SR 05-09-2017 4A
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : May 9, 2017
Agenda Item: 4.A
1 of 36
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director , Transportation Planning
Subject: Council review and comment on Vision Zero, Bike Action Plan and Pedestrian
Action Plan implementation.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council r eview and comment on Vision Zero, Bike
Action Plan and Pedestrian Action Plan implementation to provide policy direction on
priorities for achieving the Council’s Strategic Goal of creating a new model of mobility
in Santa Monica.
Executive Summary
Santa Monica staff, residents and stakeholders have been actively pursuing the
Council’s strategic goal of Establishing a New Model for Mobility . The goal is supported
and enriched by connections with the Sustainable City Plan, Wellbeing Project and
Land Use an d Circulation Element. Efforts like GoSaMo have encouraged Santa
Monica residents and visitors to try a variety of mobility options. Strategic planning
through the Pedestrian Action Plan and Bike Action Plan organize a multi -faceted
approach that has resul ted in many more people walking and biking in our community.
The Bike Action Plan marked its 5 -year anniversary this year with substantial progress
in striping of the 5 -year bike network, and opening of multi -year work efforts like the
Esplanade, the Cali fornia Incline and Breeze Bike Share. The Pedestrian Action Plan
completed its first year with COAST Open Streets and Downtown Pedestrian “scramble”
all -way crossings as primary accomplishments.
The 2016 Resident Travel Survey showed that residents were walking and biking for
22.6% of daily trips before Expo Light Rail opened. With Expo Light Rail operating,
pedestrian demand citywide has noticeably increased with new destinations, pathways
and people walking. This increase from new mobility options and e ncouragement
underscores the need to actively re -engineer our street environment and to inform the
public to achieve our Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
The result is a complete mobility network that rebalances decade s of auto -centric
planning to create public spaces that are more diverse, as well as community -oriented
and environmentally friendly.
2 of 36
So far in 2017, Santa Monica has seen an unusual spike in fatal and severe pedestrian -
involved collisions. Similar dist urbing trends are being reported in Los Angeles and in
other cities nationwide. S taff from the Mobility Division and the Santa Monica Police
Department (SMPD) undertook a review of trend data related to traffic collisions within
City boundaries. Between 20 06 and 2016, Santa Monica traffic collisions resulted in an
average of 26 fatalities and severe injuries among all roadway users. Vehicle collisions
are 82% of all reported incidents, but 70% of all reported fatalities are pedestrians and
bicyclists. Incid ents are happening throughout Santa Monica, primarily on major
thoroughfares with the highest volume of traffic. Major collision factors are unsafe
speeds and right -of -way violations, and SMPD citations are written in a similar
proportion to violations . In addition to enforcement, City staff actively engages the
community to encourage safe behaviors on the road in meetings, videos and print
media .
Current policy makers inherited a landscape designed for the automobile during fifty
years of national, state a nd local myopia in seeing streets strictly as conveyances for
auto and truck circulation. Santa Monica has been a pioneer in reviving the principle
that “streets are for people” whether they are walking, biking, taking transit or driving
their own vehicle s. We are, however, a long way from reversing the legacy of
engineering and investment decisions that advantaged auto mobility and relegated
pedestrian, bike, and transit mobility to second -class status at best.
Looking ahead, t he landscape of mobility is changing rapidly due to policy and
technology evolution . I n this time of transition, Santa Monica can continue to be a leader
in new ways of designing, mana ging and regulating our streets to serve all people ,
guided by co mmunity values of sustainabilit y, diversity, and wellbeing . It is important to
recognize , however, the scale of this challenge – and the opportunity it represents for
Santa Monica to be a model for enhancing transportation choices, innovation and
safety.
Background
At the February 14, 2017, City Council Meeting, Council instructed staff to prepare a
report documenting the progress of several initiatives, including the Pedestrian Action
Plan, Bicycle Action Plan, and Vision Zero. The report took on greater urgency when the
City exper ienced a cluster of vehicle/pedestrian collisions that resulted in severe injuries
and, for some of the victims, death. Santa Monica is generally, and rightfully,
considered a very safe city, and the incidents caused consternation and dismay among
residen ts, City staff, and the City Council. To address those concerns in the context of
the initiatives referenced above, the City Manager encouraged staff from the Mobility
3 of 36
Division and the SMPD to look deeper into data collected by the California Highway
Patro l (CHP) and the SMPD related to traffic collisions within our borders.
The Data
SMPD’s Traffic Enforcement Unit, a subsection of the Strategic Services Division,
completed a survey of data related to traffic collisions that occurred on City roadways
fro m January 2013 to April 2017. The Traffic Enforcement Unit examined all traffic
related incidents involving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and motorcycles, and the
primary collision factors associated with each collision. SMPD utilizes these statistics t o
determine the most efficient deployment of police education and enforcement
resources, with the ultimate goal of reducing traffic collisions and achieving Vision Zero.
T he Mobility Division culled information from the CHP database, and combined that wi th
statistics from the SMPD, to create several charts and graphs studying trends in City
traffic collisions. The current and potential uses for this data include (1) increasing
safety and safety -awareness for drivers, riders, and pedestrians; (2) identify ing, if
possible, any patterns or behaviors that might be made safer; (3) testing the most
appropriate metrics to quantify safety on City roadways; and (4) using the data to inform
concerned citizens that Santa Monica continues to be a safe place to ride, walk, and
drive.
The Goals and Plans
Council’s adoption of Establishing a New Model for Mobility as a strategic goal is
consistent with the City’s proactive and on -going work on mobility policy, programs and
implementation. The Mobility Strategic Goal enc ourages people to use diverse and
growing mobility options. Vision Zero is one of the three preliminary targets for the
Mobility Strategic Goal, along with increasing the use of walking, biking, transit and
shared rides, and the creation of a complete mobi lity network that supports the whole
trip and multiple user needs. Financial resources were allocated in FY15 -16 to jump -
start projects such as the Downtown Crosswalk Scrambles and outreach for Expo Light
Rail/GoSaMo. Strategic Goal outcomes are being inte grated into the emerging citywide
performance management framework.
4 of 36
Santa Monica’s Pedestrian Action Plan, adopted in February, 2016, is a citywide policy
document that provides a focused evaluation of walking in Santa Monica, and outlines
specific actio ns that improve the conditions and comfort for people walking. It builds
upon the vision of the 2010 Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) as well as the
Sustainable City Plan. The Pedestrian Action Plan was generated from community
input, detailed data analysis, and interdepartmental collaboration among the Police,
Community and Cultural Services, Public Works and Planning and Community
Development Departments. It is based on detailed analysis of many factors, including
where pedestrian demand is highes t, where pedestrian facilities could be improved, and
where pedestrian collisions occurred over an 11 -year period. It forecasted changes in
pedestrian demand due to Expo Light Rail. The Pedestrian Action Plan includes a target
for reducing and ultimately e liminating fatal and severe roadway collisions,
internationally known as “Vision Zero,” a priority expressed by Council in March 2015.
The Bike Action Plan was adopted in November 2011, to guide City efforts to get people
onto bikes, to promote safe bicy cling, to encourage effective collaboration with
community partners, and to help the City compete successfully for grant funding. The
Bike Action Plan called for an increase in bicycling from 3% of trips to 14 -35% by 2030.
The Plan outlined five - and twent y -year goals for implementation of programs
(education, awareness, events, and enforcement), creating support facilities (bike
parking, bike centers), and construction/improvement of bikeways. With aggressive
mode share targets, the Plan sought to make bic ycling fun for everyone, as well as
convenient and comfortable through a range of physical facilities and activities. The
Bike Action Plan was the first implementation effort of the LUCE focused on creating
complete streets that welcome pedestrians, bicycl ists, transit riders and drivers.
Discussion
Each year since 2013 staff has prepared a Bike Action Plan implementation report for
the Planning Commission. This year a joint report on the Pedestrian and Bike Action
Plans was prepared and presented with an overall mobility update at the March 1, 2017
5 of 36
meeting (see Attachment A). With the opening of Expo Light Rail, the Colorado
Esplanade and California Incline, service changes from Big Blue Bus and growth of
Breeze Bike Share , there was a lot to report. P ursuit of the Council’s Strategic Goal for
a new model of mobility along with continued implementation of plans and projects
brought a new enthusiasm for mobility and particularly bicycling and walking citywide.
Important as this Strategic Goal is to the Council and the community, it is one of many
competing for capital investment, staff time and public engagement. There are vocal
advocates for each mode of transportation (including, especially , the automobile).
Remaking the street network to equalize a ccess and promote shared usage and safety
requires not only substantial financial commitment, but equally substantial commitment
to ongoing management, public engagement and education -- as well as the political will
to take the long view of change in the face of vigorous defense of the status quo when it
comes to street design, parking policy and traffic enforcement.
So far in 2017, Santa Monica has seen an unusual spike in pedestrian -involved
collisions. Some have resulted in severe injury and fatality. When a person is killed or
severely injured it affects families and friends, neighbors, employers and many others.
That is one reason why the Council adopted a target to reduce and ultimately eliminate
roadway fatalities and severe injuries. Santa Monica j oined in this relatively new
movement of Vision Zero cities with adoption of the Pedestrian Action Plan that defines
a ten -year target. Walking is a part of the Santa Monica culture, along with being part of
a compassionate community that wants to be infor med and responsible, and to enjoy
roadways that provide attractive and comfortable environments for everyone. This
report shares some baseline data and shares best practices for Vision Zero from other
cities. Vision Zero was adopted in the Pedestrian Actio n Plan, but Vision Zero is a
movement to protect everyone on the road regardless of what mode they are taking
today.
The numbers of pedestrian -involved collisions n ationwide has grown to 15%, up from
11% in 2006. In California, pedestrians continue to mak e up 25% of all roadway deaths,
even though numbers fell slightly in 2016. While the City of Los Angeles does not have
6 of 36
citywide data for pedestrian -involved collisions this year, the Los Angeles Times
recently published findings that collisions are up 43% from 2015 to 2016 in the City of
Los Angeles, with similar trend data for 2 017 thus far. The recent spate of both fatal and
injury incidents involving cars and pedestrians appears to be part of a larger pattern of
vehicle/pedestrian collisions observed nat ionwide.
Data Analysis
Traffic incident reports are taken by the Police Department for any crash with reported
injury (including complaint of pain). The California Highway Patrol consolidates reports
from all statewide agencies into a publicly -available database called the Statewide
Integrated Traffic Reporting System (SWITRS). Historic collision data from these reports
can begin to tell a story about the patterns and possible causes of collisions. A long
view of many years can reveal patterns that may no t appear when the sample sizes are
smaller and over shorter timeframes. Three levels of data were reviewed for this staff
report to begin to understand trends, and as a baseline for future detailed investigation
as the Vision Zero program develops.
Police Department records of all reported collision and citations from January 1,
2013 to April 26, 2017
SWITRS records of all reported collisions from January 1, 2006 to December 31,
2016
Pedestrian Action Plan analysis of SWITRS and Police Department reported
collisions 2001 -2011
Crash Frequency
Overall, the City of Santa Monica has seen a slight decrease in crash frequency since
2013, the first year that California law changed its reporting system and removed a
mandate that required agencies to take reports at the scene of all incidents. Since the
law was passed, agencies like SMPD are only required to take a report if there was an
injury involved (including complaint of pain). For consistency in reporting, 2013 was
chosen as the date to begin the data analy sis. Just over 1,500 traffic incidents were
reported in Santa Monica in 2013. It dropped to approximately 1,400 in 2014 and has
remained stable through 2015 and 2016.
7 of 36
The SWITRS database records severity of injury for all parties. From 2006 to 2016,
SWITRS data show 285 total fatal and severe injuries in Santa Monica, or an average of
26 per year. Year over year, the fewest fatalities and severe injuries were reported in
2010 with 20, and the highest was 37 in 2011. At least one fatality occurs each y ear,
with a peak reported of six fatalities in three of the study years.
8 of 36
V ehicles are the only parties in 82% of traffic incidents. Incidents involving people
walking and biking are 8% and 10% respectively. Of the severe injuries reported in
SWITRS, people walking and driving each represent approximately 40%, with people
bicycling making up most of the remaining 20% of severe injuries. Of reported fatalities,
people walking are 62%, while people in vehicles are 28% and bicyclists are 8%.
People drivin g motorcycles are 1% of severe injuries, and 3% of fatalities.
People walking and biking make up 60% of severe injuries and 70% of fatalities. This
means they are many times more likely to killed or severely injured if involved in a
collision, which is w hy they are sometimes referred to as having higher vulnerability or
exposure on the roadway.
Time and Day
The time of day is an important factor in the incidence of collisions, because it relates to
daylight levels, traffic patterns, traffic volumes and other patterns of behavior. The
highest number of all collisions occurred between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. which is also
a period of high activity. Residents take trips in almost equal amounts in the morning
(8:00 a.m.) and evening (6:00 p.m.), according to the 2016 Resident Travel Survey, but
severe injury crashes are more frequent in the evening. Fatal incidents have a less clear
9 of 36
trend, but maintain a consistent level after 7:00 p.m. when other severe injury crashes
are falling.
While there were no large differences between days of the week, Monday and
Wednesday experience the highest number of traffic fatalities and severe injuries, and
Friday has the lowest. No noticeable increase is seen weekends which tend to be busier
in the Downtown and Beach a reas.
Involved Parties
The distribution of all fatal and severe injury crashes roughly follows the population
distribution, except for young adults. People ages 15 -24 make up approximately 9% of
the population, but almost 16% of overall fatalities and se vere injuries. However the
10 of 36
distribution shifts for walking incidents, in which older age groups are over -represented
among those killed or severely injured. People aged 55 -64 make up 12.6% of the
population, but 23% of walking incidents, and people aged 7 5 -84 are 4.7% of the
population and 11% of people killed or severely injured walking.
Geographical Analysis, 2013 -2017 (YTD)
Incidents are happening throughout Santa Monica, but trends mirror the findings of the
Pedestrian Action Plan. As the followi ng incident maps illustrate, major intersections
and thoroughfares that have the highest volume of traffic also have the highest rates of
collisions. The sheer number of pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles traveling on
Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica Bou levard, Pico Boulevard, Ocean Avenue, and
other main streets creates additional exposure. When two main streets intersect, such
as the case at Ocean Park Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard, and in higher activity
areas like downtown, the maps show the expecte d “hot spots.“
11 of 36
Vehicle and Vehicle Collisions, Jan 2013 - Apri l 2017
Vehicle and Bicycle Collisions, Jan 2013 - April 2017
12 of 36
As it pertains to traffic education and enforcement, the Santa Monica Police Department
ha s maintained a balanced position on allocating resources to these identified areas,
focusing in areas with higher concentrations of collisio ns.
Primary Collision Factors
Crash incident reports provide twenty -two options for categorizing the primary cause of
the collision, Primary Collision Factors (PCF), selected by the officer taking the report.
Options range from unsafe speed to right of way violations and falling asleep. The
Santa Monica Police Department has been evaluating data in order to determine
appropriate areas in which to dedicate resources. The purpose of such analytics is to
ensure the Police Department is distributing efforts in the best possible manner.
Overall, the Police Department citation issuance is on par with the appropriate primary
collision factors in the impacted areas throughout the City of Santa Monica.
Vehicle and Pedestrian Collisions, Jan 2013 - April 2017
13 of 36
As can be seen from year to year, the primary collision fa ctors have rotated from Unsafe
Speed/Inattentiveness to Unsafe Turning Movements. Those two primary collision
factors account for a majority of all citations issued from year to year by the Police
Department. Right of Way violations such as drivers/bicyc lists failing to yield for
pedestrians will continue to be an area of focus but the data set presents itself as a
tertiary collision factor.
