re: Main Street Summer Weekend Closures - Item 13C

April 25, 2021

Re: Main Street Summer Weekend Closures - Item 13C

Dear Mayor Himmelrich, Mayor Pro Tempore McCowan and City Councilmembers,

Santa Monica Forward strongly supports the recommendation brought forward by Councilmembers Parra and Davis in Item 13 - C to consider the proposals of Main Street Business Improvement Association and the Ocean Park Association to implement a pilot program for temporary summer weekend street closures.

Reclaiming our streets from cars We want Santa Monica to be a great place for residents, workers, and visitors of all ages to safely walk, bike, and scoot. Ask anyone to list their favorite cities, and you are unlikely to hear the name of a city that has prioritized the car. Instead, we prefer cities that allow for slower and more sustainable transportation. This is more than just anecdote, a 2020 paper by Luca Bertolini surveyed the literature on the impacts of similar street transition projects, and found resoundingly positive results. As an example, below are the findings from NYC’s famous “Pavement to Plazas” project.

While the car is unlikely to disappear in the near future, it’s interesting to note that prioritizing people over cars, can actually make the experience of driving in a city better! By encouraging more people to get out of their cars and explore the city, that leaves less traffic on our streets for those choosing to drive.

Lastly, as we come out of the pandemic, finding creative ways to support local business and provide more outdoor experiences is critical to our economic recovery. The proposal before you can both help address the current challenges of our post-pandemic recovery, and also lead to a safer and more sustainable Santa Monica. In the near future, We hope that similar programs will be explored in other parts of our community, so that all Santa Monicans can have access to pedestrian-oriented open streets in their neighborhoods.

Please vote “yes” on 13C.

Sincerely,

Abby Arnold Carl Hansen abby@abbyarnold.com cjh268@cornell.edu

Co-chair, Santa Monica Forward Co-chair, Santa Monica Forward