The City of Santa Monica is trying to secure funding for a variety of bicycle related projects through the Metro Call for Projects process.  They are listed as: Bike-sharing, Bike/Transit Centers and a Michigan Ave. Bicycle Facility for which the City has requested support on their applications in a letter from Santa Monica Spoke to Metro.

Although last minute we congratulate the City on this push for funds.  Apologies were extended for the short notice on this request as the application is to be sent out this Thursday, (1/27).  We were however given the assurance that we would have a public outreach process for getting community feedback on each of these projects should they be awarded to Santa Monica.  Funding would be distributed in Fiscal Years 2015/16 and 2016/17 with local match amounts still being vetted.

The summary we were given of the projects is as follow:

1. Bike-sharing and other multi-mobility linkages to Expo
This project would consist of planning, selecting and implementing a bike-sharing system to link the three Santa Monica Expo Stations with bus transit hubs, dense trip origin areas and key destinations.  In addition to the Expo stations, bike-share locations may include Santa Monica College, Wilshire and/or Santa Monica Blvd (PS#6) locations, and the Main Street and Montana Avenue commercial areas.  Additional mobility services, including carshare vehicles and transit information services, will be considered as well.  $2,236,300 total project cost of which we would request $1,475,240 in funding.

2. Bike/Transit Centers at Memorial Park and Bergamot Transit Stations
This project will include developing bike transit center facilities at the Memorial Park and Bergamot Center Exposition Light Rail Stations.  These centers will be based on and similar to the bike transit center to be constructed near the downtown station next year, and will include facility improvement costs including bicycle parking facilities and shower and locker amenities and a retail area suitable for providing support services for people on foot, transit and bicycle including local and trip information, access to fare media,  and car and bike sharing if these are available.  The project will assume coordination with station plans so that the facility will be adjacent to the station or transit plaza associated with it.  $3,650,000 total project cost of which we would request $2,463,750 in funding.

3. Michigan Avenue Bicycle Facility
This project will include developing a high quality east/west bicycle facility on the south side of I-10, including connections to Exposition Light Rail Stations.  It will link/incorporate efforts to develop through bicycle facilities in the Civic Center, Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica College, extending from Stewart Street through 20th Street to the High School, Civic Center and Beach/Pier.  It will include, with Caltrans’ support, development of a bike path adjacent to the I-10 Freeway ramp at 20th Street.  $4,730,000 total project cost of which we would request $2,500,000 in funding.

Santa Monica Spoke, along with LACBC’s Jennifer Klausner support Santa Monica’s application to the Metro Call for Projects.  We will eagerly await a positive outcome in this bid for local funding from Metro.  We have high hopes that this could serve to reduce congestion in the future while improving our bicycling infrastructure and public transportation options in the City of Santa Monica.

Our Letter :

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