Below is a snapshot of all traffic collisions and citations issued citywide from year to
year:
14 of 36
15 of 36
In the 2006 -2 016 SWITRS data, the top primary causes reported for all collisions
resulting in fatal and severe injuries were:
Violation of Pedestrian right of way (16%)
Unsafe Speed (12%)
Pedestrian Violation (12%)
Violation of Automobile right of way (12%)
Driving Und er the Influence (10%)
High vehicle speeds are especially concerning as they limit driver reaction time which
limits the ability to avoid unexpected conditions or behaviors which do happen. Speed
also increases the severity of injury when crashes do occur , especially for people
outside of vehicles. In those cases, the chances of fatality from a crash at 30 miles per
hour is 45% but at 20 miles per hour it drops to 5%.
SWITRS records also indicate fault
for each collision. For collisions
involving a pede strian, pedestrians
were assigned fault in 22% of
incidents and bicyclists were
assigned fault in 42% of collisions
involving a bicyclist.
The Pedestrian Action Plan included a comprehensive analysis of ten years of crash
data from 2001 -2010. Consiste nt with findings from the Pedestrian Action Plan, recent
crashes are occurring on the busiest streets, which have the most people as well as the
highest speeds, and seniors continue to be disproportionately involved in the collisions .
Santa Monica averaged 100 reported pedestrian -involved collisions a year during the
evaluation period. Over the ten years of data, most pedestrians were walking legally in
the right -of -way when they were hit by a vehicle. Other findings from this data analysis
include:
16 of 36
Senio rs and young children are more susceptible to fatal and severe injury
collisions both because of the higher likelihood they will be walking rather than
driving, and because they are physically vulnerable.
Two -thirds of the pedestrians involved in collis ion were in a crosswalk. Typically,
when a pedestrian is at fault in a collision it is the result of crossing outside a
crosswalk.
50% of motorists who hit a pedestrian are proceeding straight, followed by
making a left turn (22%) or a right turn (20%). The percent of people driving
straight immediately before hitting a pedestrian increases to 64% at unsignalized
intersections.
50% of reported crashes occur at signalized intersections.
80% of crashes occur on weekdays, and 35% occur between 3 -7pm regardless
of day.
Vision Zero
Vision Zero is rooted in the belief that protection of life, health and safety is a civic
priority shared by all roadway users. Santa Monica recently joined an international
Vision Zero community by prioritizing its implemen tation as the primary goal in the
Pedestrian Action Plan adopted in 2016, seeking to eliminate preventable deaths and
severe injuries that result from traffic collisions within the next ten years. Key elements
of Vision Zero initiatives include:
Projec t design: define and construct projects to improve the safety for people
using the street.
Operations: implement operational changes to reduce vehicle speeds that
threaten pedestrian and bike safety.
Programs: support programs that educate people walk ing, biking and driving.
Behavior and Enforcement: encourage safe behaviors for all road users and
enforce distracted driving violations, speeding, etc.
Walkability: promote walkable environments for people and activities.
Santa Monica shares these Vision Zero target elements with dozens of other cities,
including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, Portland and smaller cities
like San Mateo and Santa Barbara. Many of these large and small cities have written
and adopted a comprehensive V ision Zero strategy.
Traffic safety is a value and priority of all Santa Monicans. Multiple City departments
throughout the year strive to make the roads safe, encourage people to be alert, and
educate the public about the rules of the road. Independentl y many departments work to
17 of 36
achieve roadway safety by implementing departmental work plans. For instance, Public
Works implements extensive annual street and sidewalk maintenance, repair and
repaving, and maintains street lights. Planning and Community Deve lopment’s Mobility
Division works to realize the programmatic and infrastructure goals of the Bike Action
Plan and Pedestrian Action Plan, which are discussed in detail later in this report. PCD
also maintains traffic signals, pedestrian signals, and roadw ay signs.
The Santa Monica Police Department’s Traffic Division has engaged in a variety of
traffic education and enforcement operations. Efforts range from driving under the
influence (DUI) checkpoints and saturation patrols, traffic enforcement operat ions,
motorcycle safety operations, distracted driving, bicycle/pedestrian safety operations,
public service announcements, social media, community meetings and
interdepartmental collaboration. Officers conduct traffic safety presentations at WISE,
local s chools, and community events to provide traffic safety tips. The City also
broadcasts via traditional and social media outlets a variety of public safety
announcements on pedestrian safety, distracted driving, and other related topics. Traffic
safety aware ness messages are routinely posted on the Police Department’s and City
of Santa Monica’s Facebook and Twitter pages. See Attachment B for details on Police
Department enforcement, education and outreach and links to recent safety videos.
Coordination of th e existing efforts done by many City departments and divisions into a
unifying framework with Vision Zero as a performance target would leverage these
investments toward greater community health and wellbeing.
Achieving Vision Zero
The Vision Zero Netwo rk is an inter -agency collaboration that shares best practices and
information in this new field. Cities post their completed vision zero action plans, as well
as practices for expanding the reach of safety efforts. Since the Vision Zero target was
just re cently adopted in the City of Santa Monica, we can learn from other agencies and
begin to implement Vision Zero modeled on the best practices from other lead cities.
18 of 36
Recommend actions to achieve Vision Zero include:
Build and sustain leadership . In New Y ork and Los Angeles, elected Mayors
released vision zero calls to action: Mayor Bill DiBlasio , Mayor Eric Ga rcetti . This
includes consensus and commitment among local leadership. Sustain leadership
with long -term goals and a strong sense of urgency to implement forward -facing
communications as well as long -term investments and changes in practice.
Some Vision Z ero efforts may not yield results immediately so consistency is
crucial.
Create a Task Force for interagency collaboration . New York, San Francisco and
Los Angeles have all created task forces with roles for transportation, public
safety, public health, public works, elected and appointed leaders, community
partners, and outreach specialists. A Vision Zero coordinator is appointed to run
the task force as a cat alytic hub of coordination to insert Vision Zero into on -
going departmental work, and to establish accountability for performance. Los
Angeles incentivized interdepartmental collaboration through the budgeting
process.
Develop and adopt a Vision Zero Actio n Plan. The plan should address specific,
measureable and realistic actions. The plan will need to address street design
practices, enforcement, education, evaluation, and equity. Some examples of
action plans that can serve as starting points include: Los Angeles , San
Francisco , Seattle .
Change design practices and invest in roadway redesign for greater protection.
Los Angeles defined a “high -injury street network” of roadways prioritized for
design changes and speed management to reduce the s everity of injuries when
crashes occur. Elected officials and other leaders need to courage ously lead
efforts for street design and operations that prioritize safety and manage speeds ,
even when resistance arises due to non -safety concerns such as parking and
large vehicle access. Los Angeles is currently pursuing investing all of the
Measure M Local Return funds into Vision Zero projects.
Create an interagency communication and education campaign for Vision Zero.
Most programs develop an outreach and educa tion strategy at the front end
using tools from behavior change theory. New York evaluated primary crash
factors and created targeted marketing materials and communications to reverse
those behaviors using high impact imagery and messages. Messages humaniz e
the loss of life. Communications keep the issue at top of mind. In Seattle the
safety resources combine print, and media ads for unified strategy.
Collect, Analyze and Use Data to inform action, and share it. Use a data -driven
process for initial strategies as well as evaluation and adjustment. Boston and
New York post online GIS maps with collision information, and Los Angeles has
interactive maps of severe and fatal injuries collision data, including victim
information. Austin is crowdsourcing public perceptions of safety. Most
coordinators pre pare annual or biennial report cards.
19 of 36
The City Council’s commitment to Vision Zero is an important starting point for action,
including communicating the need for responsible action among everyone on the road.
As a compassionate community, it is imperativ e that we all look out for one another at
all times. While it is impossible to predict what the remainder of the year will bring,
taking responsibility on the road by being attentive and careful is the first and most
important step.
Pedestrian Action Plan
Adopted in February 2016, the Pedestrian Action Plan just went through its first year of
implementation. It was a fortuitous year, synchronized with opening of the Expo Light
Rail and GoSaMo outreach, that encouraged and celebrated walking in Santa Monica .
Whether you are one -year or one -hundred years old, walking is an activity done by
everyone -- on two feet, with a walker, or in a wheelchair. From walking the dog,
strolling on the beach or running to the corner store, walking provides the foundation of
both the transportation system and much of the fabric of life in Santa Monica. Despite
the fact that walking is a part of all trips, whether as the primary mode of travel or a way
to get from a bus or car to the final destination, walking is often taken f or granted. A
complete, high -quality pedestrian network is therefore necessary to make all aspects of
the transportation system work well.
Hundreds of people participated in creation of the Pedestrian Action Plan and their input
shaped its four essential themes:
Walking is part of the Santa Monica lifestyle and enhances wellbeing.
More pedestrians of all ages and abilities, and fewer collisions.
Improve walking and reduce obstacles like freeway and boulevard crossings.
Walking is a shared prior ity, and safety is shared responsibility.
The Pedestrian Action Plan also included an analysis of anticipated pedestrian demand
(based on land use, transit facilities and socio -economics), pedestrian supply (such as
sidewalk widths and marked crosswalks ), and a decade of pedestrian -involved collision
reports to develop a robust and fact -based plan of action.
The Pedestrian Action Plan’s action strategy is organized into 9 Practices, 13 Programs,
and 84 Projects. Practices include how City departments approach their daily activities
20 of 36
relative to pedestrians. Programs engage people to reduce the social and perceptual
barriers to walking, and encourage more people to walk safely. Projects improve the
infrastructure for walking, and the P roject list is bro ken down into 5 -, 10 - and 15 -year
segments. To measure performance, the Plan recommends a biennial report card
beginning in 2018 that measures progress toward Vision Zero, mode share of walk trips
(as total trips, commute trips, and school trips), and prog ress on capital project
construction. Progress on the first year of Pedestrian Action Plan implementation is
described below in the three major action categories (see Attachment A for more
details).
Practices
Changes to City practice s address daily work habits, policies and priorities to increase
the efficiency of implementing Pedestrian Action Plan recommendations. Although they
can seem obscure or small, changes to practice can be powerful because they leverage
existing efforts to achieve new goals. Ho wever, changes to practice need to be
catalyzed and guided, which requires staff effort and focus. Once institutionalized, the
benefits can be on -going and require much less investment. Three practice changes
were started in the first year:
Reduced Ve hicle Speed in School Zones: Council adopted 15 mile per hour
(mph) speed limits on neighborhood streets adjacent to the community’s public
K -12 schools, taking advantage of changes in state law. Sign installation is
anticipated this summer .
Use of a Pr oject Charter: City Departments have agreed to use a project charter
memo to document project goals and milestones, with the intent that key
pedestrian designs, amenities or community preferences are not lost in
engineering.
Lead Pedestrian Intervals (L PIs) provide a head start for pedestrians crossing at
signalized intersections. These few additional seconds increase pedestrian
visibility to motorists. LPIs were created on Olympic Drive at Ocean Avenue and
Main Street, and for crossings of Lincoln Boule vard at Marine Street, Ashland
Avenue and Pearl Street . More locations are being identified .
Efforts to coordinate the many positive activities and efforts already underway, and to
institutionalize slight changes in practices that aid pedestrians, can ge nerate significant
advancements in Plan implementation. Additional benefit will come from practices that
21 of 36
reduc e vehicle speeds , and facilitate roadway design, signal and street operations that
put people first . Other cities have developed Street Design and Operations Guides with
performance goals that catalyze more complete street solutions. Prioritizing pedestrians
in work plans and in the project and program development process, supported by a
pedestrian coordinator is recommended by the Pedestrian Action Plan.
Programs
Programs provide encouragement, outreach, education and a human touch to support
walking in Santa Monica. COAST Open Streets, held in June, 2016, was the biggest
and most encompassing pedestrian program in the Pedestrian Action Plan’s fir st year.
Two miles of streets were closed to cars, while approximately 50,000 enthusiastic
participants experienced Santa Monica on wheels and on foot. Local businesses,
organizations, community groups, and City departments produced interactive, engaging
a ctivity hubs along the route that included the Main Street Farmers market. Main Street
was often filled with people strolling and stopping to take in the performances, socialize,
shop or just enjoy the street space. Metro partially funded this first event, and a second
grant will be used to partially fund a 2018 Open Streets event. Planning is underway for
Santa Monica’s second COAST Open Streets Festival to be held on October 1, 2017.
The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program connected with students an d parents
through Bike -It! Walk -It! Bus -It! days, which this school year included a walking school
COAST Open Streets was a celebration of mobility, culture and sustainability and celebrated the
joy of walking in Santa Monica.
22 of 36
bus organized by parents at McKinley Elementary. Walking to school continues to be a
popular option, although much work has yet to be done to increase the pe rcentage of
kids walking to school and create less stressful conditions during drop -off. SRTS
education is happening through CREST afterschool programs and during events like the
Fall Festival, COAST and National Night Out.
Other programs recomm ended in the Pedestrian Action Plan underway this year
included:
Walking Tours - GoSaMo piloted walking tours such as a history tour with Tom
Explores Los Angeles and a food tour with Hedley & Bennett. Santa Monica
Conservancy continued its weekly walki ng tours of Downtown history.
Safety Campaigns - The Police Department created a Move Safe campaign of
public service announcements , videos , and print media. The Move Safe
messaging was included on the back of the thousands of City -issued parking
hang t ags.
Street Activation through Art and Special Amenities - Lincoln Boulevard traffic
signal boxes were treated with creative designs. Creative crosswalks were
piloted at two Downtown intersections. Artwork is being planned for the Colorado
Esplanade tha t will be tied to an experience along the Promenade that
encourages people to walk all the way up to Wilshire Boulevard.
The Pedestrian Action Plan recommends a number of additional programs, including
group walking events, a series of mapped walking rout es, walking challenges, and
communications that encourage walking as an alternative to other modes. It identifies
Safe Routes to School celebrated Bike It! Walk It! Bus It! da ys including a walking school bus at
McKinley Elementary.
23 of 36
opportunities to focus on segments of the community with unique needs such as
initiating a walking group for seniors or in certain neighborhoo ds, recurring walking
events such as “Walk with a Doc,” or monthly themed walks in association with the
Wellbeing Office, Safe Routes to School or Buy Local.
The Pedestrian Action Plan recommends creating a Safe Routes for Seniors program to
provide activ e opportunities for seniors to foster healthy aging and longer years of
independent living. Staff convened a group of community stakeholders and senior
service providers to brainstorm possible program components. Using these ideas, staff
prepared grant req uests to the State Active Transportation Program (ATP) and Regional
Sustainability Planning Grants programs. The applications scored well, but did not
receive grant funding.
Projects
The 5 -year project list in the Pedestrian Action Plan consists of seve nteen projects that
were anticipated or budgeted in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) from
Metro Call for Projects or State Active Transportation Program grants. A two -year
Pedestrian Action Plan allocation was made in the FY16 -18 CIP that will be used for
2017 COAST Open Streets Event. Work underway from the 5 -year project list includes:
Pedestrian -oriented lighting on Michigan Avenue between 9th and 17th Streets
and along portions of Stewart Street at Kansas Avenue. Pedestrian -scale lighting
su pports people to walk comfortably at night, especially in areas with dense tree
cover. Michigan lighting will be complete this summer, and Stewart Street in early
2018.
Three parklets on Main Street are opening in June as places for people to take a
break, enjoy local activity and create a social space that increases pedestrian
comfort.
Safe Routes to School enhancements for Edison Language Academy will provide
curb extensions, new crosswalks and/or raised crosswalks, consistent with the
Michigan Avenue N eighborhood Greenway plan.
Lincoln Boulevard bus lane and pedestrian improvements with a first phase that
will include new crossings, and curb extensions.
Pedestrian wayfinding signs around each Expo Light Rail station that give
24 of 36
direction, walking time, a nd biking time to major public locations.
The California Incline and Pedestrian Bridge, and the Colorado Esplanade were
completed in 2016 with major new pedestrian facilities. The Esplanade’s signature
sidewalks are used by thousands of people daily as the y crisscross the Downtown,
Civic Center, Expo Station and Pier. While these multi -year projects were hitting
construction completion, pedestrian “scramble” phases were added to 12 intersections
in Downtown as a jump -start project of the Mobility Strategic Goal. The scrambles
increase pedestrian visibility and awareness in the City’s highest pedestrian -volume
intersections, and eliminate potential conflicts between pedestrians and left -turning
vehicles. Additionally, intersections at Arizona Avenue/Second St reet and Ocean
Avenue/Broadway were painted with creative unique designs that celebrated unique site
features. These creative crosswalks were a pilot place -making program that is currently
being evaluated.
