September 7, 2016
Alert:
City Admits “Overwhelmed” by Traffic:
We Need LUVE Initiative (Measure LV)
After years of our City telling residents it has traffic under control, City Hall now admits what we all know--Santa Monica’s failed traffic management programs are “overwhelmed” with “dramatically increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic.” “Our streets are jammed.”
http://beta.smgov.net/blog/taking-action-now-on-traffic
City Hall’s long-term over-development and tourist-oriented planning has caused the recurring functional collapse of our downtown. Now it’s up to us. As a first step, we need to pass Measure LV in November putting residents in charge of major development decisions.
Without LUVE, the City’s failed development and traffic policies and millions of square feet of planned new development will lead to ever worsening gridlock, spreading even more into our neighborhoods. With LUVE, developers will be forced to come up with better projects, knowing residents will have the final say.
The City admits the ugly truth--many residents don’t go to their own downtown anymore. It accepts that things won’t get better under its plans. [See link, above]
What is City Hall’s plan? More of the same. Continue its downtown development plans as if all is well. Add more staff to the already bloated bureaucracy. Tinker with its woefully inadequate mobility plan. Make parking harder and more expensive for residents, while its own 2000+ employees park for free, most in the downtown area.
Expo’s arrival coupled with so much new development has exacerbated our already unsustainable traffic and congestion. To now propose new fast-tracked over-development in the City’s Downtown Plan is reckless and unsustainable.
We need a sensible plan that includes the very things the City’s plan ignores:
• pass Measure LV
• reject the proposed Downtown Plan which would fast-track massive new development and allow zoning-busting projects without voter approval;
• stop spending millions to make us even more of a tourist magnet;
• force our major employers to abide by tightened traffic control plans;
• stop providing free parking for all City government employees; and
• develop a common sense “mobility” plan, including inexpensive parking in satellite structures on the downtown's rim, and a bus system that is not just oriented mostly to Expo, but also serves the needs of residents who need to get around our City.
Best,
Victor, Diana, Sherrill, Jeff