Gary Kavanagh

At this week's Virginia Park meeting for the Michigan Ave. Neighborhood Greenway proposal, a slightly clearer picture of what we might see for the project emerged. There was particular controversy in the neighborhood over the proposal for a diverter at 11th St. & Michigan, proposed there because the blocks from Lincoln to 11th have the highest number of car trips in the study corridor. The trips are created by the school and cut throughs for the freeway ramp on Lincoln just north of Michigan.

I’m returned to Santa Monica this week from attending the California by Bike Summit in Oakland, with the theme of mainstreaming the bike in California, and a few extra days in the Bay Area and San Francisco as well. There were numerous sessions and discussions with valuable lessons that will inform my writing, but I thought I would start with reflecting on the experience on day one, attending the optional bike tour of Davis California by way of the Amtrak Capital Corridor from Oakland. The tour was led by local advocates Steve and Emily Tracy of Davis Bicycles!.

(This is part II of a two part series on Santa Monica Next. Part I is here. - DN)

On Tuesday Night, the Santa Monica City Council approved a motion by a 5-1 vote (Bob Holbrook the dissenting vote and Pam O'Conner absent), to move forward with soliciting request for proposals ("shopping" as city attorney Moutrie referred to it), for a city-wide bike share system.

After 3 years in the works and dozens of public workshops and meetings before commissions and the council, the Bergamot Area Plan has finally passed Tuesday night (really Wednesday morning) with a 6-1 vote. The vote both approves the plan (which will take effect in October), and clarifying that the plan takes the place of existing zoning for the area.

This next coming Tuesday, the Bergamot Area Plan is going to the city council for possible adoption. The Bergamot Area Plan, is one of the key pieces of the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) general plan. The plan scope area is at the heart of the arts and commercial office centers of the eastern end of the city, and which is soon to have train service again in a few years.

Last week, Santa Monica held two meetings for the Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway proposal, following an earlier presentation to Santa Monica Spoke. I've now seen the latest developments on this project presented and discussed 3 separate times to different audiences.

This Sunday is the 5th edition of the annual Tour da Arts (11am to 5pm at Bergamot Station), put on by the Santa Monica Museum of Art. If you are unfamiliar with the event, it is the premiere mass bike ride meets arts, music and dance event of the year in Santa Monica. If you are in Santa Monica, or near by, or looking for an excuse to come out this way, come out, seriously.

(We're inching closer to the launch of Santa Monica Next. Read more about it here and here. Give us a Kick Start to help us get going, here. - DN)

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