The GoSaMo outreach efforts in the last year h elped to leverage investments in
physical projects by encouraging more people to use them. The campaign was
launched with the light rail but encourages walking along with other modes. GoSaMo
created a unified identity for mobility that assisted with outrea ch and making
connections with people. GoSaMo created tools to engage with people about walking,
and helped facilitate conversations about a mode of travel that is arguably the most
popular of all among Santa Monicans.
Twelve pedestrian “scramble” or all -way crossing phases and two creative crosswalks were
installed Downtown this year.
25 of 36
Planning and design is starting on a few projects right now, including sidewalks on
Olympic Boulevard from 26th to Stewart Street, lighting and upgrades to Fourth Street
south of Colorado Avenue, and pedestrian lighting and curb extensions on 17th Street
from Pico to Wilshire. Progress t o encourage walking could be catalyzed through other
projects identified in adopted plans including Safe Routes to School access
improvements at active schools like McKinley Elementary, Neighborhood Greenway
Projects in the Bike Action Plan like Washington Avenue, and improvements to
Nebraska Avenue in the Bergamot Area Plan area. Additional investment in GoSaMo
would facilitate targeting unique user groups and needs.
Bike Action Plan
2016 marked the fifth anniversary of the Bike Action Plan. Since its ad option in 2011,
cycling has grown in Santa Monica, evidenced by the significant numbers of people on
the street and the growing range of riders. On any day in Santa Monica, one can see an
incredible diversity of riders including women, men with children on board, young riders,
and experienced senior riders. From 2011 to 2015, bike counts citywide grew 50%
overall in the biennial transportation counts. Although the counts dropped in 2015,
counts coming this fall 2017 are anticipated to increase due to Breeze Bike Share. The
2016 Resident Travel survey showed that 6 % percent of all trips made by residents are
on a bicycle.
The Bike Action Plan outlines a pragmatic, balanced, and ambitious strategy to achieve
a 14 -35% bicycle mode share through programs, bike ways and supporting facilities in 5 -
GoSaMo created a logo and outreach tools to engage with people about walki ng.
26 of 36
year and 20 -year work plans. Progress on Bike Plan implementation is described below
in these two categories, and includes an update on Breeze Bike Share, excerpts from
the Bike Action Plan performance measures and a loo k ahead to the next five years.
See Attachment A for additional details.
Programs
Breeze Bike Share got people going and changed the cycling culture in Santa Monica.
Bike Share Stations located throughout Santa Monica make Breeze virtually a door -to -
doo r service. The point -to -point model makes cycling as convenient and flexible as
walking or taking a car service, and is actually more convenient than driving because
you can park right in front of your destination. In addition to convenience, the striking
green color of the bikes serves as a strong visual reminder of Santa Monica’s
commitment to biking. Breeze bikes are always available as an option, even as a
spontaneous choice since you can sign up and ride immediately. The bikes have been
well -used by re sidents who make up 16% of subscribers and ride 46% of trips.
The bikes have on -board GPS that collects valuable data about each trip. In 2016, the
Breeze system had:
309,000 bike trips
664,500 miles ridden
43,000 active subscribers
The system exc eeded expectations for its first full year. Ridership for 2017 is following
similar seasonal trends with an overall higher daily use. Tracking frequently -ridden
routes and frequently -used stations is informing system adjustments. Routing can also
be used t o plan and prioritize new bikeways, or improvements to existing bikeways,
such as additional buffers and intersection accommodations.
In 2016, Breeze Bike Share gave away 476 helmets at eight events to promote safety
and to increase membership. In Novemb er, Breeze celebrated its one -year anniversary
with over 100 community members on a community ride and party. This year Breeze
continues its education and engagement efforts by: hosting quarterly community rides
where participants can try Breeze for the fi rst time, giving away over 500 helmets to new
27 of 36
users, promoting the Employee Benefits Program that gives discounts to employers
who bulk purchase Breeze memberships for their employees, and partnering with
Community Corps of Santa Monica (CCSM) and Santa Mo nica Spoke to teach smart
cycling classes at CCSM properties and help CCSM residents subscribe to Breeze for
greatly reduced rates. Breeze riders can already use their accounts to ride in systems in
West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Long Beach (and UCLA th is fall) as a pay -as -you -go
rider. Staff is working on a Memorandum of Understanding with these other agencies to
add additional features for customers that further integrate the systems.
Many Santa Monica residents continue to feel unsure on a bicycle. Making connections
with people about biking in Santa Monica is the cornerstone of the awareness and
encouragement program. This takes many forms - events, classes, friendly challenges,
and partnerships. The City’s Bike Coordinator works to implement an an nual program of
events that meet residents where they are going, and forge partnerships that extend the
reach of City’s efforts including:
May 2016 Bike Month - Council honored engaged residents with a proclamation
of Bike Month. A “GEAR UP for Bike Mont h” festival was hosted at McKinley
Elementary including bike rodeo, bike swap, family bike testing and bike
accessories. Over 400 people attended and 50 bike swaps were made to get
kids and parents the right fitting bike. Over 200 people stopped by the Cit y Hall
Bike to Work Day Pit Stop, and hundreds more participated. Santa Monica Spoke
promoted events throughout the month. All of these programs are being offered
again in 2017.
Safe Routes to School: Bicycling was a feature of most Safe Routes programs
th is year. Over 900 Samohi sophomores completed a one -hour cycling safety
class enabled by grant funds and administration support. Six bike safety skills
trainings also taught 150 youth through the CREST afterschool program.
Rides: Five Kidical Mass Rides we lcomed over 300 participants for fun family
ride together while also learning safe riding techniques, bike fit and helmet fit
(Valentine’s Day, Earth Day, July 4 th , Kidical Mass -IVE, Halloween). A m onthly
ride with the Mayor was kicked off in January.
Bike Rodeos: SM Spoke partners with the City on four rodeos where kids learned
riding and road skills. This fun activity is becoming a beloved component of
Santa Monica community events.
Bike Center: 2016 was also the 5 -year anniversary of Santa Monica’s Bike
Center Downtown that provides rental, repair and commuter services. The
Center rents roughly 33,000 bikes a year including 10% family bike rentals of
hard -to -find bikes. Sustainable Streets, an associated effort of the Bike Center,
also hosted dozens of A dult Learn to Ride, Ready to Ride, Confident City Cycling
28 of 36
and Bike Maintenance classes .
Bike Registration: Free bike registration was set up by SMPD in partnership with
www.bikeindex.org <http://www.bikeindex.org>. Victims of bicycle theft can
search for their property, police can identify stolen bicycles, and buyers can
check that goods are not stolen.
Staff has prioritized being present at the many events hosted in Santa Monica as one
tool to grow bicycling into part of the culture of life in Santa Moni ca. Providing interactive
engagement and refreshed materials at events has helped to connect with residents
and employees to encourage people to bike for more trips around town. Booths, rides,
displays and incentives were provided at events like the Buy Lo cal Health & Fitness
Festival, Sustainable Quality Awards, Fall Festival, Bike Expo, and many more.
In 2016, GoSaMo provided a boost of bike outreach by creating new tools to engage
with people about biking. The new postcards, buttons, and activations of GoSaMo
helped facilitate conversations about bicycling with people of all experience and bike -
confidence levels. The bike and walking buttons were the most popular throughout
GoSaMo outreach.
Bikeways
In 2016, the community celebrated the opening and o peration of some long -awaited
protected bikeways. These facilities were constructed along with major capital projects,
and complement the City’s signature off -street path, the Marvin Braude Beach Bike
Path. Although shorter in length, these protected facil ities help to make cycling more
comfortable and feasible for many people:
The Expo Bicycle/Pedestrian path which extends 1.4 miles in Santa Monica from
17 th Street eastward to Centinela Avenue and continues into the City of Los
Angeles.
The Colorado Espl anade protected bikeway from the Expo station to the Pier. It
is a short .25 miles but a significant connector and heavily ridden.
The California Incline protected bikeway from Ocean Avenue to the beach. This
.25 mile stretch enables a rider to go from th e city to the sand without ever
leaving the saddle.
At the time of Bike Action Plan adoption, Santa Monica had only six miles of off -street
29 of 36
bike path, 31 miles of striped bike lanes, and 38 miles of bike routes (no striping). There
were countless gaps i n the network and many locations where one could travel for
blocks without encountering a bikeway. The cycling landscape of Santa Monica is very
different today. Over 110 miles of bike lanes and paths exist today, having been created
through a new practice to coordinate restriping with the City’s annual roadway repaving
work. Several bike lanes have been upgraded with painted buffers and/or green paint.
Bike routes have been upgraded to include sharrow markings, which serve as visual
reminders to drivers an d cyclists alike that bikes belong in the street. In places where
insufficient space existed for bike lanes in both directions, climbing lanes were installed
to provide a lane in one direction and a sharrow in the other (with the sharrow downhill if
a grad e exists). The City is implementing its first Neighborhood Greenway in phases
along Michigan Avenue and adjoining streets, providing a low -stress facility for users of
all ages and abilities connecting the Pico Neighborhood to various destinations. The
res ulting network is dense and connects to every neighborhood, and was created with
minimal loss of parking spaces or vehicle travel lanes.
Whereas 2016 welcomed several large infrastructure projects, 2017 will have fewer
ribbon cuttings as staff works to br ing additional projects to fruition in 2018 and beyond:
Design work is underway on extension of the separated Beach Bike Path from its
current terminus at Arizona Avenue to the north City limit. This will reduce
conflicts along the Marvin Braude Coastal B ike Trail by separating cyclists and
pedestrians.
Outreach is beginning on pedestrian lighting, curb extensions and protected
bikeways on 17th Street from Wilshire to Pico Boulevard.
Design will begin for subsequent phases of the Michigan Avenue Neighborh ood
Greenway (MANGo) through multiple grants, including reuniting the
discontinuous segments of Michigan Avenue where it is bisected by the freeway
and the 20 th Street Bridge.
Which is not to say that 2017 will be without its share of projects. In spring , the grant -
funded Bicycle Technology Demonstration project will bring one hundred additional
bicycle racks, detection for bicycles at three signalized intersections, and bike boxes at
the intersections of 11 th Street/Broadway and Ocean Avenue/California A venue. The
racks will fulfill requests received from the community over the past two years. In fall a
Metro grant will enable 1,250 additional racks, and high -visibility green markings to
30 of 36
many bikeways between Montana Avenue and Ocean Park Boulevard.
Five Year Performance Indicators
The Bike Action Plan identifies a set of eleven performance indicators in three
categories (Mode Share, Safety, and Infrastructure and Services). Since adoption of the
Bike Action Plan, improvement has been realized in virtuall y all performance indicator
categories and excerpts are summarized below. A few have plateaued or gone down
slightly over the past year.
The mode share for employees of large employers in Santa Monica who
commute by bicycle is 4%, while 59% drive alone . These figures represent both
residents and non -residents who work at local employers with 30 or more
employees. The bicycle mode share decreased one percentage point since
2015.
The 2015 citywide count of peak hour cyclists is 12,061, down 15% from 201 3.
This decrease belies the larger overall trend in cycling since 2007, which has
increased over 50%. Counts will be conducted again in 2017 and an increase in
ridership is anticipated with the presence of Breeze Bike Share.
There were 116 cyclist -invol ved crashes in 2016 which is a 7.4% increase from
2015 but an overall 13.4% decrease since 2014.
Five new lane miles were added to the bicycle network in 2016 which is an
increase of almost 5%.
Public bicycle parking was increased by 162 spaces, or 5 .4%. Increases included
bike lockers and racks installed by the City or Metro at the three Expo stations.
Metro bike lockers have a waiting list of 25 -30 people for each station.
Since bike parking requirements were increased in the Zoning Ordinance,
doze ns of private properties have been reviewed that provide i mproved on -site
bike parking for employees, customers and residents .
In 2016, there were 196 events with bicycle valet, with 13,512 bicycles valeted.
This represents roughly the same number of e vents as 2015. Breeze set up drop
zones at large events since they are not accepted at valets.
Santa Monica is home to eleven Bicycle Friendly Businesses and one Bicycle
Friendly University (Santa Monica College). Main Street added new bicycle
retailers bringing the district’s total to seven bike shops.
The first bike feedback display and counter was installed in front of City Hall.
Over 60,000 bikes have been counted since January 1, 2017, and the data is
publicly available on a website <http://eco -pu blic.com/public2/?id=100034648>.
31 of 36
Looking Beyond the Bike Plan’s First 5 Years
While staff is optimistic that traffic counts to be conducted later this year will show an
increase in cycling trips over 2015, some stakeholders have been critical that cyc ling
has not grown at a faster rate. Many communities are looking for ways to increase the
opportunities for biking to achieve sustainability, health and wellbeing goals. Cities are
joined by non -profit groups like People or Bikes, The Alliance for Walking and Biking,
and t he League of American Bicyclists, and locally by Santa Monica Spoke, a chapter of
the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. The Bike Action Plan targets a 14 -35%
cycling mode share, which is currently at 4% for employees according to annu al
employer surveys, and 6% for resident trips according to the 2016 Resident Travel
Survey. Some inspiration for Santa Monica’s next phase of Bike Action Plan
implementation can be found in the work of these groups and agencies:
P eople For Bikes offers a Big Jump Project that support s cities to realize a 2 -3x
increase in cycling mode share. People for Bikes leverage the c ity’s capital
investments with training, outreach and communications, data collection support,
and research. Staff applied in 2016 but was not selected.
Outreach , Outreach , and more Outreach - Continue regular events, including
Kidical Mass rides, the Gear Up event, and Bike It! Walk It! Bus It! days at all
public schools in Santa Monica which appeal to kids and families. Expand the
ty pe and style of outreach to bring more people to the events. Create new tools
to keep events fresh and interesting.
Celebrate successes - use communications to build on and reinforce the capital
investments in new facilities. Create communications materi al about new facilities
and do outreach to celebrate openings and invite people to try them.
A data -driven approach - create a framework for the collection and evaluation of
The City’s first bike counter was installed in December 2016, and along with the GPS data from
Breeze Bike Share can be used to plan for bicycling.
32 of 36
bicycling data using crash data, trips made on Breeze bike share, traffic coun ts,
smart phone or app data, and potentially user surveys.
Strat egic outreach and activities - d evelop additional targeted outreach tools and
messages for other user groups that could see an increase in riding. I dentify and
focus on target audiences. T he City could use GoSaMo as a base to develop
targeted outreach.
Santa Monica received the prestigious “Silver” Bicycle Friendly Community ranking form
the League of American Bicyclists in 2013. The League renewed the City’s Silver level
ranking and made recommendations for improvement including institutionalizing the
Vision Zero goal, adopting a Complete Streets policy and to establish a Bicycle &
Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
Santa Monica residents consistently provide feedback that they would bicycle more if
the roadways felt more comfortable. In the 2016 Resident Travel Survey 43% of
residents said that better infrastructure for walking and biking would encourage them to
use those modes. Closing gaps in the network, especially near the I -10 bridges,
c ompleting the network of neighborhood greenways identified in the Bike Action Plan,
and creating more physical protections for people on bikes are all possible approaches.
Physically protected facilities provide barriers such as a curb, planter or parked c ar that
provide a greater sense of comfort to people of varied ages and abilities. Barriers
require reallocation of roadway space, such as changes to parking and vehicle travel
lanes in instances where no other solution exists. The Bike Plan did not identi fy priority
corridors for protected bikeways. Staff could strategically evaluate protected bikeway
options based on demand, connectivity and feasibility. This would be an amendment to
the Bike Action Plan, to lay the groundwork for bringing these types of facilities to more
neighborhoods.
Future Policy and Technology Considerations
The landscape of mobility is changing rapidly due to policy and technology changes.
