Category Archives: LUCE

Transportation Impact Fee, $134 million for traffic improvements

Update: 2/27 City Council voted unanimously to approve the TIF ordinance. Great job!
Important action: Tuesday February 26 -

On Tuesday February 26, Santa Monica City Council will be considering an Ordinance to establish a Transportation Impact Fee (TIF) that if approved will go into effect this May.

The Transportation Impact Fee on new development will require projects to pay their fair share of transportation network improvements necessary to relieve traffic congestion and support walking, biking and transit use. The fee would partially fund the $134 million in costs associated with improvements to the walking, bicycle, transit and vehicle system needed to address congestion and transportation safety in Santa Monica. The fee is recommended in the LUCE and was requested by the Council years ago. It will fund $34 million in bike improvements, $25 million in pedestrian improvements and additional transit, vehicle and transportation demand management projects. It is important to get community support for the TIF as we suspect an organized vocal opposition.

I hope you will join us, and many of the Neighborhood Councils and Organizations in writing to Council to support approving the ordinance. I have included our letter of support.
Send your letters to Council@smgov.net

We encourage folks to attend and speak at the Council meeting Tuesday evening. It is agenda item 7-E and expected to come up for comment around 7:30pm.

City Hall Council Chambers 2nd Floor
Council Meeting Agenda: http://www.smgov.net/departments/council/agendas/2013/20130226/a20130226.htm
Staff Report – Item 7-E: Introduction and first reading of an ordinance to establish a Transportation Impact Fee to facilitate developer contributions to transportation network improvements and the achievement of no net new trips in the afternoon peak hour.
http://www.smgov.net/departments/council/agendas/2013/20130226/s2013022607-E.pdf

Re: Transportation Impact Fee Agenda Item 7-E
Hearing Date: February 26th, 2013

We support the Transportation Impact Fee on new development that will require projects to pay their fair share of transportation network improvements necessary to relieve traffic congestion and support walking, biking and transit use.

The required nexus study and ordinance before the Council, along with an economic study requested by the business community substantially address concerns about the impact of the fee on development feasibility. We believe the TIF is careful to respect existing land uses, and ONLY charges when a land use is intensified, and gives credit for existing on-site uses when they are demolished. When businesses change over (retail to restaurant and vice versa – NO TIF WILL BE CHARGED). The study shows that the fee has an insubstantial impact on developer profit.

If we want to create a safe and sustainable city where we are not continually dominated by traffic congestion we must prioritize our environment and its people and support alternate transportation modes in Santa Monica. Neighborhood serving retail will generate demand for walking, biking trips and should pay a fair share of the network and safety improvements. This was studied extensively In response to concerns raised by the Chamber.

As we all know City Hall is tightening budgets and money is getting more scarce. With new transit oriented development, we must invest in transportation diversity to achieve No Net New PM Peak Period Vehicle trips as envisioned in the LUCE. Because the LUCE created a shift to multi-family on the boulevards, exempting multi-family will make it impossible to collect the funds necessary achieve No Net New peak vehicle trips. New development is creating new vehicle trips and should be responsible for safety and traffic mitigating network improvements. It is indeed the developers and their tenants (commercial and residential) that will benefit form these improvements that ultimately make Santa Monica a safer more livable city for everyone. New multi-family projects will depend extensively on pedestrian, bike and transit improvements funded by the TIF. The current market trends show a very strong climate for multi-family housing development, exemptions are not needed to encourage housing production. It is appropriate that the TIF as proposed exempts very low and low income housing units (including required affordable housing units in market rate projects)

The transportation Impact fee is urgently needed - we need increased walking, biking and transit to minimize any new vehicle trips and create a more comfortable city for everyone. Just imagine a city where streets and sidewalks are comfortable and inviting, even for the most vulnerable street users such as seniors and children, and streets that have facilities where bikes can travel safely and in harmony with motorized traffic without the current intolerably high levels of congestion. The fee is especially needed given the arrival of Expo which will increase the number of residents and visitors walking and biking. Our community has made it clear we want a more sustainable city where we can all move safely – whether we choose to walk, bike, take transit or drive to meet our daily needs. We must envision the future where we provide safe and appropriate facilities for all Santa Monicans. New development can contribute a meaningful share of needed improvements. Studies prepared show that the proposed transportation fee has no substantial impact on developer profit. It’s time to adopt this fee to make sure that new development contributes to our future safety and mobility.

