At Wednesday’s meeting of the Santa Monica Planning Commission (agenda), staff gave an update on the Pedestrian Action Plan and Bicycle Action Plan Implementation. A full copy of their presentation can be found here and you can view video of the meeting here.
During public comment on the presentation, a parade of SMMUSD students, many from Santa Monica High School but also local middle schools such as John Adams, testified asking for safer streets so they can walk or bike to school.
The social media account Mobility for Who compiled the comments from the meeting and used them to narrate a video that can be found below. The video also includes examples where Santa Monica can improve its mobility system and graphics from the update that was presented at the meeting.
“As a student at JAMS, I would try to walk or bike,” testified one student. “But that would mean biking in the narrow lane on Cloverfield, so I would usually end up on the sidewalk for fear that I would get honked at or maybe hit.”
But much of the testimony was positive, focusing on the improvements that can happen and the benefits of what has already happened. One Samohi student testified he was proud of the progress the city has made. Another testified:
“This is possible. We can have a sustainable Santa Monica. We can be a city where people enjoy their time outside (on their way to and from their house.)”