These changes necessitate new ways designing, managing and regulating our
roadways. Santa M onica has pledged to be Carbon Neutral by 2050 or sooner, and
kicked off a planning process to reach th is target through the Climate Action and
33 of 36
Adaptation Plan. Santa Monica has also committed to Wellbeing as a framework for
Citywide performance management that prioritizes human health, safety, resiliency and
opportunity. Globally, transportation is being driven forward by changes in technology,
communications, sensing and automobile design. Staff will provide a more detailed
update on these issues later th is year as part of the Mobility Strategic Goal , but provides
an initial discussion related to safety below.
Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP)
Initial data gathering for the CAAP modeled citywide emissions and found that a
startling 65 percent of emissions are generated by the transportation sector. Achieving
Carbon Neutrality will require creative thinking about how we travel. Changes in f uel
alone cannot achieve the significant reductions needed. Today’s infrastructure does not
provide the attra ctive and comfortable conditions to entice enough new users. A
virtuous cycle of safety has been shown in many studies – the more people walking and
biking on the roadways, the lower the rate of collisions with motor vehicles. This pattern
was already seen in Santa Monica since 2011, when the number of people biking
increased overall but the rate of collision s with motor vehicles decreased.
T he resident travel survey shows that Santa Monicans are walking and biking in above -
average numbers. But we are als o driving short distances frequently with 62 % of vehicle
trips under three miles. These cold engine starts and short driving distances add to our
emissions profile, and finding alternatives for some of these local trips will contribute
substantially to ach ieving the goals of Carbon Neutrality . Making streets even more
appealing to people outside a vehicle through protected and connected bike and
pedestrian facilities, providing electrified first -last mile solutions that support transit use,
and increasing t he attractiveness of existing modes will be key.
Autonomous Vehicles
Of the approximately 35,000 annual fatal collisions nationwide, approximately 95% are
due to driver error (National Highway Traffic Safety Association, 2016). Common
nationwide issues are driver behaviors such as alcohol impairment, distracted driving
and excessive speed. As a result, autonomous vehicles (AV) are often cited as a
34 of 36
panacea for roadway safety. Also known as driverless vehicles, the vision is for vehicles
capable of sensin g their environment and navigating roads without human input. There
is great enthusiasm in the marketplace for AV potential, leading many car and
technology companies to partner on development and testing ventures.
Enthusiasm for the potential of automat ion could eclipse the complex realities of human
behavior on the road, unique roadway conditions typical for a community like Santa
Monica, and long -term coexistence of both computer and human -controlled vehicles.
AVs also have the potential to increase tr avel demand, which increases the exposure to
crashes for all people on the road. Automation could also undermine the transit
networks that move people most efficiently and safely. How cities deploy and manage
these changes will make the difference between whether they result in improved
mobility and safety or increased congestion and exposure. Santa Monica should
actively engage with this new policy environment to influence directions that advance
community values of sustainability, diversity and wellbeing.
Cities are starting to grapple with AV policy, but few have any adopted policies,
practices or guidance. Santa Monica needs to begin local discussion and policy -making
with regard to AVs in coordination with the Mobility Strategic Goal and to establish
necessary data, communications and transportation infrastructure. Much of this
conversation is happening at the state and federal levels, and Santa Monica should
engage actively and create a working group to guide policies and advocacy that
promote:
Saf ety . Encourage automation that support s Vision Zero and advocate for
maximum operating speeds of 20 -25mph on city streets. Ensure vehicles
function in conditions with many people walking and biking, and unusual roadway
configurations.
Sustainability an d Wellbeing, not increased vehicle miles. Encourage
electrification of AVs, shared fleets over private ownership, and shared rides.
Modernized freight and delivery . Advocate for non -peak hour deliveries,
automated truck route enforcement, and use of cle an truck technology.
Updated funding base for transportation . Fuel and vehicle fees will see radical
35 of 36
changes in revenue streams , look for sustainable transportation funding options
under potential new automation scenarios.
Local planning for the future of cities . Technology has the power to help
communities achieve both their transportation and land use visions, taking public
space back from space previously used by vehicles. Cities manage and control
local roads so e nsure local cities are at the table.
Santa Monica can look for opportunities to advocate for shared, electrified autonomous
vehicles that support the sustainability and quality of life values of Santa Monica and our
vision for the future. Actions may include organizing a working group, org anizing and
supporting a regional or sub -regional working group, or staff and elected officials
actively participating in national, state or regional organizations.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget acti on necessary as a result of the
recommended action.
Prepared By: Francie Stefan, Strategic & Transportation Planning Manager
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Planning Commission Report 3/1/2017
B. City email 4 -7 -2017
C. Supplemental Report
D. Written Comments
36 of 36
E. Powerpoint
F. Powerpoint
1
Francie Stefan
Subject:FW: Following up. Media inquiry: traffic deaths
From: Kathy LePrevost
Sent: Friday, April 07, 2017 11:38 AM
To: Rick Cole <Rick.Cole@SMGOV.NET>; 'Jason Islas' <jason@santamonicanext.org>
Cc: Ted Winterer <tedwinterer@gmail.com>; Gleam Davis <gleam.davis@gmail.com>; Debbie Lee
<Debbie.Lee@SMGOV.NET>; Constance Farrell <Constance.Farrell@SMGOV.NET>; Kevin McKeown Fwd
<kevin@mckeown.net>; terry.oday@nrgenergy.com; Antonio Vazquez <AVazquez1630@gmail.com>; Sue Himmelrich
<sue.himmelrich@gmail.com>; Pam O'Connor <mayorpamoconnor2014@gmail.com>; Erin Taylor
<Erin.Taylor@SMGOV.NET>; Francie Stefan <Francie.Stefan@SMGOV.NET>; Henry Servin <Henry.Servin@SMGOV.NET>;
Al Venegas <Al.Venegas@SMGOV.NET>; Candice Cobarrubias <Candice.Cobarrubias@SMGOV.NET>
Subject: RE: Following up. Media inquiry: traffic deaths
Hello Jason,
The City continues to actively implement effort s to enhance pedestrian and bike safety with the Santa
Monica community as our partner. Safety is a top priority that encompasses education, enforcement,
programs, and infrastructure.
DEDICATED TO SAFETY
The recent spate of both fatal and injury in cidents involving cars and pedestrians is deeply
concerning. It unfortunat ely appears to be part of a larger pattern of aut o/pedestrian collisions for
which a number of plausible causes have been advanc ed. We are currently analyzing both historic
and new data for a report scheduled to go to Council on May 9 th that will seek to pinpoint, to the
extent possible, how these incidents fit into lar ger patterns here in Santa Monica and beyond. If
conditions have changed, we will have to adapt and adjust our policy initiatives to meet those
conditions. Achieving a goal as ambitious as Vision Zero will require flexibi lity, tenacity, commitment
of resources, consistent enforcem ent, vigilant monitoring and community participation. There are no
magic answers, but Santa Monica is part of a nat ional movement committed to no longer tolerate
senseless and tragic loss of life and life-altering inju ries as tragic “accidents.” Our dedication to
safety means that we intend to learn from a ll that has happened here and in other communities
committed to Vision Zero so that we can all help to achieve the am bitious and vital goal of preventing
deaths and injuries.
POLICE DEPARTMENT SAFETY EFFORTS
The Santa Monica Police Department’s Traffic Div ision has engaged in a vari ety of traffic education
and enforcement operations throughout the City of Santa Monica. Effo rts range from Driving Under
the Influence (DUI) Checkpoints, Dr iving Under the Influence Saturati on Patrols, Traffic Enforcement
Operations, Motorcycle Safety Operations, Distract ed Driving, Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Operations,
Public Service Announcements, Social Medi a, Community Meetings and Interdepartmental
Collaboration.
2
Directed Enforcement
2016 Operations
The Santa Monica Police Department conducted (6) DUI Checkpoints and in doing so screened
6,527 vehicles. Officers made contact with 1,905 Drivers and administered 158 Field Sobriety
Tests. 11 Arrests were made as a result of the checkpoints. In addition, officers conducted 20
directed patrols in an attempt to cu rb Driving Under the Influence. Du ring these patrols, 410 vehicles
were screened, 160 Field Sobriety Tests were adm inistered sobriety tests and 22 people were
arrested for DUI.
Throughout the year, officers engage in enforcement areas of the City based on complaints from the
residents, traffic collisions and/or officer’s obser vations. In order to address the concerns and
enhance safety, officers conducted 35 general Traffi c Enforcement Operations and issued 676
Citations for various violations such as, but not limited to, distracted driving, stop sign violation and
right of way offenses.
To address motorcycle safety in the City of S anta Monica, officers conducted 11 Motorcycles
Operations. Of the 124 motor cycles stopped, 76 were issued citations, 135 cars were stopped and
104 citations were issued.
Distracted driving and walking is always an important issue to address as many people are constantly
looking at their personal electronic devices and less aware of their surro undings. The Traffic
Enforcement Unit conducted 5 Distracted Driving O perations where 149 vehicles were stopped and
122 citations were issued for driving while texting, reading texts while driv ing, not utilizing a hands-
free device, etc.
Pedestrian and bicycle safety is another directed effo rt. Officers incorporat ed directed education
efforts to areas known to have the large amounts of pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Officers focused in
the Downtown Santa Monica area, the Lincoln corridor , Pico Blvd, Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd
and intersections where the new pedestrian scram bles are utilized. Officers conducted 34
Bicycle/Pedestrian Operations, made 288 bicycle stop s, issued 227 citations to bicycles, stopped 407
pedestrians and issued 337 citations. They m ade 281 vehicle stops and issued 229 citations.
2017 Operations
The Traffic Enforcement Unit has conducted 23 Traffi c Enforcement operations in which 155 citations
have been issued. One Distracted Dr iving Operation resulted in 18 citations being issued to
drivers. Officers have focused heavily on pedestr ian/bicycle safety and c onducted 21 operations. 72
citations were issued to bicyclists, 59 citations issued to pedestrians and 545 citations issued to
vehicles. In 2017 there has been one (1) DUI checkpoi nt in which 917 vehicles were screened which
resulted in four arrests.
Social Media and Education
Officers have conducted traffic safety presentati ons at WISE, local school s, and during the Police
Department’s Community Academy. Community A ffairs Staff, Neighborhood Resource Officers and
traffic personnel have attended community event s, business groups and neighborhood groups to
provide traffic safety tips and information. In addition to enfor cement and education, the Santa
Monica Police Department has broadcast via our so cial media outlets a variety of public safety
announcements educating the community how to move safely through the city, pedestrian safety,
distracted driving, how to cross in the new pedestr ian scrambles, etc. In addition, traffic safety
3
awareness messages are routinely posted on the Police Department’s and City of Santa Monica’s
Facebook and Twitter pages.
This is a list and links to our recent PSA’s:
1. Santa Monica Scramble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnVlWXN-8cU
2. Pokemon Go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DLVF904mMk
3. Don’t Be That Guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeRPmp8GwZ8
4. Bike Safety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl_3YiYABZU
5. Moving Safely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGw4HkLzlN0
6. Parking Lot Safety (SMC):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P DUAka_lQGE&feature=youtu.be
7. Skateboard Safety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b Up_IMs34QI&feature=youtu.be
8. Pay Attention/Look Up (SMC):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D VAK4HwrVi8&feature=youtu.be
9. Skateboard/Pedestrian (SMC):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T s4UWblkSBs&feature=youtu.be
10. Phone Distractions (SMC): https://youtu.be/clr9BN4nOQA
11. Move Safe Senior/Youth PSA: https://youtu.be/qXPqw3NM6nQ
12. Be Safe, Be Seen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeRs6IyLuc8
Interdepartmental Collaboration
Traffic safety is not solely the responsibility of the Police Department and t herefore our collaborative
efforts are equally as important as our enforcement and education pr ograms. Police personnel work
closely with the City’s Transporta tion Management Division to discuss and provide input on traffic
safety programs such as Vision Zero and Go with the Flow . The Police Department has received
traffic safety grants from t he Office of Traffic Safety to fund programs such as the Move Safe
campaign as well as STEP grants to fund many of the directed enforc ement efforts. Staff attend
regional and national training conf erences on traffic enforcement a nd safety information. Officers
meet with other law enfor cement agencies to exchange ideas and s hare enforcement resources. An
example of this is the collaborative effort of S anta Monica Police and the Los Angeles County Sheriff
Department to engage in educ ation and enforcement along the Expo corridor.
Internal collaboration withi n the Police Department ensures that the traffic safety efforts encompass a
variety of individuals and not excl usively the Traffic Enforcement Unit. This includes, but not limited
to, the Patrol Section deploying an officer dedicated to traffic ma tters, Community A ffairs engaging in
outreach and education, Ne ighborhood Resource Officers connec ting with residents and businesses,
Crime Analysis providing traffic coll ision data, Traffic Services Office rs preventing traffic congestion
which leads to potential collisions , administrative staff seeking gr ant opportunities, and the Social
Media team sending out regular safety information.
The efforts of enforcement, educat ion, outreach and collaboration by the Police Department are
ongoing. As the roadways are shar ed by increased numbers of vehi cles, bicycles, pedestrians and
now light rail, the traffic safety efforts will continue to evolve wit h collision prevention being the
primary goal.
SAFETY AND THE PEDESTRIAN ACTION PLAN
4
The Pedestrian Action Plan was adopted in 2016, and includes the Cit y’s target for “V ision Zero” to
eliminate fatal injury and severe crashes in ten years. The Plan includes programs such as Safe
Routes to Schools, Open Streets, Placemaking and Pedestrian Lighting. Santa Monica’s Safe
Routes program actively encourages safe walking for kids and families.
Downtown has seen the installation of 12 all-way scramble crossings and 2 creative crosswalks that
raise pedestrian visibility and impl ement placemaking. In addition, pedestrian lighting is being
installed on Michigan Avenue in phases.
Public safety is a consistent message communi cated by multiple City departments and groups
throughout the year to enc ourage people to be alert, and follow the rule s of the road. Just a few of
the channels for these messages are:
o Information tables at events like Nationa l Night Out, Fall Fe stival, COAST, Santa
Monica’s Open Streets Fe stival, and many others
o Seascape articles and graphics
o Inclusion of mobility messaging in e-newsle tters (i.e. Sustainability, Breeze, Employee
Transportation Coordinators (ETC) with businesses)
o Transportation Tuesday in SM Daily Press
o City outreach efforts, such as the Move Safe campaign, safety messages on 2017
parking hangtags, and social media
Projects in the Pedestrian Acti on Plan are also underway consistent with the City’s adopted Capital
Improvement Program. Planning and design of new sidewalks near the Bergamot/26 th Street Expo
Station is underway, along with additi onal pedestrian lighting near the 17 th Street/SMC Station. Just
last month the Council approved plans for constr uction of curb bulb outs near Edison Language
Academy in the Pico Neighbor hood, which will start cons truction later this year.
SAFETY AND THE BIKE ACTION PLAN
Since the Bike Action Plan was adopt ed in 2011, consistent work on implementation has increased
the citywide bike network from 37 to 110 miles. Additional bike safety efforts include:
Santa Monica Mobility reinforces safety aw areness and shares roadway safety information
regularly through:
o CREST afterschool bike skills training
o Bike rodeos for kids at festivals, events
o Breeze trainings with CCSM residents
o In Breeze and ETC/employer e-newsletters
o Transportation Tuesday in SM Daily Press
o Raising transportation awareness through GoSaMo outreach
o Through information tables at events like National Night Out
Incorporating public safety messages on City ma terials – like Move Safe campaign on parking
hangtags, and social media
Breeze free helmet distribution made possible with transpor tation grants
On-going implementation of planned and programmed projects:
o Downtown Pedestrian Scrambles
o Colorado Esplanade
o SAMOHI Safe Routes to School project
o Green bike lanes on Main/2 nd Streets and Broadway
5
o Lead Pedestrian Intervals at signalized intersections
o Michigan Avenue traffic circles, and lighting (lighting currently bei ng installed) from
Lincoln to 14 th
Safe Routes to School programs – Bike It Wa lk It Bus It twice a year, annual family bike
festival
TRAFFIC LIGHT INQUIRY
With regards to inquiries about the traffic light, given that this tragic collision just occurred 3 days ago
and the City’s investigation into it is ongoing, we are not able to co mment further on this specific
intersection or the fatal collision at this time. Ho wever, our investigation will be including the existing
and planned crosswalk enhancement systems there and in other locations in the City.