Santa Monica remains very desirable to developers and is one of the few jurisdictions in the area without any transportation impact fee for new development – West LA and Culver City are larger, less condensed and less geographically constrained than Santa Monica and don’t have the same challenges. Comparing TIFs in those cities cannot be considered relevant. Even WLA is actively working on updating their fees and anticipate increases and reduced exemptions. The Council requested TIFs to be established over 5 years ago, it’s long overdue. Cities all around us have Transportation Impact Fees and it’s time Santa Monica did too.

Saturday Feb 9th! Find out what’s up – CELEBRATE BIKES

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A full day: Food, Fun, Info, Music and Ice Cream?!
- Bike Action Plan Review and Forecast 2013
- New Project Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway
- Bike Parade to Grand Opening Ocean Park Blvd
Complete Green Street!

We’ve been hard at work coordinating this fun and informative bikey day! There will be lots of information to engage you while you have FUN and ENJOY the day with us. We need your input and support so COME OUT AND PLAY THIS SATURDAY!

Doors open at 11:00 with coffee and cinnamon rolls and lively discussion on our Bike Action Plan & exciting new projects.
At 12:00pm the pizza arrives and we get a very special presentation on our next big proposed project “The Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway”
At 1:30 we hop on our bikes for a bike parade over to the Grand Opening Party for the Ocean Park Blvd Complete Green Street at 2:00pm

Colorado Community Room,
502 Colorado,
Bike parking in the patio

Program:

11:00am Doors open with coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls

Lets go for Platinum!

11:15am We are excited to once again have Lucy Dyke and City staff give us a review of the wonderful new bike projects and lanes stripped in 2012 and feedback and input from us as we look forward to what you want to see prioritized in 2013!
We have invited Santa Monica’s newest SMPD Bike liaison to be with us to participate and be available for discussions.
12:00pm Pizza!
12:15pm Settle in to hear about our exciting Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway! Jason Kligier will give us an over view on the ideas and potentials of AWESOME project and how we can help make it happen!
1:15pm WE JUMP ON BIKES AND ROLL OUT AT 1:30pm. It’s time for the bike parade to the Grand Opening of the Ocean Park Blvd Complete Green Street, and beautiful GREEN BIKE LANES!.
2:00pm We arrive at the Ocean Park Blvd Complete Green Street Grand Opening where we will celebrate and be treated to live jazz music and ice cream from the Peddlers Creamery. Ocean Park Blvd between 5th & 6th (in front of SMASH/John Muir Schools)

Free Bike Valet provided by the City of Santa Monica.

Let’s Talk Santa Monica, Nov 10, 12 & 15th

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PLEASE consider attending one (or more) of these sessions with City Staff and Santa Monica’s City Manager Rod Gould. It is a unique and up close opportunity to give input for bikes and the Bike Action Plan (BAP) directly. The City needs to hear from you what the positives are for the infrastructure that has gone in so far and what we need to see in the future. For instance, new buffered bike lanes, Sharrows, bike corrals and racks. This is especially important as some have been “loudly vocal” in opposition of new bike lanes even though we have received near 100% positive feedback from cyclists and others in the community. We need you to share your positive feedback with the City directly!

Please share this far and wide – We look forward to seeing you soon!

Cynthia Rose

Director

Santa Monica Spoke

Santa Monica Talks

Let’s talk about what’s happening in Santa Monica. Join us to meet City staff, make connections, learn about City services and finances, see what’s happening in your neighborhood and citywide, share your thoughts, and ask questions.

The same information will be provided at each meeting. Please attend the session that is most convenient for you. Drop in or stay for the entire time. Staff will be available during the first and last 45 minutes of each session for informal conversations. Rod Gould, City Manager, will talk about the City’s fiscal health, ongoing services, upcoming projects, and answer your questions. These conversations will inform the development of the City’s fiscal year 13-15 budget. Neighborhood association representatives will also be present.

Childcare, bike valets, and BBB vouchers will be available. A light dinner will be provided at the two evening meetings. RSVPs will help us meet child care needs and order food accordingly. Hope to see you at one of the upcoming meetings!

All locations are wheelchair accessible. For additional disability-related accommodations please call (310) 458-8301.

Stop by to connect with City staff, share your thoughts, see what’s happening in your neighborhood and citywide, and learn about City services and finances.

