SR-10-B (6)
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Santa Mon~ca, callforn~~ January 12, 1982
TO: Mayor and Clty Counell
FROM: Citlzens Task Force on Development In Cornmerclal
and Industrlal Zones.
SUBJECT: Request for Informatlon Regardlng Feaslblllty
of a Tram System.
Introductlon
At lts December 10, 1981 ~eetlng, the Cltlzens Task Force
on Development In the Conmerclal and Industrlal Zones
declded to request the Clty Cauncll ta address the need
for addltlonal lnformatlon on the development of a tram
system or other alternatlve transportatlon system. The
Task Force lS contlnulng lts dlScusslon of the Central
~uslness Distrlct wlth the lntentlon of makln9 lts flnal
recon~endatlons on thlS area to the Clty Councll In
February. However, It has become a?parent that the
develo?ment of a tram or other system wlll be a key element
In the flnal reco~mendatlons the Task Force forwards to
the Clty Counell. ~he ?ask Force requests that the Clty
Councll begln now to address the need for informatlon on
thlS subJect.
Background
Over the last two years several study groups, lncludlng
the Local Coastal Plan Technlcal Advlsory CO~lttee and
the Baln Street Plannlng Group, have reco~mended that a
tram system be implemented to lmprove clrculatlon In the
coastal and downtown areas. ~hlle prellm~nary study of
a tram system has been undertaken by Clty staff In response
to these recommendatlons, further analysls lS needed to
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JAN 1 2 1982\
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Mayor and Clty Councll
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January 12, 1982
determlne the feas1b1l1ty of a system that operates wlthln
the Central BUSlness D1strlct and that Ilnks the downtown
area wlth other nearby Vls1tor servlng areas and other
dlstrlcts of the Clty. In addltlon, the cost assoclated
wlth such a serVlce must be established. A study of
varlOUS alternatlve trans1t modes 1n the Central BUSlness
Dlstrlct was completed 1n 1977 by a group of consultants
led by Barton-Aschman and Assoclates, but thlS study
envlsloned a much smaller scale of development In the
downtown area than the Task Force 1S dlscuss1ng and
must therefore be reevaluated.
Due to the llIDlted tlmeframe wlthln whlch the Task Force
must complete lts recommendatlons on the Downtown area
and the number of other lssues to be resolved, It lS
unable to address the feaslblllty of a tram system ~ore
completely. The Task Force therefore respectfully requests
that the Clty Counell make some provlslon for the pursult
of further lnformation on thlS subJect.
Although ltS recommendatlons wlll be flnal1zed In about
SlX weeks, the Task Force antlc1pates that many of lts
recommendatlons wlll be based on the ldea that a tram or
slffillar alternatlve transportatlon system wlll be operatlng
In the downtown dlstrlct and between the downtown and other
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Mayor and Clty Councll
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January 12, 1982
lmportant areas of the Clty. The Task Force feels that
any lnformatlon on tram or slmllar systems wlll be most
beneflClal and wlll helD to shorten the time between
the Task Force recommendatlons and the Clty'S lmplementatlon
of the varlOUS suggested programs.
Recornmendatlons
The Task Force on Development In Comrnerclal and Industrlal
Zones respectfully recommends that lnformatlon be gathered
on the feaslblllty of a tra~ system or other alternatlve
transportatlon system to serve the downtown and other dlstrlcts
of the Santa rloDlca elther by a speclal Task Force deallng
speclflcally wlth thlS tOplC, by analysis by eXlstlng Clty
staff, or by consultlng wlth other professlonals knowledgeable
ln the fleld.
Prepared by: Patrlcla Rellly
Chrlstopher Rudd