_______________________________________
Kathy LePrevost, Administrative Services Officer
City of Santa Monica, Offi ce of Communications
On Tue, Apr 4, 2017 at 2:00 PM, Jason Islas <jason@santamonicanext.org > wrote:
As you know, five people have been killed in traffic collis ions in the last few weeks in Santa Monica, the most
recent of which was yesterday.
Just last year, the City Council unanimously adopted a "Vision Zero" statement as part of Santa Monica's
Pedestrian Action Plan.
What progress has been taken to a ssure that Santa Monica is moving to ward eliminating death and major
injuries resulting from traffic?
Why does this continue to happen?
What immediate steps can be taken to lessen the risks to people using our streets?
What long term steps?
What are we currently doing to assure that thes e seemingly avoidable inci dents aren't repeated?
--
Jason Islas
Editor, Santa Monica Next
santamonicanext.org
mobile: 310.977.0645
other: 424.835.1259
1
CORRECTION:
Item 4A of the City Council meeting of May 9, 2017 includes maps of 2013-2017 Traffic Collisions by mode on
pages 11 and 12 of the staff report. These maps show each reported incident with a symbol, over a heat map
gradient. The maps in the published report have a heat map gradient for the entire study period of 2013-2017
by mode (gradient is different for vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian incidents) but the reported incident symbols
are for year 2015 only. It is incorrectly labeled as the incidents for the entire study period. The maps below
show the incidents for each year. The heat gradient is unchanged.
Traffic Collision Trends in the City of Santa Monica
2017: January 1 – Mid April
2017 Vehicle and Vehicle Collisions
ATTACHMENT A
2
2017 Bicycle and Vehicle Collisions
2017 Pedestrian and Vehicle Collisions
3
2013 – 2016 : Annual Maps by Mode, by Year
Vehicle and Vehicle Collisions
2013
2014
4
2015
2016
5
2013 – 2016 : Annual Maps by Mode, by Year
Bicycle and Vehicle Collisions
2013
2014
6
2015
2016
7
2013 – 2016 : Annual Maps by Mode, by Year
Pedestrian and Vehicle Collisions
2013
2014
8
2015
2016
To:
From:
Subject:
Supplemental City Council
Report
Mayor and City Council
City Council Meeting: May 9, 2017
Agenda Item: 4-A
David Martin, Director of Planning and Community Development
Council review and comment on Vision Zero, Bike Action Plan and
Pedestrian Action Plan implementation.
Executive Summary
The published staff report includes three maps of Traffic Collisions, one each for
VehicleNehicle, Vehic le/Pedestrian, and Vehicle/Bicycle collisions. The maps are
labeled as showing 2013-2017 coll isions, but show only 2015 collisions. The heat map
gradient on the three maps is for 2013-2017 as labeled.
This supplemental report provides the maps for the remaining years in Attachment A, in
the following order:
•2017 Traffic Collision Maps -VehicleNehicle, Vehicle/Bicycle, Vehicle/Pedestrian
•2013-2016 Traffic Collision Maps by Mode
Prepared by: Franc ie Stefan, Mobi lity Division Manager
Approved:
David Martin, Director
Planning & Community Development
Attachments
Forwarded to Council:
Rick Cole
City Manager
A.2013-2017 Maps of Collisions by Mode by Year
Item 4-A
05/09/17
1 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
CORRECTION:
Item 4A of the City Council meeting of May 9, 2017 includes maps of 2013-2017 Traffic Collisions by mode on
pages 11 and 12 of the staff report. These maps show each reported incident with a symbol, over a heat map
gradient. The maps in the published report have a heat map gradient for the entire study period of 2013-2017
by mode (gradient is different for vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian incidents) but the reported incident symbols
are for year 2015 only. It is incorrectly labeled as the incidents for the entire study period. The maps below
show the incidents for each year. The heat gradient is unchanged.
Traffic Collision Trends in the City of Santa Monica
2017: January 1 – Mid April
2017 Vehicle and Vehicle Collisions
ATTACHMENT A Item 4-A
05/09/17
2 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2017 Bicycle and Vehicle Collisions
2017 Pedestrian and Vehicle Collisions
Item 4-A
05/09/17
3 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2013 – 2016 : Annual Maps by Mode, by Year
Vehicle and Vehicle Collisions
2013
2014
Item 4-A
05/09/17
4 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2015
2016
Item 4-A
05/09/17
5 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2013 – 2016 : Annual Maps by Mode, by Year
Bicycle and Vehicle Collisions
2013
2014
Item 4-A
05/09/17
6 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2015
2016
Item 4-A
05/09/17
7 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2013 – 2016 : Annual Maps by Mode, by Year
Pedestrian and Vehicle Collisions
2013
2014
Item 4-A
05/09/17
8 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2015
2016
Item 4-A
05/09/17
9 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
Santa Monica City Council, City Manager, and Chief of Police,
198 people have signed a petition on Action Network telling you to Making Santa Monica's Streets
Safer: The Time is Now!.
Here is the petition they signed:
Santa Monica had been making great strides with implementation of the Bike Action Plan and
pedestrian improvements in making the city safer for people who walk and bike, but this effort
has slowed in recent years. At the same time, the City of Los Angeles has re-organized their
transportation department around a Vision Zero goal and is working to implement new
pedestrian and bicycle safety projects each week. The gap will grow and Santa Monica will
be left behind if we don’t commit staff and resources to Vision Zero now.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), you're more likely to die by being
hit by a car while walking and biking around Santa Monica than you are to be murdered in
Santa Monica. Between 2000 and 2014, SMPD reported 42 murders and willful
manslaughters to the FBI. During the same period, SMPD reported 42 pedestrian fatalities
and 4 cyclist fatalities to the California Highway Patrol.
Santa Monica adopted the goal to eliminate traffic fatalities and major injuries in the
Pedestrian Action Plan. That Plan outlines a vision out to 2030 – which is only 13 years. What
are we doing now to make the vision of eliminating tragic events on our roadways become a
reality? At current rates, we can expect another 40 people to die while we are waiting for the
City to allocate funding to and increase enforcement for our Pedestrian Action Plan efforts.
That's not soon enough for the residents, workers, and visitors at risk in the coming years
because of the City's inaction on traffic safety.
The time is now to make our streets safer with an awareness campaign tied to GoSaMo,
which actively invites and encourages us to walk, bike, and use public transit.
The time is now for the City to hire a pedestrian safety coordinator with the full-time
responsibility of working across departments to eliminate oversights and institutional barriers
that lead to pedestrian fatalities and injuries.
The time is now for the City to fund increased police traffic enforcement to prevent dangerous
driving behaviors.
The time is now for the City to stop the long-outdated assumption that pedestrians are a traffic
anomaly who must walk multiple blocks to cross a street or beg a button to signal their
presence. We need leading pedestrian intervals at all major pedestrian crossings.
The time is now for the City to place “No Right Turn on Red” signs at all downtown scramble
intersections.
The time is now for the Police Department to give school zones the same level of concern they
give Pier Concerts.
The time is now for the City to fully fund accelerated implementation of the Pedestrian Action
Plan.
Item 4-A
05/09/17
10 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
The time is now for the City to put well-marked crosswalks at all crossings on our major
boulevards and increase crosswalk visibility within two blocks of all schools.
The time is now for the City to integrate meaningful pedestrian and bicycle access to the new
Airport Park from the earliest planning stages.
The time is now for everyone in Santa Monica to unite behind a goal we can all agree on - that
our streets should be safer places for those who live, work, and play here.
When it comes to pedestrian safety, it doesn't matter who you are, your age and physical
health, the color of your skin, where you live or how much money you make. It doesn't even
matter if you had just parked your car and were standing at a ticket vending machine to make
a payment. All of us at some point are pedestrians. Until something drastic changes about
how we drive and whether we hold people accountable for dangerous driving, more people will
die due to something that is entirely within our control.
You can view each petition signer and the comments they left you below.
Thank you,
Juan Matute
1. Abby Arnold (zip code: 90405)
2. Daniel Beebe (zip code: 90404)
3. Mark Elliot (zip code: 90212)
4. Adrienne Doe (zip code: 90405)
5. Anne Brown (zip code: 90403)
6. Aida Garcia-toledo (zip code: 90403)
7. Aili David (zip code: 90045)
8. Alice Stek, MD (zip code: 90291)
9. Alison Kendall-Bar (zip code: 90403)
We need pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements around Bergamot Station on Olympic and along
26th Street and Cloverfield as they cross Santa Monica Blvd and Wilshire. These are high speed
high volume streets without bike lanes which are the only connections to transit in the NE part of
Santa Monica.
Item 4-A
05/09/17
11 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
10. Allon Percus (zip code: 90403)
11. Alyssa Netto (zip code: 90404)
12. Amy Bishop (zip code: 90404)
Great effort on the part of the staff to get community input at a recent planning session, for the Safe
Route's Plan for Edison. Bravo to all present in the room.
13. An anonymous signer (zip code: 90403)
It's sad that kids can't bike in their own neighborhoods because their parents are afraid of the drivers.
People speed down 26th almost always and zoom around Franklin Elementary like it's an Indy track.
14. Anita Landecker (zip code: 90405)
15. Anne Hawthorne (zip code: 90015)
I agree with all of these things, and ask that the city also refrain from ticketing pedestrians and cyclists
as it discourages walking and cycling. Let's make leaving our cars a priority!
16. Anne Martinez (zip code: 90404)
17. Andrea Brodkin (zip code: 90405)
18. Aron Gadhia (zip code: 90402)
19. Debbie Betts (zip code: 90403)
20. Alan Toy (zip code: 90402)
21. Barbara Filet (zip code: 90404)
Budgeting for a Pedestrian Safety position would help meet these goals. That person should work
closely with the police department to ticket moving violations and careless behavior by drivers.
22. Alison Butt (zip code: 90403)
23. Babak Mozaffari (zip code: 90401)
24. Bruce Tartaglia (zip code: 90403)
The strip from 18th to 20th on Washington Ave has cars reaching 45 mph in a residential area... 20th
& Washington Ave often has dangerous crashes. Please address! Thank you!
25. Bruce Jugan (zip code: 90049)
I live in Brentwood and drive to Santa Monica to shop, eat and walk. I want to be safe when I walk
around. It would be great if you could improve pedestrian safety.
Item 4-A
05/09/17
12 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
26. Brian Stedge (zip code: 90404)
27. Boris Zhitomirsky (zip code: 90066)
28. Carter Rubin (zip code: 90405)
29. Craig Boreth (zip code: 90403)
30. Carl Hansen (zip code: 90403)
31. chris McCormack (zip code: 90405)
32. Cris Gutierrez (zip code: 90405)
Walking is a sane and humane way to get to place to place in a carbon-light and climate friendly way.
Let's tae care of pedestrians and get to know our neighbors.
33. Janet Harclerode (zip code: 90405)
34. Cynthia Rose (zip code: 90401)
Together we can make a difference!
35. Daniel Shenise (zip code: 90403)
36. Sherban Drulea (zip code: 90404)
More bike lanes & protected crosswalks ASAP!
37. Sherban Drulea (zip code: 90404)
We need more bike lanes from end to end (beach to West LA border). There are too many incomplete
lanes that dump bikes out into unfriendly traffic environments
38. Elizabeth Tracy (zip code: 90405)
I often use the blinking light crosswalk on 23rd St., south of Ocean Park. It's amazing how many cars
just sail through the blinking lights, imperilling all pedestrians. Never a police car in sight...
39. Debbie Mulvaney (zip code: 90403)
40. Diana Schwab (zip code: 90403)
41. Dora Wischik (zip code: 90404)
This is an extremely important topic!! SANTA MONICA should be safer than this!
42. Douglas Benedict (zip code: 90405)
43. Dustin Peterson (zip code: 90401)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
13 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
44. Elizabeth Tooke (zip code: 90403)
45. Erin Dale (zip code: 90403)
46. Ellen Levy (zip code: 90405)
47. Ellis Kirschenbaum (zip code: 90405)
Safety first, over convenience
48. Emilie Flynn (zip code: 90401)
49. Evan Pozarny (zip code: 90049)
50. Erin Hakim (zip code: 90405)
51. Evan Wischik (zip code: CA)
52. Eve Gordon (zip code: 90405)
53. James Berry (zip code: 90404)
54. Mindy Johnson (zip code: 90403)
I live and work in Santa Monica (I'm car-free). I walk or bike everywhere and I'm in constant danger
when I legally cross a street due to drivers not yielding or paying attention. It needs to stop. There
needs to be a mindset and culture change in this city, if we want to make it truly walkable and
bikeable. Car culture permeates everything - from some intersections not having an automatic
pedestrian cycle (if there's not a walk symbol, it's jaywalking if you cross... better press that button (in
time!)), to pedestrian cycles not being long enough for handicapped people to cross, to right-turns
allowed during the scramble cycle, to the blatant acceptance of drivers not yielding to peds or honking
at other drivers who allow someone to (rightfully) cross. I know this is America, where everyone
apparently has the right to get where they're going as fast as possible without regard for the wellbeing
of others, but it NEEDS TO STOP. Victim blaming needs to stop. People need to take personal
responsibility for their actions, and law enforcement needs to pay attention to these behaviors so we
can PREVENT - not react to - these horrific events.
55. Gabrielle Mickle (zip code: 90403)
56. Patricia Tang (zip code: 90403)
57. Greg Chasen (zip code: 90401)
58. Kent Minault (zip code: 91423)
59. Gigi Depourtales (zip code: 90403)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
14 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
60. gillian grebler (zip code: 90405)
61. Gina Garcia (zip code: 90405)
62. Grace Phillips (zip code: 90405)
63. Greg Morena (zip code: 90405)
64. Sandra Gruner (zip code: 90404)
My daughter nearly got hit crossing on green light to SAMOHI school.
And on Santa Monica Blvd, cars speed over 30 m/h making extreme dangerous to cross the street.
65. suzanne hackel (zip code: 90404)
I try to avoid using my car as much as possible and the city has made this much easier and more
pleasant in the last 10 years in many ways. What's gotten worse, however, is the drivers. I've been
almost hit as a pedestrian twice this year- both times when a car turned left in front of me (or almost
into me). Better signage/ad campaign or just heavy fines could help. I love the city and know the
talent in city gvt. could come up with great solutions. I'd be happy to help.
66. Michelle Parrella (zip code: 90404)
Our city needs better crosswalks and safety measures to ensure we are safe
67. Inatsugu (zip code: 90405)
68. Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce (zip code: 90401)
69. Irene and Sam Zivi (zip code: 90405)
70. James Rath (zip code: 90014)
71. Jason Islas (zip code: 90404)
72. Jason Mastbaum (zip code: 90403)
Some of my experiences walking and cycling in Santa Monica:
Crossing the street and having drivers get WAY too close to me because they couldn't wait a few extra
seconds for me to clear the intersection.
Cycling on 4th north of Wilshire and having an Uber driver try to force me off the road using his car.
Cycling on 5th north of Wilshire and having one driver go COMPLETELY over the double line and
nearly collide with opposing traffic trying to get around me.
Constantly being forced out of the bike lane by people using it as a standing zone.
Cycling northbound on 2nd just north of Colorado and having someone in an SUV driving from the
Item 4-A
05/09/17
15 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
McDonald's parking structure directly across second into the municipal lot, and in the process nearly
driving STRAIGHT INTO ME.
Tons of crosswalks where the light won't change unless you hit the button but unless you literally run
across the street, it's not possible to hit the second button in time if you need to cross both ways.
Bonus points when this happens at an intersection where there's only three crosswalks and you're
expected to cross three ways just to keep going straight.
