measure is an increase in the parking facilities tax that would allocate steady funding for programs and infrastructure projects to build safer streets in Santa Monica for everyone.   

Join us to email the council to approve placing a parking facilities tax measure on the November ballot that if approved by the voters would increase the Santa Monica parking facility tax by 8%, only applied to private lots. 

As Santa Monica strives toward economic recovery, budget shortfalls have hindered the City’s ability to expand services to levels that meet the community’s needs and expectations. The leading cause of death for our children in LA County is motor vehicle crashes. Let’s make sure we are funding safer street projects. 

This measure would generate around $7 million annually for our community to help fund safe street programs and infrastructure. This increase will not affect costs in city-owned parking lots downtown or at the beach. The tax increase would impact people using overnight parking or utilizing private parking facilities. 

Not since 1995 – almost 30 years ago – has our local parking facility tax been updated. Santa Monica’s values and norms lead with sustainability and climate actions as we steadily work to meet our climate goals. Over 2/3 of our city’s emissions stem from transportation, particularly motor vehicles. It is critical to stop subsidizing and incentivizing car trips.

Join us today and add your voice to help strengthen the community’s call for a fair increase of the parking facility tax to help fund safer streets. This measure could have a significant and positive impact on improving street safety. Let the Santa Monica City Council know that a healthier and more equitable future requires us to act today with creative solutions like this ballot measure to increase the parking facility tax by 8% –
let’s support putting it to a vote in November!


One Click email to Council:  Please do add your comments and personal stories if you can!

Or use/personalize this “copy and paste / template” below:

Send emails to:
To: councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov, council@smgov.net
gleam.davis@santamonica.gov, jesse.zwick@santamonica.gov, Caroline.Torosis@santamonica.gov, lana.negrete@santamonica.gov, oscar.delatorre@santamonica.gov, phil.brock@santamonica.govchristine.parra@santamonica.gov
cc: david.white@santamonica.gov, Anuj.Gupta@santamonica.gov
bcc: info@smspoke.org


Subject: Support item 14A: Parking Facilities Tax Measure

Dear Santa Monica City Council Members: 

Please support item 14A (attachment B) that places a measure on the November ballot that would help fund safer streets in Santa Monica.

It is time for us to get more serious about reducing incentives to drive and make sure motor vehicle drivers contribute to funding safe streets for everyone.

The leading cause of death for our children in LA County is motor vehicle crashes. Over 2/3 of our city’s emissions stem from transportation, particularly motor vehicle use. To achieve a cleaner and safer Santa Monica, it is critical to stop subsidizing and incentivizing car trips. As Santa Monica recovers economically – this measure can create a critical step towards achieving our adopted climate goals and improve safety for everyone who lives in and visits our city regardless of how they travel. It’s been nearly 30 years since parking fees were updated.  Let’s do this now!

We will never meet our goals to reduce car trips if we continue to subsidize parking that only encourages driving. This measure allocates funding for programs and infrastructure projects aimed at creating a safer, more environmentally sustainable, and joyous Santa Monica for everyone

Please vote to approve placing this Parking Facilities Tax Measure on the November ballot and give Santa Monica residents the opportunity to vote on this important measure.

Please support item 14A, Attachment B, Parking Facilities Tax Measure

Bike Month Specials Continue & More Fun Events this Weekend!

East Pico Safety Project: POP UP Experience a 1-day demonstration event at the intersection of Pico Blvd and Urban Ave for the East Pico Safety Project on May 18, 2024 from 9 am to 1 pm. The event is designed to gather input on the temporary street designs.


Kidical Mass: Community Bike Ride for Kids to Seniors!
Join us for a fun filled morning at Clover Park and a Community Bike Ride for all ages!

The theme is GREEN | VERDE for Mental Health Awareness and Bike Month
Click HERE for more about Mental Health Awareness Month


Limited number of free VEO bikes available –
Must be 18+ to ride


Specials that are all of May for Bike Month: 

• Yoga-urt receive 15% off 1 item to Cyclist during all of May AND get a 1 FREE Mini Bowl of soft serve when you visit on May 16th when they’ll open early to celebrate at 11am 
• Dogtown Coffee at the Fairmont 10% off your order all of May & 25% off May 16th
• VEO get $5 off your next trip – active all of May — code BIKE24
• Sunday Farmers Market on Main Street – arrive by bike get a market buck from the info booth — while supply lasts in May

Plan Your Bike Anywhere Day – All the Local Pitstops, Specials and Promotions for Thursday May 16th!

Bike Anywhere Day: Morning Pitstops, Evening HandleBar HH, All Day Bike Local Specials!