Saturday, November 10,
10:00 am – 12:30 pm
City Manager’s presentation, 10:45am
Franklin Elementary School, 2400 Montana Avenue

Monday, November 12,
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
City Manager’s presentation, 7:15 pm
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium,
East Wing, 1855 Main Street

Thursday, November 15,
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm,
*simultaneous Spanish translation
City Manager’s presentation – 7:15 pm
The Writers Boot Camp, Bldg. I,
2525 Michigan Avenue

Participants can meet one-on-one with staff to discuss specific issues related to public safety, transportation, parking, planning, housing, human services, community spaces and programs, technology, sustainability, and “Be Excited! Be Prepared” capital improvement projects. Following the one-on-one dialogues City Manager Rod Gould will give a presentation about City services, finances, and projects and answer questions from the audience. After the presentation, City staff will again be available again to meet one-on-one with residents.

Comment forms and meeting materials are available online at: www.smgov.net/smtalks.
Although the meetings are free and open to all, please RSVP online at www.smgov.net/smtalks.

Additionally:

If you cannot attend but would like to give feedback on BAP, bike lanes etc. please email to BAP@SMSpoke.org -

This address sends copies of your email to us and forwards a copy directly to the City.

Performance Better Bicycling Community’ Grants Winner …….. Santa Monica Spoke

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For Immediate Release

Performance Bicycle® Announces its
‘Better Bicycling Community’ Grants Winners

Nation’s Largest Independent Cycling Retailer Awards
10 Local Communities With $3,000 Grants

CHAPEL HILL, NC - (Aug. 1, 2012) - In celebration of its 30th Anniversary, Performance Bicycle has awarded $30,000 in Better Bicycling Community Grants. Ten advocacy organizations around the country received $3,000 to support local efforts to boost the accessibility of bicycling in communities where there are Performance stores. The grants are administered in collaboration with the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

“It was a tough decision to narrow it down to 10 recipients,” said Performance Bicycle Chief Executive Officer David Pruitt. “We want to thank all the terrific organizations dedicated to making cycling more accessible. Each one is a vital part of their community and we appreciate their hard work and commitment.”

The ten organizations that will receive a Better Bicycling Community grant are spread across the country. Each will involve the community and will work with their local Performance store to achieve their grant goals. . The funded campaigns are as follows:

Bike Austin (Austin, Texas): North MoPac Bike Highway Commuter Route Campaign

Bike Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland): Bicycle Friendly Maryland Campaign

Bike Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah): CiSLClovia – Open Streets Initiative

Carrboro Bicycle Coalition (Chapel Hill, North Carolina): Chapel Hill – Carrboro Open Streets Initiative

Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation (Seattle, Washington): Advocacy Leadership Institute

Central Ohio Mountain Biking Organization (Westerville, Ohio): Rejuvenation of Alum Creek Phase 1 Campaign

Community Bikes (Charlottesville, Virginia): Charlottesville Open Streets Initiative

East Bay Bicycle Coalition (Oakland, California): Yes on Measure B Campaign

Living Streets Alliance (Tucson, Arizona): Kidical Mass Tucson 2013 Campaign

Santa Monica Spoke (Santa Monica, California): Community Outreach for Better Biking in Santa Monica

To read more on all the wonderful projects see the full Press Release - HERE

Thank you Performance Bicycle and the Alliance for Biking & Walking. We are very excited to have been selected for this grant that will support our community. These funds will support our outreach and implementation efforts for Santa Monica’s Bicycle Action Plan projects, specifically The Michigan Avenue Greenway and Broadway Bicycle Boulevard.

_____________________________________________________________

About Performance Bicycle®:
Performance Bicycle® is the No. 1 specialty bicycle retailer in the U.S. and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Performance Inc. Performance provides a multi-channel cycling retail experience that spans more than 100 stores nationwide, and www.PerformanceBike.com, all catering to both the avid cycling enthusiast and the recreational rider. Performance Inc. is majority owned by North Castle Partners of Greenwich, Conn.

About the Alliance for Biking & Walking:
The Alliance for Biking & Walking is the coalition of more than 200 state and local bicycle and pedestrian organizations working together to promote bicycling and walking in North American communities. To learn more about the Alliance, visit

www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org.

More New Buffered Bike Lanes in Santa Monica, on 6th & 14th

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First images of the new Buffered Bike Lanes

These lanes are AWESOME and a JOY to ride. They are not totally finished yet and we haven’t ridden the full length but what we have seen and ridden is wonderful – simply wonderful! These lanes, and more on Ocean Park Blvd between Cloverfield & Centinella, and Montana between Ocean & 7th are due to be completed sometime this coming week.

You will notice that these lanes are buffered not only on the traffic side (left) but on the very important right side – or door zone. These represent a huge improvement over what is the typical or standard bike lane, not only here but in most cities in the US, including bike friendly cites like Portland. Although the lanes lose the buffer at some intersections (where there are left turn pockets) they were comfortable to ride. It is important to note however, that to keep the lanes from “disappearing” altogether at these same intersection some street parking was eliminated, like at 14th and Broadway. With parking in Santa Monica always a hot topic a decision like this would not have been made lightly. I hope that residents in these areas will see a value and added benefit to their street in the form of traffic calming afforded by the road diet and the new safer bike lanes. Maybe these new safer lanes will be that last incentive to get them out to join us on their own bikes!

These beautiful new lanes, although wonderful, highlight the faults in much of our old infrastructure. I believe that allocating funds for even some minimal improvements to older bike lanes, like narrowing vehicle travel lanes to minimum widths and adding buffers to bike lanes where possible will be money well spent. Buffers on the door zone side being high on that agenda.

First are the lanes on 6th Street downtown. They run between Wilshire and Colorado. The image here is just south of Wilshire looking south.

Second are the 14th Street lanes that are installed between Washington and Pico Blvd. This image is south of Broadway looking north.

The next hurdle will be to keep cars from driving in these extra wide lanes and cars and delivery vehicles from double parking for unloading (as has already witnessed). They are new – and will certainly have a learning curve – education and enforcement will be key elements to their ultimate success.

Meanwhile
………….. HAPPY RIDING!

Siemens Sustainable Community Awards

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Congratulations Santa Monica!

Our Bike Action Plan stands out as “cutting edge”.

Thanks to our biking community and the input that helped to make it all happen!

Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica is being honored for its integrated planning efforts based on its Sustainable City Plan (SCP). Sustainability strategies developed through the SCP are woven into all of the city’s planning documents, particularly the 2010 Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE), which integrates land use and transportation planning activities. Santa Monica has been on the forefront of adopting a Green Building Ordinance and has recently adopted a cutting-edge Bicycle Action Plan.

Integrated Planning

Other initiatives pursued by Santa Monica include:

Creative Capital — arts and cultural retention and development
Consolidated Plan — affordable housing development
The 2008-2014 Housing Element
The Historic Preservation Element
and many specific plans for all parts of the City, all promoting sustainable development and multi-modal strategies.

Santa Monica also partners with the business community in programs such as “Buy Local,” “Business Greening,” and an effort called the Santa Monica Alliance, which promotes sustainability in terms of maintaining healthy businesses.

Meeting tonight: BERGAMOT Designing the Districts

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Monday, April 23rd – tonight! Bergamot Design the Districts, Open house 6-7pm, Workshop 7-9pm
Tuesday, April 24th. Santa Monica Spoke Meeting, 6:30-8:30pm, 5th a& Colorado, info to follow

BERGAMOT, Designing the Districts

The City of Santa Monica invites you to the fifth Bergamot Area Plan workshop, where you can help design a district-wide concept that merges previous community input to transition the former industrial areas into a creative and sustainable mixed-use destination.

Please join us tonight, April 23rd starting at 6PM at the Civic Auditorium, East Wing, (1855 Main Street) to discuss:

·         STREETS: craft street design concepts that unify the area by incorporating new amenities for pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles, as well as a variety of public open spaces.
·         URBAN FORM: provide input on the shape and scale of the built environment. Define areas for conservation as well as reinvention to complement the districts’ unique character.
·         GROUND LEVEL EXPERIENCE: weigh-in on urban design principles that create an engaging and successful pedestrian atmosphere.

Your input, specifically on bicycle circulation and design is needed for this important Santa Monica planning effort. Staff will host an OPEN HOUSE starting at 6PM to provide a preview of planning concepts and ideas. The COMMUNITY WORKSHOP portion of the evening, which includes a presentation and small-group discussion tables, begins at 7PM.

We hope to see you there!

To learn more about the project, please visit the website at www.bergamotplan.net.

Santa Monica Bike Learning Campus Opens Sunday 4/22

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Sunday 4/22 Bike Campus Opening Event

This Sunday we will celebrate the Grand Opening of the Santa Monica Bike Campus. This bike campus facility is an off street facility that is to be used by cycling instructors and the community to practice street cycling skills in a car free environment.

We will celebrate the opening of the Bike Campus on Earth Day with lots of fun, festivities and education. There will be a Beach Bike Rodeo* aimed at middle school students and their parents, food, and raffle prizes. A coordinated collaboration with the City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica Bike Center and Santa Monica Spoke we will have bike safety checks with LCI’s (League of American Bicyclist Certified Instructors) at the different stations to teach safe bike traffic skills and obstacle avoidance techniques and to demonstrate how the community can use this great benefit to practice and improve their cycling skills on their own. You can bring your own bike or borrow one of ours.