73. Javier Beloso (zip code: 90403)
74. Jeanne Fauci (zip code: 90272)
75. Jennifer Jacobson (zip code: 91406)
76. jennifer swan (zip code: 90291)
77. Jill Boberg (zip code: 90405)
78. James Harris (zip code: 90405)
79. Juan Matute (zip code: 90404)
80. Jonathan Mickle (zip code: 90403)
81. Joanna Vasquez (zip code: 91007)
I lived in Santa Monica for 46 years. I am now living in Arcadia temporally.
82. Joanne Leavitt (zip code: 90405)
I walk a lot around town and increasingly feel less safe, more ignored by drivers, more frightened by
behaviors I see.
83. John Zinner (zip code: 90402)
84. Steve White (zip code: 90404)
A pedestrian has already died on the blocks where I walk every day, because the design encourages
speeding by drivers over safety. Santa Monica should not only hire a full-time coordinator for Vizion
Zero, but put adequate budget resources into redesigning streets to promote safety above all else —
the only way to come close to this goal.
85. Jon London (zip code: 90401)
Vision Zero is a lofty goal. To be successful we must put in more serious work now. Planning
Commissioner McKinnon illustrated this point in a previous meeting.
86. Josie Garcia (zip code: 90404)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
16 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
87. Julie Singer (zip code: 90403)
88. June Stoddard (zip code: 90405)
In 2003 I was hit by a car in a crosswalk at Wilshire and 9th Street. I am very lucky to be alive.
My husband had died of cancer 11 months before. My twin 8 year old daughters were almost
orphaned.
Our streets have not been safe for a long time. At that corner there is now a median down the middle
of the street, right where I was hit. I learned to mainly cross at a light.
I no longer trust cars to stop at stop signs. I see too many cars fly through without even slowing down.
Something must be done.
89. Karin Hall (zip code: 90403)
90. Kathy Seal (zip code: 90405)
91. Kaya Foster (zip code: 90402)
92. KATHLEEN DONOVAN (zip code: 90401)
93. Jennifer Taylor (zip code: 90402)
94. Ken Greenwald (zip code: 90404)
95. Kent Downing (zip code: 90401)
96. Kent Strumpell (zip code: 90404)
If we're serious about Vision Zero, we have to up our game dramatically.
97. Kristi Stark (zip code: 90035)
I work in SM on the Promenade and over the last year it feels more and more unsafe. One of my
coworkers was attacked and beat in the face - this same attacker nearly killed a man in the public
bathrooms the next night. Someone just got killed by a dunk driver while trying to pay for parking.
There are constantly drug addicted homeless people wandering the Promenade, screaming
obscenities and scaring people. As a woman, I don't feel safe walking to my car after work at night.
Something needs to change.
98. Kyle Jenkins (zip code: 90401)
99. Caro Vilain (zip code: 90405)
100. Kurt Gary (zip code: 90066-1712)
101. Diane Cartwright (zip code: 90401)
102. Lesley Kawaguchi (zip code: 90405)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
17 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
As someone who generally uses Pico or Ocean Park to go between home and work, I have witnessed
near misses of cars ignoring people in crosswalks, ignoring stop signs and red lights.
103. Laurie Rocha (zip code: 90405)
104. elaine haight (zip code: 94301)
105. Leonora Yetter (zip code: 90403)
Crossing Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvd at crosswalks is scary and dangerous--all crosswalks at
busy intersections should have safety lights to signal that cars should stop for pedestrians.
106. Leslie Lambert (zip code: 90405)
107. Libby Bradley (zip code: 90403)
108. Laura Gillette (zip code: 90403)
Streets and crossings must be made safer. Pedestrian and cyclist deaths are an avoidable tragedy.
This is also a tragedy for the drivers involved, so anyone who drives should be equally supportive. I
myself have come too close to hitting a pedestrian or cyclist crossing in the dark, or on a street
unfriendly for cyclists. Our streets need to take better care of all of us.
109. Lora Morn (zip code: 90405)
110. lollie ragana (zip code: 90405)
111. Bruce Campbell (zip code: 90034)
Vision Zero is a good idea. Try to assure that there are no pedestrian / bicyclist injuries during the
construction phase for such safety improvements as well. Thanks!
I will later have some comments on specific streets and specific curb placements.
112. Mark Yetter (zip code: 90403)
113. mark biedlingmaier (zip code: 90024)
lets make the streets safer!
114. Michael Hamilton (zip code: 90291)
Street safety for pedestrians and cyclists is worse in Venice and Santa Monica than any other place
I've ever lived.
There are blinking walk signals which have no pedestrian facing lightbulbs on Main Street, so you hit
a button and pray cars stop for you.
There are drivers constantly looking only one way for cars and people when pulling straight into
pedestrian walkways trying to make a left turn.
Item 4-A
05/09/17
18 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
I live in Venice and walk into Santa Monica to work at a game studio every single work day and I've
only been here a year and I've nearly been hit 4 times despite caution. Drivers here are NUTS, and
the fact that there's a lot of cyclists on the sidewalks makes it even worse.
115. Michael Brodsky (zip code: 90405)
116. Melissa Sweeney (zip code: 90404)
I walk between 25 and 30 miles a week in Santa Monica and can attest to the hazards pedestrians
face, especially, in my experience, in Downtown and along Broadway. Increased attention to
pedestrian safety must go hand-in-hand with our community's effort to become less car-centric.
117. Bryan Beretta (zip code: 90404)
118. Melissa Zelenovic (zip code: 90403)
119. Marie Elena Rigo (zip code: 90404)
120. Michael Drexler (zip code: 90403)
90 percent of my transportation is on foot or bike, Every day I see blatant disregard for rules by
motorists. You need to walk the streets to understand what needs to change or listen to those who
do.
121. Joanne Curtis (zip code: 90405)
122. Mike Mora (zip code: 99213)
123. Mai Pham (zip code: 90405)
124. Michael Kaliuzhnyi (zip code: 90046)
Please make crosswalk on Fountain Ave and Harper Ave in West Hollywood!!
125. Shaun Boylan (zip code: 90404)
126. Mark Mallare (zip code: 90034)
127. Neal Fox (zip code: 90404)
128. Natalya Zernitskaya (zip code: 90404)
129. Omark Holmes (zip code: 90025)
130. Aniqa Hossain (zip code: 90004)
131. Joyce Shelby (zip code: 90401)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
19 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
I want cyclists to be safe, but I feel that in an attempt to protect themselves from cars, they have
become a bigger threat to pedestrians in DTSM. Not a single day goes by that I am not endangered in
one way or another by a bike, especially on the sidewalks or in the scrambles.
Pedestrians have become collateral damage in the war between cats and bikes. (And again, I am on
the side of the bikes!)
132. Patrizia Barretto (zip code: 90405)
133. Peter Arbogast (zip code: 90291)
134. Perias Pillay (zip code: 90029)
135. Ralph Barton (zip code: 90403)
we need a crosswalk at Idaho and 26th, across 26th is a life/death experience trying to cross the
road....
136. Randy Ziglar (zip code: 90405)
Slow the speed and the amount of cars in Santa Monica in order to make walking safe again.
137. Rayne Laborde (zip code: 90401)
Cities are for people, not cars. As a non-car owner, I should feel safe as a pedestrian- but this is rarely
the case. Santa Monica must work harder to enforce traffic violations in regards to crosswalks,
especially mid-block or no signal crosswalks on streets like Wilshire- where cars ignore pedestrian
right of way. I expected to learn to ride a bike for an easier commute after moving to Santa Monica.
Instead, the streets are so hostile for new bikers that I've rarely ridden at all. Protected bike lanes and
more bike infrastructure paired with education for drivers and enforcement of safety laws are
necessary to reclaim our streets.
138. Richard Neylan (zip code: 90405)
I am a crossing guard for John Adams and Grant. My corner is 20th and Pearl. This a very dangerous
intersection. I have been nearly killed/seriously injured 3 times in the past 12 months.
The college students are a major disruptor of traffic as they carelessly cross the street because as
they say "they have the right of way". That may be so but they are placing the neighborhood children
at great risk by their actions.
The other major problem is Uber and Lyft drivers stoping in the middle of the street to pick up
students. These drivers drive recklessly to pick up and drop off the students. Running stop signs and
parking in crosswalks is a daily occurrence.
Pearl and 20th could use lights in the crosswalk to alert drivers to stop.
Please do something before a child is seriously injured.
139. Samantha Lonigro (zip code: 90405)
140. Sarah Brown (zip code: 90404)
I live in Mid-City and bike daily to my job in the heart of downtown Santa Monica daily, and I see the
Item 4-A
05/09/17
20 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
dangers pedestrians face every day. Please help find a way for pedestrians to feel safe in our city.
141. Saralee Berman (zip code: 90402)
142. Shady Hakim (zip code: 90405)
143. Shawn Landres (zip code: 90405)
144. Mitchell Lachman (zip code: 90405)
too many cars, cars using valet services take over the bike path. The bike path has electric or petrol
mechanized vehicles that have too much weight and speed -jeopardizing safety for bicycle pedal
pushers.
145. Sirinya Matute (zip code: Santa Monica, CA)
Thank you for organizing this petition.
146. Juan Matute (zip code: 90404)
147. Shilpa Wali (zip code: 90402)
148. Scott Schonfeld (zip code: 90405)
149. Stephen Rubin (zip code: 90403)
150. Steven Soo (zip code: 90403)
When is SMPD going to start enforcing traffic laws?
151. Jeremy Stutes (zip code: 90404)
I have been nearly hit by a car crossing the street on "my turn" as a pedestrian in Santa Monica twice
this year. I think we need dramatically slower streets and better "safer" intersections.
152. Suzanne Barron (zip code: 90402)
153. Tara Casas (zip code: 90403)
I would like to see less enforcement of parking violations and more enforcement of traffic violations!
Blocking intersections, running red lights, high speeds in school zones, distracted driving and more
are all too common in SM. I rarely see SMPD ticketing drivers for these violations. Time to get
everyone to slow down and pay attention to pedestrians.
154. An anonymous signer (zip code: 90230)
155. Tim Blaney (zip code: 90405)
156. Andy Liberman (zip code: 90404)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
21 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
157. Ted Semeniuta (zip code: 90403)
158. theresa brady (zip code: 90290)
159. Kay Pattison (zip code: 90405)
Unfortunately, Santa Monica has become a hazardous place to walk, bike and even drive. I am super
cautious now as I have come very close to being hit by cars. I also do walking tours of the downtown
area for the Santa Monica Conservancy. People on our tours are visitors from all over the world and I
am responsible for their safety crossing our streets. It is discouraging that so many drivers are only
concerned that they move before the Pedestrians have a chance to cross the street.
160. Thomas Hand (zip code: 90401)
I truly fear being struck by a motor vehicle every single day I walk in Santa Monica. It is getting worse.
Last weekend I walked the 4 blocks along 4th in downtown, and at EVERY SINGLE INTERSECTION
vehicles were still driving though the intersection while the pedestrian light was on. At one intersection
a driver even honked at the pedestrians to get out of the way WHILE THE WALK SIGNAL WAS ON.
161. Tim Harter (zip code: 90403)
162. Avila (zip code: 90401)
163. Tom Lloyd (zip code: 90405)
164. Tracy Gilmore (zip code: 90403)
165. Valerie Griffin (zip code: 90403)
When I was Chair of Wilmont, I promoted and signed a petition, organized by someone else, in
response to a pedestrian fatality on Wilshire. Pedestrian safety was an important part of our
Transportation Forum in 2011. Walkability is described as a core goal in Santa Monica. We cannot
aspire to a walkable city if pedestrians fear for our lives!
166. Michael Cahn (zip code: 90403)
The pedestrian action plan is, so far, a police in-action plan
167. Sharon Croskery (zip code: 90404)
168. Wendy Dembo (zip code: 90403)
It is unsafe for my daughter to cross Washington on her own to go to school (Franklin). There are no
stop signs from 21st to 25th on Washington. And only one crosswalk at 24th which is at a t-
intersection. People don't understand it and don't stop.
169. Zachary Gaidzik (zip code: 90405)
170. Zuzana Riemer Landres (zip code: 90405)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
22 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Nikki Kolhoff <nhkolhoff@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, May 09, 2017 5:06 PM
To:Council Mailbox; councilmtgitems; Kevin McKe own Fwd; Tony Vazquez; Gleam Davis;
Sue Himmelrich; Pam OConnor; Terry O’Day; Ted Winterer; Santa Monica City
Manager's Office
Cc:elaincarol@earthlink.net; starbaby @earthlink.net; OMGLaw@gmail.com;
vflitton@earthlink.net; fospairport@rocket mail.com; clarethomasdo@aol.com; pad45
@mac.com; crdonaldson2@gmail.com; Zina Josephs
Subject:Council 5/9/17 agenda item 4-A -- Study Session on Vision Zero, Bike and Pedestrian
Plans
To: City Council
From: Nikki Kolhoff
RE: 5/9/17 agenda item 4-A -- Study Session on Vision Zero, Bike and Pedestrian Plans
Dear City Council -
I am writing to request that as part of this study you inst ruct Staff to prepare a comprehensive Automobile Plan
before implementing any costly or permanent components of the Vision Zero, Bike Pl an or Pedestrian Plan.
We all want the City to be safer to walk and bike in. But this requires acknowledging that we are a City with
hundreds of thousands of motor vehicles coming in and out of our City every day and that is not going to
change. We must first establish which north-south and east-west streets will be our primary automobile
circulation routes before we can determine what the bike and pedestrian plans should look like.
The car streets need to allow for quick travel and sync hronized signals to allow traffic to flow. This means
those streets should not be candidates for curb extensions that remove lanes and blinking lights that interfere
with signal timing. Yet the Vision Zero, Bike and Pe destrian Plans include th ese components on all major
streets and appear to render impossibl e the task of creating several autom obile arteries. Slowing down the cars
may sound safer, but we know the result in our neighbor hood has been to push cars fu rther into residential
areas, including alleys. It makes more sense to identify routes of getting cars in and out of our city quickly.
Experts agree that the safest way to travel by bike is in dedicated bike lanes. Again, the City needs to know
which streets are the "car streets" before it can creat e the dedicated bike lanes. Instead of a network of
dedicated lanes, the Vision Zero, Bike and Pedestrian Plans rely more on narrow bike lanes and sharrows,
which are known to be less safe.
It would be unwise to spend City funds (taxpayer do llars) on the components of the Vision Zero, Bike and
Pedestrian Plans without knowing if they permanently pr eclude a viable automobile plan. I request that you
delay implementation of any portion of the he Vision Ze ro, Bike and Pedestrian Plans that require large
expenditures or permanently alter the streetscape on any of the major north -south and east-west roads until an
Automobile Plan has been completed. Frankly, I don't know why this wasn't a requirement of the LUCE along
Item 4-A
05/09/17
23 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2
with the Bike and Pedestrian Plans, but it needs to be done now before we alter our streetscape with the Vision
Zero, Bike and Pedestrian Plans, as well as the GAMP in the DCP.
Thank you for your consideration.
Nikki Kolhoff
Sunset Park Resident
Item 4-A
05/09/17
24 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
1
Vernice Hankins
From:ZinaJosephs@aol.com
Sent:Tuesday, May 09, 2017 5:20 PM
To:Council Mailbox; councilmtgitems; Kevin McKe own Fwd; Tony Vazquez; Gleam Davis;
Sue Himmelrich; Pam OConnor; Terry O’Day; Ted Winterer; Santa Monica City
Manager's Office
Cc:elaincarol@earthlink.net; starbaby @earthlink.net; OMGLaw@gmail.com;
vflitton@earthlink.net; fospairport@rocket mail.com; clarethomasdo@aol.com; pad45
@mac.com; crdonaldson2@gmail.com; nhkolhoff@yahoo.com
Subject:Council 5/9/17 agenda item 4-A -- Study Session on Vision Zero, Bike and ...
To: City Council
From: Zina Josephs
RE: Council 5/9/17 agenda item 4-A -- Vision Zero, Bike, and Pedestrian Plans
I support Nikki Kolh off's letter below.
Following the adoption of the LU CE in 2010, it seems that no citywid e traffic study was ever done.
