PopUP MANGo Summary Infographic displays input from over 400 participants – 73% live in the Pico Neighborhood.

The successful PopUP MANGo event collected OPEN and TRANSPARENT input from the community. The results collected at the event by the city and the professional consulting team, (Meléndrez, IBI Group, and Community Arts Resources) don’t line up with what a small vocal group of folks (that don’t wish to drive a few extra blocks) are saying in response community support for traffic reduction by diversion on Michigan Ave. Traffic diversion is only one of several tools that could be implemented on MANGo to reduce traffic.  If initial measures implemented such as turn restrictions do not achieve the desired traffic volume reduction goals, diversion could be used to re-route cars just a few blocks off their usual routes but would reduce the more than 4200 cars per day using Michigan Ave between 11th and Lincoln Blvd as a vehicle cut through to the 10 Fwy and as a SAMOHI pickup/drop-off zone. Unfortunately, though we probably can’t expect to reach more typical Greenway traffic volumes of aprox 1000 cars per day we can reduce that current number to a more neighborhood scale. Present and future generations of parents and children need a safer, less traffic congested street that is comfortable for everyone and allows adults and kids to actively transport themselves by walking, skating, running or biking to school and elsewhere. Traffic calming mitigations could correct the unhealthy and inequitable high traffic volumes currently imposed on this residential street as we re-envision a GREAT MANGo neighborhood and community benefit in a healthier, calmer more people friendly street. A street that not only serves people who live in the neighborhood but also enables low stress connections for people walking, biking, skating etc to and from many destinations – from Tongva Park and the beach to Expo line and Bergamot and many locations in between. Also worth emphasizing are connections created for “Safe Routes to School” to the many Santa Monica’s schools that are on or near Michigan Ave.

A group within the Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA) launched a campaign against any traffic diversion. They created and conducted their own survey that (though possibly unintentionally) surely led those they polled to reject any sort of traffic diversion by a reported 95% in order to reduce the cut through traffic to a more reasonable neighborhood level. This same survey was administered by another PNA resident who supports the option of traffic diversion and got completely opposite results. Unlike the PNA collected survey, the second group of Pico residents polled overwhelmingly supported diversion as a method to reduce traffic: with diversion at 11th by 86% and diversion at Lincoln by 83%. Each group polled approximately the same number of people.

We contend a survey conducted by any partisan group should not supersede the professional non-partisan results collected at PopUP MANGo and the “direct” input given to the city from the community.

We support the city’s proposal to use turn restrictions as first step to try and achieve reduced traffic volumes on MANGo. We also believe we must acknowledge the community support to use additional tools, including traffic diversion until we reach measurable successes in desired reduction in traffic volume to goals that will create a healthier, safer, more livable neighborhood and street and the ultimately success of MANGo for current and future generations!

You are invited to see a complete review of concepts and designs at this last scheduled MANGo meeting  before the project is presented to City Council on February 11, 2014. We believe it is important to get first hand information and provide your own direct input to the project team and help support concepts that will create a GREAT MANGo!
You are also encouraged to ask questions and give input directly to city contact Jason Kligier, AICP at 310-458-8341 or jason.kligier@smgov.net

Place: Virginia Avenue Park, 2200 Virginia Avenue
Day: Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Time: 7 pm to 8:30 pm

For more information, please visit http://www.smgov.net/michigan