Morning Pitstops:

  • City of Santa Monica & Santa Monica Spoke: SM City Hall, 1685 Main Street
    8-10am
    Bike Swag, Live Music, Raffles, Coffee & Donuts, City Bike Info and lots of fun with other bike commuters!
  • Movember / SMC Bike Club: 1616 17th St — E-Line Station at Sidewalk and Parking Lot
    8-10am
    Refreshments, Bike Techs, and men’s health information. Coffee graciously provided by Starbucks!
  • Colorado Center HUB, Hosted BXP and Kite Pharma: 2500 Broadway
    8-10am

    We will have coffee, music, snacks, and good vibes! Stop by, say hello, and fuel up for your morning ride!
  • Café Lovi: 1910 Broadway
    7:30am-3:30pm
    Free drip coffee and 10% off sandwiches for clients that arrive by bike!
  • Yoga-urt: 1700 Ocean Park Blvd
    11am-10pm

    Yoga-urt Santa Monica will offer 1 FREE Mini Bowl of soft serve to Bikers on May 16th for Bike Anywhere Day!
  • Dogtown Coffee in the Fairmont Miramar: 101 Wilshire Blvd
    5am-5pm

    Discount at Dogtown Coffee (Fairmont Location only) when you arrive by bicycle! 
    Enter from Wilshire BLVD. Go to the back right corner of the driveway behind the FIG tree. Bike parking for Dogtown at the bottom of the stairs.


Evening HandleBar Happy Hour:

  • Santa Monica Brew Works: 1920 Colorado Ave
    5-7pm (and beyond)

    Join us and our partners BuyLocal and Santa Monica Forward at reserved tables on the patio
    — food service Emmy Squared Pizza 
    HandleBar Happy Hour Specials:
    • 5-6PM: $5 Core Beers and $1 Off All other Draft Beer
    • 6-7PM: $1 Off All Draft Beers continues for our group!


More Bike Anywhere Day promotions:

  • VEO: $5 off your next trip today or anytime in May
    Use the promo code “BIKE24” in the Veo app 
  •  Metro Bike Share: FREE 30-Minute rides on “Bike Anywhere Day,”
    May 16, 2024 Valid: 5/16 — Code: 051624
  • Metro: Ride Free Bus & Trains: Ride Free
    Metro will celebrate Bike Day on Thursday, May 16 by providing free rides on Metro Bus and Rail lines. Fareboxes on buses will be covered and rail system turnstile gates and validators will be programmed not to charge fare that day.
  • Big Blue Bus: Cyclist ride for free May 16th
    Join BBB and all the local bicycle commuters to celebrate Bike Anywhere Day on Thursday, May 16. On that day, bring your bike, folding bike or helmet on board a Big Blue Bus and you can ride for FREE.

Happy Bike Month Week #3

It’s Bike Week and Thursday, May 16th is Bike Anywhere Day!

Specials that are all of May for Bike Month: 
• Yoga-urt receive 15% off 1 item to Cyclist during all of May AND get a 1 FREE Mini Bowl of soft serve when you visit on May 16th when they’ll open early to celebrate at 11am 
• Dogtown Coffee at the Fairmont 10% off your order all of May & 25% off May 16th
• VEO get $5 off your next trip – active all of May — code BIKE24
• Sunday Farmers Market on Main Street – arrive by bike get a market buck from the info booth — while supply lasts in May

See the Events Calendar or the Bike Month 2024 Map for all the Bike Month events and promotions 

Bike Anywhere Day: Morning Pitstops and Evening HandleBar Happy Hour

Thursday morning Bike anywhere Day Pitstops at: Santa Monica City Hall, 17t Street & Colorado, 26th & Broadway, Yoga-urt on Ocean Park Blvd and Dogtown Coffee at the Fairmont.

See the full list with details here


Click images or titles

HandleBar Happy Hour: Santa Monica Brew Works
Join us and our partners BuyLocal Santa Monica and Santa Monica Forward at reserved tables on the patio

— food service Emmy Squared Pizza and HandleBar Happy Hour Specials

East Pico Safety Project: POP UP Experience a 1-day demonstration event at the intersection of Pico Blvd and Urban Ave for the East Pico Safety Project on May 18, 2024 from 9 am to 1 pm. The event is designed to gather input on the temporary street designs.


Kidical Mass: Community Bike Ride for Kids to Seniors!
Join us for a fun filled morning at Clover Park and a Community Bike Ride for all ages!

The theme is GREEN | VERDE for Mental Health Awareness and Bike Month
Click HERE for more about Mental Health Awareness Month

Click on map buttons or in the map sidebar for additional event details:

Advocacy Action alert:

Support letters are invited to Santa Monica City Council for Meeting on Tuesday, May 14th for the following agenda items.

Council emails:
To: councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov, council@smgov.net
gleam.davis@santamonica.gov, jesse.zwick@santamonica.gov, Caroline.Torosis@santamonica.gov, lana.negrete@santamonica.gov, oscar.delatorre@santamonica.gov, phil.brock@santamonica.govchristine.parra@santamonica.gov
cc: david.white@santamonica.gov, Anuj.Gupta@santamonica.gov
bcc: info@smspoke.org

Funded Projects we are supporting.


More Agenda Items we are supporting: