Gridlock at Bundy SMC GROWTH, from page 3
BUNDY DRIVE — The neighbors of Santa Monica College’s satellite campus are mired in gridlock with school officials over a familiar topic — the additional traffic anticipated here as a result of the college’s growth.
The master plan for the SMC’s Bundy Campus, located just south of the Santa Monica Airport, includes the construction of a new, two-story classroom building around 33,000 square feet, the addition of more than 170 parking spaces and a new driveway to accommodate a new traffic signal on Bundy Drive at the northeast corner of the campus.
Once completed, the project is expected to generate an additional 2,877 daily commuter trips, of which about 121 would occur during the peak morning hours (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.), and 203 trips during the evening peak (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.), according to traffic studies presented in the draft environmental impact report, now circulating for public comment.
Friends of Sunset Park has raised concerns about the traffic that will be created by the new building and a proposal to allow cars exiting the campus to drive both east and west on Airport Avenue. They say complete use of the road would increase the number of additional car trips by 1,000 in intersections just west of the airport.
Zina Josephs, president of the neighborhood group, said those intersections — which include 23rd Street and Walgrove Avenue — are already packed with cars during rush hour, having been rated “F” by City Hall.
“According to the Santa Monica traffic management department, “feeder” streets such as 23rd Street should have no more than 15,000 daily car trips,” Josephs said.
Mar Vista residents have expressed similar concerns about increased traffic on Centinela Avenue, as have airport officials who are worried about the impacts of traffic on airport operations and the newly named Airport Park, now under construction off Airport Avenue.
“We have air quality issues, security, traffic generated and its impact on the park and those living in between the two campuses,” said Bob Trimborn, acting manager of the airport.
Currently, City Hall has allowed SMC to use Airport Avenue, but students and other visitors are only allowed to exit the campus parking lot onto the road, and then must turn right, heading east towards Centinela Avenue and Bundy Drive.
“(Twenty-third Street) already has 24,000 daily car trips, so an additional 1,000 would bring it to 25,000... way beyond its capacity.”
The Airport Commission voted earlier this month for an access alternative that would essentially maintain the status quo.
Officials with SMC said they have responded to requests from various parties in Santa Monica and Los Angeles to address traffic generated by the project, including closing one entry point, moving driveways further to the west and building a new roadway that would serve as the main driveway for vehicles entering the campus.
“What we found when we studied 16 different ways of entering and exiting the site was that all of them had the same number of significant impacts,” said Don Girard, executive assistant to the president. “To give you an idea of a significant impact in Santa Monica, the addition of one car over 24 hours is considered significant.”
Girard, a resident of Sunset Park, said the alternative recommended by staff, which would allow drivers to turn left and right on Airport Avenue, adds about 14 cars a day to Dewey Street and 180 cars a day to 23rd Street, both of which are just west of the airport.
Residents living around the college have oftentimes clashed with the college over parking problems and traffic congestion created by the roughly 30,000 students who are enrolled each year.
SMC officials said the primary objective of the Bundy master plan is to provide an essentially “self-sustaining” campus, largely operating independently of the SMC main campus and other satellite sites.
Among the programs centered at Bundy currently are early childhood development, teacher education and nursing. In addition, faculty and staff have identified a number of other programs that could be moved to Bundy from the main campus, including journalism, cinema, television broadcasting, fashion and merchandise and a career opportunity center.
The college purchased the 10.4-acre property in 2001.
Public comments regarding the adequacy and completeness of the draft EIR can be submitted in writing to SMC’s environmental review coordinator, Randal Lawson, executive vice president of SMC, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, 90405. Comments can be submitted up until Nov. 13.
The draft EIR and master plan are available at www.smc.edu/facilities_bundy. Printed copies are also available at the Bundy Campus, 3171 S. Bundy Dr., Room 120, Los Angeles, 90066.
SMC’s board of trustees is expected to weigh in on the EIR in February 2007.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 8, 2006. Read the original PDF.