May 5, 2010--The City Council gave its endorsement for two street enhancement projects in Santa Monica, including one that is nearly two decades in the making.

Planning and Community Development Director Eileen Fogarty called the $4.5 million enhancement project for nine blocks of Ocean Park Boulevard from Lincoln Boulevard to Neilsen Way, making a “complete green street.” She said it makes Ocean Park a street that “works for pedestrians, bikes, transit; has open space and certainly environmental sustainability.”

Among the features of the project are curb extensions that will serve a dual purpose of providing a buffer from the road and incorporating landscaped bioswales that collect storm water runoff. In some areas, landscaping will include permeable hardscape. The collected runoff will be stored in chambers below the landscaped strips and slowly infiltrate into the soil, “thus reducing the quantity of storm water runoff discharged into Santa Monica Bay,” according to the staff report.

Other features of the project include landscaped center medians, new crosswalks, wider bike lanes that are painted green so they are more noticeable, doubling the amount of trees to about 125 and new bike racks, benches and trash receptacles. Also, new curbs and barriers to restrict dangerous illegal left turns will be implemented.

The project received high praises from Ocean Park residents who spoke at the meeting, including members of the Ocean Park Association’s Board of Directors.

“It is the future,” Board member Bob Taylor said. “It will have a positive effect on the entire City and its reputation as the leading sustainable green community.”

Commenting on the added safety the project will create for pedestrians, Board member Pauline Bohanan said, “I’m so happy I’ll be able to cross the street and go to the dog park safely.”

Council member Richard Bloom said he remembered the project being on an agenda as a discussion item when he first got on the council more than 10 years ago. He praised former City Manager Lamont Ewell for getting the concept moving along a couple years ago toward finalization.

“This is a first-rate project,” Bloom said. “It has the support of the community. It incorporates sustainability elements at the level Santa Monica deserves, and I’m happy to support it.”

The project is being partially funded through money from funds created by Measure V ($1.1 million), the City’s clean water parcel tax approved in 2006, and Measure 1B ($1.3 million), the State transportation bond also approved in 2006.

The other project getting full council support was a $5.2 million plan for 20th Street and Cloverfield Boulevard between the I-10 Freeway and Pico Boulevard. The project includes new trees, sidewalks and pedestrian lights. Also so-called sharrows will be placed on 20th Street. These are bicycle symbols in the lane that note the lane is for vehicles and bicycles. When traffic is heavy, vehicles will use the lane. When it is not, bicyclists can use the full lane.

Council member Kevin McKeown said organizing this will happen “organically.” He added that the sharrows send a message that bicycles belong on the street.

“I think sometimes that’s forgotten by motorists in Southern California,” McKeown said. “Southern California motorists sometimes think that bicycles are on the road only by forbearance and they don’t really deserve to be there.”

"It is the future, It will have a positive effect on the entire City and its reputation as the leading sustainable green community.”
       Bob Taylor

“This is a first-rate project, It has the support of the community.”        Richard Bloom