As Nikki writes below, "Experts agree that the safe st way to travel by bike is in dedicated bike
lanes. Again, the City needs to know which streets are the "car st reets" before it can create the
dedicated bike lanes. Instead of a network of dedicated lanes, the Vision Zero, Bike and Pedestrian
Plans rely more on narrow bike lanes and sha rrows, which are known to be less safe."
I urge you to instruct Staff to prepare a compre hensive Automobile Plan before implementing any
costly or permanent components of the Vision Zero, Bike Plan or Pedestrian Plan.
Thank you for your consideration.
Zina Josephs
***********************************************************************************************
In a message dated 5/9/2017 5:06:19 P.M. Pacifi c Daylight Time, nhkolhoff@yahoo.com writes:
To: City Council
From: Nikki Kolhoff
RE: 5/9/17 agenda item 4-A -- Study Session on Vision Zero, Bike and Pedestrian Plans
Dear City Council -
I am writing to request that as part of this study you instruct Staff to prepare a comprehensive
Automobile Plan before implementing any costly or permanent components of the Vision Zero, Bike
Plan or Pedestrian Plan.
Item 4-A
05/09/17
25 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2
We all want the City to be safer to walk and bike in. But this requires acknowl edging that we are a City
with hundreds of thousands of motor vehicles coming in and out of our City every day and that is not
going to change. We must first es tablish which north-south and east-west streets will be our primary
automobile circulation routes before we can determ ine what the bike and pe destrian plans should look
like.
The car streets need to allow for quick travel and s ynchronized signals to allow traffic to flow. This
means those streets should not be candidates for curb extensions that remove lanes and blinking lights
that interfere with sign al timing. Yet the Vision Zero, Bike and Pedestrian Plans include these
components on all major streets and a ppear to render impossible the task of creating seve ral automobile
arteries. Slowing down the cars may sound safer, but we know the result in our neighborhood has been
to push cars further into re sidential areas, including alleys. It ma kes more sense to identify routes of
getting cars in and out of our city quickly.
Experts agree that the safest way to travel by bike is in dedicated bike lanes. Again, the City needs to
know which streets are the "car stre ets" before it can create the dedi cated bike lanes. Instead of a
network of dedicated lanes, the Vision Zero, Bike and Pedestrian Plans rely more on narrow bike lanes
and sharrows, which are known to be less safe.
It would be unwise to spend City funds (taxpayer dollars) on the components of the Vision Zero, Bike
and Pedestrian Plans without knowing if they permanen tly preclude a viable automobile plan. I request
that you delay implementation of any portion of the th e Vision Zero, Bike and Pedestrian Plans that
require large expenditures or perm anently alter the streetscape on a ny of the major north-south and east-
west roads until an Automobile Plan has been co mpleted. Frankly, I don't know why this wasn't a
requirement of the LUCE along with the Bike and Pede strian Plans, but it need s to be done now before
we alter our streetscape with the Vision Zero, Bike and Pedestrian Pl ans, as well as the GAMP in the
DCP.
Thank you for your consideration.
Nikki Kolhoff
Sunset Park Resident
Item 4-A
05/09/17
26 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Council Mailbox
Sent:Tuesday, May 09, 2017 4:03 PM
To:Ted Winterer; Gleam Davis; Pam OConnor; Sue Himmelrich; Terry O’Day; Kevin
McKeown Fwd; Tony Vazquez
Cc:councilmtgitems
Subject:FW: safety coordinator
Council ‐
Please see the below email regarding tonight's study session.
Thanks,
Stephanie
‐‐‐‐‐Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐
From: Diane [mailto:d.m.citron@att.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 9, 2017 11:16 AM
To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>
Subject: safety coordinator
We do not need another person to coordinate safety in our city ‐ please
‐ we need a hiring freeze to cut down the size of our bureau cracy.
‐‐
Diane M. Citron
2620 Arizona
Santa Monica
Item 4-A
05/09/17
27 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Council Mailbox
Sent:Tuesday, May 09, 2017 4:04 PM
To:Ted Winterer; Gleam Davis; Pam OConnor; Sue Himmelrich; Terry O’Day; Kevin
McKeown Fwd; Tony Vazquez
Cc:councilmtgitems
Subject:FW: Going Dutch (Re: Item 4a, 9 May 2017 City Council Agenda
Council ‐
Please see the below email regarding tonight’s study session.
Thanks,
Stephanie
From: Genise Schnitman [mailto:immensefrogs@mac.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 9, 2017 3:37 PM
To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>
Cc: Francie Stefan <Francie.Stefan@SMGOV.NET>; David Martin <David.Martin@SMGOV.NET>
Subject: Going Dutch (Re: Item 4a, 9 May 2017 City Council Agenda
Dear Council Members:
I would like to offer for your consid eration during the study session on It em 4a the following practice that
experience has demonstrated can significantly improve safety for bicylcle riders when they are sharing the road
with motorized vehicles. Separated, protected bicycle lanes are most protec tive, but as long as shared-road use
is to be part of multi-modal transit in Santa Monica, I suggest that our bicycle plan adopt the practice of going
Dutch.
Not a Dutch treat, or Dutch courage, or having a Dutch uncle; this is a simp le habit that has been used in the
Netherlands for half a century and which is gaining atte ntion elsewhere as a simple, effective, and inexpensive
way to reduce injuries and worse to bicycle riders by “dooring.” It re quires no infrastructural change or
investment; and the cost of implemen tation is no more than that of an educational campaign. It has been
dubbed in English the Dutch Reach” and it entails simply e ngraining in drivers and passengers alike the habit of
using the opposite hand to open the car door. This forces the driver/passenger to turn around before opening the
door and a provides a chance to spot a bicycle approaching from behind in time to pause and avoid the cyclist
being doored. The technique is normal habit in the Netherlands and children grow up seeing their parents
practicing it. It is also part of standard driver training and is included in the dirver’s test.
Last year, the city of Cambridge, MA , created a “Street Code: Rules & Etiquette for Getting There Together”
which includes a recommendation that drivers a nd passengers practice the Dutch Reach (see page
8: https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/News/~/media/9EC803500FCE4B2CACFCCA0FC4E93E4C.ashx ). H
ere is a screenshot from that document:
Item 4-A
05/09/17
28 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
2
A website devoted to promoting the Dutch Reach describe s the maneuver thus; note th at it points out that the
practice also protects drivers and pass engers from being struck by an oncomi ng vehicle and also lowers the risk
of a car door being damaged or to rn off by an oncoming vehicle:
The Dutch Reach is a practice for drivers and passengers where, rather than using your hand
closest to the door to op en it, you use your far hand1.
This choice sets off a series of five linked actions: reach, sw ivel, look back, open slowly, and
then exit facing traffic. This practice require s you to reach across your chest to open the door,
forcing you to swivel your upper torso. This enab les you to look in the re ar-view mirror, out to
the side, and then look over your shoulder to s ee any oncoming traffic. You can then look back
through the window and begin to open the door, which allows a continuous view of oncoming
traffic while preparing to exit, opening the door and stepping out2.
This practice can help to avoid collisions, often referred to as 'doorings' or being 'doored'.
Dooring is defined as when a driver or passenge r opens a vehicle door into the path of oncoming
traffic, resulting in a collision or avoidance manoeuvres, such as swerving or braking, which may
also result in injury or even death3.
The Dutch Reach method can also protect drivers and passengers themselves from being struck
Item 4-A
05/09/17
29 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
3
by an oncoming vehicle, as well as reducing the risk that their ca r door could be damaged or torn
off by a passing vehicle.
Source:
http://www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/pedal-cyclists/sharing-the-road-t ogether-drivers-cyclists/dutch-reach/
Here is a self-explanatory image, from the Dutch Reach Project website home page
(https://www.dutchreach.org ):
As the Dutch Reach Project puts it, “Dutch kids learn it from parents & in school. It’s taught in drivers’ ed, and
required to pass their driving test. It's been Dutc h commonsense for 50 years. Time we thought so too!”
Item 4-A
05/09/17
30 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
Santa Monica City Council, City Manager, and Chief of Police,
141 people have signed a petition on Action Network telling you to Making Santa Monica's Streets
Safer: The Time is Now!.
Here is the petition they signed:
Santa Monica had been making great strides with implementation of the Bike Action Plan and
pedestrian improvements in making the city safer for people who walk and bike, but this effort
has slowed in recent years. At the same time, the City of Los Angeles has re-organized their
transportation department around a Vision Zero goal and is working to implement new
pedestrian and bicycle safety projects each week. The gap will grow and Santa Monica will
be left behind if we don’t commit staff and resources to Vision Zero now.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), you're more likely to die by being
hit by a car while walking and biking around Santa Monica than you are to be murdered in
Santa Monica. Between 2000 and 2014, SMPD reported 42 murders and willful
manslaughters to the FBI. During the same period, SMPD reported 42 pedestrian fatalities
and 4 cyclist fatalities to the California Highway Patrol.
Santa Monica adopted the goal to eliminate traffic fatalities and major injuries in the
Pedestrian Action Plan. That Plan outlines a vision out to 2030 – which is only 13 years. What
are we doing now to make the vision of eliminating tragic events on our roadways become a
reality? At current rates, we can expect another 40 people to die while we are waiting for the
City to allocate funding to and increase enforcement for our Pedestrian Action Plan efforts.
That's not soon enough for the residents, workers, and visitors at risk in the coming years
because of the City's inaction on traffic safety.
The time is now to make our streets safer with an awareness campaign tied to GoSaMo,
which actively invites and encourages us to walk, bike, and use public transit.
The time is now for the City to hire a pedestrian safety coordinator with the full-time
responsibility of working across departments to eliminate oversights and institutional barriers
that lead to pedestrian fatalities and injuries.
The time is now for the City to fund increased police traffic enforcement to prevent dangerous
driving behaviors.
The time is now for the City to stop the long-outdated assumption that pedestrians are a traffic
anomaly who must walk multiple blocks to cross a street or beg a button to signal their
presence. We need leading pedestrian intervals at all major pedestrian crossings.
The time is now for the City to place “No Right Turn on Red” signs at all downtown scramble
intersections.
The time is now for the Police Department to give school zones the same level of concern they
give Pier Concerts.
The time is now for the City to fully fund accelerated implementation of the Pedestrian Action
Plan.
Item 4-A
05/09/17
31 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
The time is now for the City to put well-marked crosswalks at all crossings on our major
boulevards and increase crosswalk visibility within two blocks of all schools.
The time is now for the City to integrate meaningful pedestrian and bicycle access to the new
Airport Park from the earliest planning stages.
The time is now for everyone in Santa Monica to unite behind a goal we can all agree on - that
our streets should be safer places for those who live, work, and play here.
When it comes to pedestrian safety, it doesn't matter who you are, your age and physical
health, the color of your skin, where you live or how much money you make. It doesn't even
matter if you had just parked your car and were standing at a ticket vending machine to make
a payment. All of us at some point are pedestrians. Until something drastic changes about
how we drive and whether we hold people accountable for dangerous driving, more people will
die due to something that is entirely within our control.
You can view each petition signer and the comments they left you below.
Thank you,
Juan Matute
1. Abby Arnold (zip code: 90405)
2. Anne Brown (zip code: 90403)
3. Aida Garcia-toledo (zip code: 90403)
4. Allon Percus (zip code: 90403)
5. Alyssa Netto (zip code: 90404)
6. Amy Bishop (zip code: 90404)
Great effort on the part of the staff to get community input at a recent planning session, for the Safe
Route's Plan for Edison. Bravo to all present in the room.
7. An anonymous signer (zip code: 90403)
It's sad that kids can't bike in their own neighborhoods because their parents are afraid of the drivers.
People speed down 26th almost always and zoom around Franklin Elementary like it's an Indy track.
8. Anita Landecker (zip code: 90405)
9. Anne Hawthorne (zip code: 90015)
I agree with all of these things, and ask that the city also refrain from ticketing pedestrians and cyclists
Item 4-A
05/09/17
32 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
as it discourages walking and cycling. Let's make leaving our cars a priority!
10. Alan Toy (zip code: 90402)
11. Barbara Filet (zip code: 90404)
Budgeting for a Pedestrian Safety position would help meet these goals. That person should work
closely with the police department to ticket moving violations and careless behavior by drivers.
12. Alison Butt (zip code: 90403)
13. Babak Mozaffari (zip code: 90401)
14. Bruce Tartaglia (zip code: 90403)
The strip from 18th to 20th on Washington Ave has cars reaching 45 mph in a residential area... 20th
& Washington Ave often has dangerous crashes. Please address! Thank you!
15. Bruce Jugan (zip code: 90049)
I live in Brentwood and drive to Santa Monica to shop, eat and walk. I want to be safe when I walk
around. It would be great if you could improve pedestrian safety.
16. Carter Rubin (zip code: 90405)
17. Craig Boreth (zip code: 90403)
18. Carl Hansen (zip code: 90403)
19. Cris Gutierrez (zip code: 90405)
Walking is a sane and humane way to get to place to place in a carbon-light and climate friendly way.
Let's tae care of pedestrians and get to know our neighbors.
20. Cynthia Rose (zip code: 90401)
Together we can make a difference!
21. Daniel Shenise (zip code: 90403)
22. Sherban Drulea (zip code: 90404)
More bike lanes & protected crosswalks ASAP!
23. Sherban Drulea (zip code: 90404)
We need more bike lanes from end to end (beach to West LA border). There are too many incomplete
lanes that dump bikes out into unfriendly traffic environments
24. Elizabeth Tracy (zip code: 90405)
I often use the blinking light crosswalk on 23rd St., south of Ocean Park. It's amazing how many cars
just sail through the blinking lights, imperilling all pedestrians. Never a police car in sight...
Item 4-A
05/09/17
33 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
25. Debbie Mulvaney (zip code: 90403)
26. Diana Schwab (zip code: 90403)
27. Douglas Benedict (zip code: 90405)
28. Dustin Peterson (zip code: 90401)
29. Elizabeth Tooke (zip code: 90403)
30. Erin Dale (zip code: 90403)
31. Ellen Levy (zip code: 90405)
32. Ellis Kirschenbaum (zip code: 90405)
Safety first, over convenience
33. Emilie Flynn (zip code: 90401)
34. Evan Pozarny (zip code: 90049)
35. Eve Gordon (zip code: 90405)
36. Mindy Johnson (zip code: 90403)
I live and work in Santa Monica (I'm car-free). I walk or bike everywhere and I'm in constant danger
when I legally cross a street due to drivers not yielding or paying attention. It needs to stop. There
needs to be a mindset and culture change in this city, if we want to make it truly walkable and
bikeable. Car culture permeates everything - from some intersections not having an automatic
pedestrian cycle (if there's not a walk symbol, it's jaywalking if you cross... better press that button (in
time!)), to pedestrian cycles not being long enough for handicapped people to cross, to right-turns
allowed during the scramble cycle, to the blatant acceptance of drivers not yielding to peds or honking
at other drivers who allow someone to (rightfully) cross. I know this is America, where everyone
apparently has the right to get where they're going as fast as possible without regard for the wellbeing
of others, but it NEEDS TO STOP. Victim blaming needs to stop. People need to take personal
responsibility for their actions, and law enforcement needs to pay attention to these behaviors so we
can PREVENT - not react to - these horrific events.
37. Gabrielle Mickle (zip code: 90403)
38. Greg Chasen (zip code: 90401)
39. Gigi Depourtales (zip code: 90403)
40. Grace Phillips (zip code: 90405)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
34 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
41. Greg Morena (zip code: 90405)
42. Sandra Gruner (zip code: 90404)
My daughter nearly got hit crossing on green light to SAMOHI school.
And on Santa Monica Blvd, cars speed over 30 m/h making extreme dangerous to cross the street.
43. suzanne hackel (zip code: 90404)
I try to avoid using my car as much as possible and the city has made this much easier and more
pleasant in the last 10 years in many ways. What's gotten worse, however, is the drivers. I've been
almost hit as a pedestrian twice this year- both times when a car turned left in front of me (or almost
into me). Better signage/ad campaign or just heavy fines could help. I love the city and know the
talent in city gvt. could come up with great solutions. I'd be happy to help.