Ribbon cutting ceremony at 12:30 with Mayor Richard Bloom
Bike Rodeo Classes, raffles, food and festivities from 1:00-3:00pm
Information on how we can “Bring CicLAvia to Santa Monica and the westside”
At 3:00pm Santa Monica Spoke will host another “Ride the BAP” to see and discuss more of the recent and upcoming bike infrastructure implementations.
We also hope to have our SMPD Bike Liaison Sgt McLaughlin in attendance.

The Santa Monica Bike Campus is located on a section of roadway no longer used that connected two parking lots just east of the beach bike path at Dorothy Green Park where Ocean Park Boulevard ends at Barnard way. The campus is painted with road markings and obstacle courses for teaching bike education classes and includes signage with instructions for self guided learning. It is painted with simulated vehicle lanes, street signage like stop signs, sharrows, crosswalks and bike lanes. It is used to teach lane positioning and obstacle avoidance as part of the curriculum of the League of American Bicycling’s Smart Cycling.

The facility is the first of its kind in Los Angeles. It is a dedicated space used to teach the road portion of the Confident City Cycling Skills by LCI’s (League Certified Instructors), as well as by the community with the self guided instruction signage and online videos. The area can also be used by local schools to teach bike skills in a safe space before introducing students to real traffic. This campus has long been envisioned by bike advocates in Santa Monica, Ron Durgin, GM of the Santa Monica Bike Center and Planning Commissioner Richard McKinnon, (BikeIt Day ) as well as us at Santa Monica Spoke. Last Year the City demonstrated its commitment to education by hosting a three day instructor training for League of American Bicyclist Instructors Certification. Santa Monica Spoke’s Director Cynthia Rose, Bryan Beretta and Mihai Piteu were certified as instructors along with a few members of the local community and 4 members from the City. We believe having an engaged City staff knowledgeable in cyclist rights and responsibilities as well as the many other skills learned in this training was a catalyst that helped us create a great Bike Action Plan that will serve the community well into the future. The City now offers monthly bike skills classes paid for by a safety grant coordinated by SM Bike Center’s Ron Durgin. The Confident City Cycling Classes, free for participants are taught here in Santa Monica, and also in West Hollywood and Burbank.

With the opening of this bike campus we can also hope to facilitate a traffic diversion program advocated by Santa Monica Spoke. This campus could now be used for bike education diversion program like Portland, OR or in Huntington Beach for bicyclists cited for moving violations like running stop signs and red lights to riding on sidewalks. In these programs, not unlike traffic school – a traffic safety class for cyclist is offered as a less expensive alternative to higher punitive penalties. But more importantly it offers offenders education instead of fees to help correct their behavior. Spoke had been working with former Cheif Jackman, exploring the implementation of such a program here in Santa Monica. We look forward to seeing this continue with the new Chief of Police Jacqueline Seabrooks.

“Bring CicLAvia to Santa Monica and the Westside”
We will launch the campaign to bring this hugely successful Los Angeles event west. You will be able to sign up to get involved or just stay informed. We will have a map for you to help us in suggesting a route.

We are looking forward to a wonderful event this Sunday and hope you can join us to celebrate this next piece in the puzzle as we create a safer, more bikeable and walkable community.

*co-sponsored by Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District PTA Council

Expo Line Santa Monica Landscaping Design Meeting

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Join us for an overview of the landscape design plan for the Expo Line in Santa Monica!
The Exposition Construction Authority invites you to a community meeting regarding the landscaping elements proposed for the Expo Line in Santa Monica.

The community will have an opportunity to:

· Hear an overview from the design team on the proposed landscaping
· Get an update on construction activities and the Colorado streetscape
· Learn about the tree relocation and replacement plan
· Provide input and feedback

Wednesday, March 28, 2012
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Virginia Avenue Park – Thelma Terry Building
2200 Virginia Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404

New in Santa Monica: Bike corrals, sharrows, buffered bike lanes & more!

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We have new bike facilities going in all over the city. Bike corrals, buffered bike lanes, sharrows, bike lane/ sharrow combos (climbing lanes) on 17th and more planned. Plus more every day! Have you seen something new going in? Let us know so we can share it!

Here is a first preview of what we are seeing. And more to come!
Not pictured are beautiful lanes on 26th. We’ll add more images asap.
Click images to view larger.

Enjoy