City Manager David White is scheduled to provide an update on the city’s efforts to achieve Vision Zero, that is make city streets so safe to move through that there are zero traffic related fatalities, at tomorrow night’s city council meeting (Agenda, Item 3B). No report is available online just yet, as the Council won’t be taking any action the city is not required to post the report ahead of time. However, despite some high-profile projects and a directive from the Council late last year to do more on traffic safety; officials are still expecting a somewhat mixed report.
In January of this year, there were at least two different fatal crashes on Santa Monica streets and just last week a car collided with an E Line train. Personally, I’m no stranger to some of the unsafe conditions of Santa Monica’s streets after a Metro bus skidded through an intersection and destroyed a concrete trash can I had been standing next to seconds earlier last August.
But unlike many cities, Santa Monica is trying to make streets safer. The local bicycle and pedestrian safety advocacy group, Santa Monica Spoke, is encouraging the city to do more. In an action alert to members, they are encouraging people concerned with safe streets to email the Council and encourage them to do more for safe streets…more protected bike lanes, more safe crossings for pedestrians and more traffic calming to reduce traffic speeds.
Please join us with an email to Council TODAY voicing your support for more protected bike lanes (support the Bike Action Plan Amendment) and to support our city’s commitment to Vision Zero — to protect vulnerable road users, like people walking and biking, with streets designed to be safer for everyone.
Easy one click email — please do add your comments and personal stories if you can!
If you want to take part in the action alert, click here.