44. Michelle Parrella (zip code: 90404)
Our city needs better crosswalks and safety measures to ensure we are safe
45. Inatsugu (zip code: 90405)
46. Irene and Sam Zivi (zip code: 90405)
47. James Rath (zip code: 90014)
48. Jason Islas (zip code: 90404)
49. Jason Mastbaum (zip code: 90403)
Some of my experiences walking and cycling in Santa Monica:
Crossing the street and having drivers get WAY too close to me because they couldn't wait a few extra
seconds for me to clear the intersection.
Cycling on 4th north of Wilshire and having an Uber driver try to force me off the road using his car.
Cycling on 5th north of Wilshire and having one driver go COMPLETELY over the double line and
nearly collide with opposing traffic trying to get around me.
Constantly being forced out of the bike lane by people using it as a standing zone.
Cycling northbound on 2nd just north of Colorado and having someone in an SUV driving from the
McDonald's parking structure directly across second into the municipal lot, and in the process nearly
driving STRAIGHT INTO ME.
Tons of crosswalks where the light won't change unless you hit the button but unless you literally run
across the street, it's not possible to hit the second button in time if you need to cross both ways.
Bonus points when this happens at an intersection where there's only three crosswalks and you're
expected to cross three ways just to keep going straight.
50. Javier Beloso (zip code: 90403)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
35 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
51. Jennifer Jacobson (zip code: 91406)
52. Jill Boberg (zip code: 90405)
53. James Harris (zip code: 90405)
54. Juan Matute (zip code: 90404)
55. Jonathan Mickle (zip code: 90403)
56. Joanna Vasquez (zip code: 91007)
I lived in Santa Monica for 46 years. I am now living in Arcadia temporally.
57. Joanne Leavitt (zip code: 90405)
I walk a lot around town and increasingly feel less safe, more ignored by drivers, more frightened by
behaviors I see.
58. John Zinner (zip code: 90402)
59. Jon London (zip code: 90401)
Vision Zero is a lofty goal. To be successful we must put in more serious work now. Planning
Commissioner McKinnon illustrated this point in a previous meeting.
60. Josie Garcia (zip code: 90404)
61. Julie Singer (zip code: 90403)
62. June Stoddard (zip code: 90405)
In 2003 I was hit by a car in a crosswalk at Wilshire and 9th Street. I am very lucky to be alive.
My husband had died of cancer 11 months before. My twin 8 year old daughters were almost
orphaned.
Our streets have not been safe for a long time. At that corner there is now a median down the middle
of the street, right where I was hit. I learned to mainly cross at a light.
I no longer trust cars to stop at stop signs. I see too many cars fly through without even slowing down.
Something must be done.
63. Kathy Seal (zip code: 90405)
64. KATHLEEN DONOVAN (zip code: 90401)
65. Jennifer Taylor (zip code: 90402)
66. Ken Greenwald (zip code: 90404)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
36 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
67. Kent Downing (zip code: 90401)
68. Kent Strumpell (zip code: 90404)
If we're serious about Vision Zero, we have to up our game dramatically.
69. Kristi Stark (zip code: 90035)
I work in SM on the Promenade and over the last year it feels more and more unsafe. One of my
coworkers was attacked and beat in the face - this same attacker nearly killed a man in the public
bathrooms the next night. Someone just got killed by a dunk driver while trying to pay for parking.
There are constantly drug addicted homeless people wandering the Promenade, screaming
obscenities and scaring people. As a woman, I don't feel safe walking to my car after work at night.
Something needs to change.
70. Kyle Jenkins (zip code: 90401)
71. Diane Cartwright (zip code: 90401)
72. Lesley Kawaguchi (zip code: 90405)
As someone who generally uses Pico or Ocean Park to go between home and work, I have witnessed
near misses of cars ignoring people in crosswalks, ignoring stop signs and red lights.
73. Leonora Yetter (zip code: 90403)
Crossing Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvd at crosswalks is scary and dangerous--all crosswalks at
busy intersections should have safety lights to signal that cars should stop for pedestrians.
74. Leslie Lambert (zip code: 90405)
75. Libby Bradley (zip code: 90403)
76. Laura Gillette (zip code: 90403)
Streets and crossings must be made safer. Pedestrian and cyclist deaths are an avoidable tragedy.
This is also a tragedy for the drivers involved, so anyone who drives should be equally supportive. I
myself have come too close to hitting a pedestrian or cyclist crossing in the dark, or on a street
unfriendly for cyclists. Our streets need to take better care of all of us.
77. Lora Morn (zip code: 90405)
78. lollie ragana (zip code: 90405)
79. Mark Yetter (zip code: 90403)
80. Michael Hamilton (zip code: 90291)
Street safety for pedestrians and cyclists is worse in Venice and Santa Monica than any other place
I've ever lived.
Item 4-A
05/09/17
37 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
There are blinking walk signals which have no pedestrian facing lightbulbs on Main Street, so you hit
a button and pray cars stop for you.
There are drivers constantly looking only one way for cars and people when pulling straight into
pedestrian walkways trying to make a left turn.
I live in Venice and walk into Santa Monica to work at a game studio every single work day and I've
only been here a year and I've nearly been hit 4 times despite caution. Drivers here are NUTS, and
the fact that there's a lot of cyclists on the sidewalks makes it even worse.
81. Michael Brodsky (zip code: 90405)
82. Melissa Sweeney (zip code: 90404)
I walk between 25 and 30 miles a week in Santa Monica and can attest to the hazards pedestrians
face, especially, in my experience, in Downtown and along Broadway. Increased attention to
pedestrian safety must go hand-in-hand with our community's effort to become less car-centric.
83. Bryan Beretta (zip code: 90404)
84. Melissa Zelenovic (zip code: 90403)
85. Marie Elena Rigo (zip code: 90404)
86. Joanne Curtis (zip code: 90405)
87. Mike Mora (zip code: 99213)
88. Michael Kaliuzhnyi (zip code: 90046)
Please make crosswalk on Fountain Ave and Harper Ave in West Hollywood!!
89. Shaun Boylan (zip code: 90404)
90. Natalya Zernitskaya (zip code: 90404)
91. Omark Holmes (zip code: 90025)
92. Joyce Shelby (zip code: 90401)
I want cyclists to be safe, but I feel that in an attempt to protect themselves from cars, they have
become a bigger threat to pedestrians in DTSM. Not a single day goes by that I am not endangered in
one way or another by a bike, especially on the sidewalks or in the scrambles.
Pedestrians have become collateral damage in the war between cats and bikes. (And again, I am on
the side of the bikes!)
93. Patrizia Barretto (zip code: 90405)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
38 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
94. Perias Pillay (zip code: 90029)
95. Ralph Barton (zip code: 90403)
we need a crosswalk at Idaho and 26th, across 26th is a life/death experience trying to cross the
road....
96. Randy Ziglar (zip code: 90405)
Slow the speed and the amount of cars in Santa Monica in order to make walking safe again.
97. Rayne Laborde (zip code: 90401)
Cities are for people, not cars. As a non-car owner, I should feel safe as a pedestrian- but this is rarely
the case. Santa Monica must work harder to enforce traffic violations in regards to crosswalks,
especially mid-block or no signal crosswalks on streets like Wilshire- where cars ignore pedestrian
right of way. I expected to learn to ride a bike for an easier commute after moving to Santa Monica.
Instead, the streets are so hostile for new bikers that I've rarely ridden at all. Protected bike lanes and
more bike infrastructure paired with education for drivers and enforcement of safety laws are
necessary to reclaim our streets.
98. Richard Neylan (zip code: 90405)
I am a crossing guard for John Adams and Grant. My corner is 20th and Pearl. This a very dangerous
intersection. I have been nearly killed/seriously injured 3 times in the past 12 months.
The college students are a major disruptor of traffic as they carelessly cross the street because as
they say "they have the right of way". That may be so but they are placing the neighborhood children
at great risk by their actions.
The other major problem is Uber and Lyft drivers stoping in the middle of the street to pick up
students. These drivers drive recklessly to pick up and drop off the students. Running stop signs and
parking in crosswalks is a daily occurrence.
Pearl and 20th could use lights in the crosswalk to alert drivers to stop.
Please do something before a child is seriously injured.
99. Samantha Lonigro (zip code: 90405)
100. Sarah Brown (zip code: 90404)
I live in Mid-City and bike daily to my job in the heart of downtown Santa Monica daily, and I see the
dangers pedestrians face every day. Please help find a way for pedestrians to feel safe in our city.
101. Saralee Berman (zip code: 90402)
102. Shawn Landres (zip code: 90405)
103. Sirinya Matute (zip code: Santa Monica, CA)
Thank you for organizing this petition.
104. Juan Matute (zip code: 90404)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
39 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
105. Shilpa Wali (zip code: 90402)
106. Scott Schonfeld (zip code: 90405)
107. Stephen Rubin (zip code: 90403)
108. Steven Soo (zip code: 90403)
When is SMPD going to start enforcing traffic laws?
109. Jeremy Stutes (zip code: 90404)
I have been nearly hit by a car crossing the street on "my turn" as a pedestrian in Santa Monica twice
this year. I think we need dramatically slower streets and better "safer" intersections.
110. Suzanne Barron (zip code: 90402)
111. Tara Casas (zip code: 90403)
I would like to see less enforcement of parking violations and more enforcement of traffic violations!
Blocking intersections, running red lights, high speeds in school zones, distracted driving and more
are all too common in SM. I rarely see SMPD ticketing drivers for these violations. Time to get
everyone to slow down and pay attention to pedestrians.
112. Tim Blaney (zip code: 90405)
113. Andy Liberman (zip code: 90404)
114. Ted Semeniuta (zip code: 90403)
115. Kay Pattison (zip code: 90405)
Unfortunately, Santa Monica has become a hazardous place to walk, bike and even drive. I am super
cautious now as I have come very close to being hit by cars. I also do walking tours of the downtown
area for the Santa Monica Conservancy. People on our tours are visitors from all over the world and I
am responsible for their safety crossing our streets. It is discouraging that so many drivers are only
concerned that they move before the Pedestrians have a chance to cross the street.
116. Tim Harter (zip code: 90403)
117. Avila (zip code: 90401)
118. Tom Lloyd (zip code: 90405)
119. Valerie Griffin (zip code: 90403)
When I was Chair of Wilmont, I promoted and signed a petition, organized by someone else, in
response to a pedestrian fatality on Wilshire. Pedestrian safety was an important part of our
Transportation Forum in 2011. Walkability is described as a core goal in Santa Monica. We cannot
aspire to a walkable city if pedestrians fear for our lives!
Item 4-A
05/09/17
40 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
120. Michael Cahn (zip code: 90403)
The pedestrian action plan is, so far, a police in-action plan
121. Sharon Croskery (zip code: 90404)
122. Wendy Dembo (zip code: 90403)
It is unsafe for my daughter to cross Washington on her own to go to school (Franklin). There are no
stop signs from 21st to 25th on Washington. And only one crosswalk at 24th which is at a t-
intersection. People don't understand it and don't stop.
123. Zachary Gaidzik (zip code: 90405)
124. Zuzana Riemer Landres (zip code: 90405)
Item 4-A
05/09/17
41 of 41 Item 4-A
05/09/17
PEDESTRIAN & BIKE ACTION
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
2017
Design & Roadways: Bikeways
Design & Roadways: Bikeways
Design & Roadways: Bike Center, Bike Parking
Design & Roadways: Breeze
Design & Roadways: Expo Station Access
Design & Roadways: Colorado Esplanade
Design & Roadways: Longfellow
Design & Roadways: Michigan Ave Greenway
Design & Roadways
Design & Roadways
Encouragement: GoSaMo
Education & Encouragement: Safe Routes
Education & Encouragement: Kidical Mass
Education & Encouragement: Family Bike Fest
Photo credits: SM Spoke
Education & Encouragement: Rides
Education & Encouragement: COAST
Evaluation
The City’s first bike counter was installed in December 2016, and along with the GPS data from Breeze Bike Share can be used to plan for bicycling.
Evaluation
Enforcement: Directed Enforcement Campaigns
2016 Operations
•6 DUI Checkpoints: 6527 Vehicles Screened/158 Sobriety Tests
•20 Directed Patrols for DUI: 410 Vehicles Screened/160 Sobriety Tests
•35 General Enforcement Operations: 676 Citations Issued
•11 Motorcycle Operations: 180 Citations Issued
•5 Distracted Driving Operations: 149 Traffic Stops/122 Citations Issued
•34 Bicycle/Pedestrian Operations: 2265 Traffic Stops/1761 Citations Issued
2017 Operations (Jan -April)
•2 DUI Checkpoints: 1371 Vehicles Screened/4 Arrests
•23 General Enforcement Operations: 155 Citations Issued
•1 Distracted Driving Operation: 37 Traffic Stops/18 Citations Issued
•21 Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety Operations: 1223 Traffic Stops/545 Citations Issued
Enforcement: Citations
Citations Issued by SMPD
City Wide
16,386
13,024
19,888 19,490
4,517 3544 3070
6495 6372
1464 761 377 861 710 152
4819 3653 4116 5043
1391
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Jan 2013 –April 2017
Total Citations Unsafe Turning Right Of Way Unsafe Speed/Inattention
Education: Neighborhood Outreach & Media
•Traffic safety presentations at WISE, local schools, and during
the Police Department’s Community Academy
•Outreach and traffic safety tips at community events, business
groups and neighborhood groups
•12 Public Safety Announcements
o Be Safe, Be Seen
o Pokemon Go distracted walking
o Parking Lot Safety
o Skateboard Safety
o Pay Attention/Look Up
o Phone Distractions
o Move Safe Senior/Youth
o Pedestrian Scrambles
•Move Safe Campaign
Looking Forward: Vision Zero
Looking Forward: Vision Zero
March 17, 2015 Council directs staff
to pursue Vision Zero policy.
February 14, 2016 Council adopts
10 -year Vision Zero Target in
Pedestrian Action Plan.
Vision Zero
Vision Zero
Vision Zero
Vision Zero
Vision Zero
Vehicle vs. Vehicle Collisions, 2017 Vehicle vs Bicycle Collisions, 2017 Vehicle vs. Pedestrian Collisions, 2017
Vision Zero
Vision Zero: Los Angeles Education Tool
Vision Zero: Los Angeles Education Tool
Vision Zero: High Impact Communications
Vision Zero: Changing Design Practices
Carbon Neutrality: Climate Action Plan
Travel Mode for all Trips
Bike 5.0%
Private vehicle,
Motorcycle
65.0%
Walk 17.6%
Other 0.5%
Public transit 2.7%
Rail 0.4%
Carpool,
Rideshare
,
Taxi
8.8%
Looking Forward: Resident Travel Survey Results
Top 4 Encouragement Tools to Reduce Driving Alone
Discounts on
transit passes
A comprehensive
online resource
for trip planning
Discounts on
Breeze Bike
Share
memberships
Better
Infrastructure for
walking and
biking
Looking Forward: Resident Travel Survey Results
Technology: Increasing Automation
Looking Ahead
PEDESTRIAN & BIKE ACTION
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
2017
Vehicle vs. Vehicle Collisions, 2013
Vehicle vs Bicycle Collisions, 2013
Vehicle vs. Pedestrian Collisions, 2013
Vehicle vs. Vehicle Collisions, 2014
Vehicle vs Bicycle Collisions, 2014
Vehicle vs. Pedestrian Collisions, 2014
Vehicle vs. Vehicle Collisions, 2015
Vehicle vs Bicycle Collisions, 2015
Vehicle vs. Pedestrian Collisions, 2015
Vehicle vs. Vehicle Collisions, 2016
Vehicle vs Bicycle Collisions, 2016
Vehicle vs. Pedestrian Collisions, 2016
Vehicle vs. Vehicle Collisions, 2017
Vehicle vs Bicycle Collisions, 2017
Vehicle vs. Pedestrian Collisions, 2017