Residents to be asked to help name State Route 187
By Daily Press staff
It’s time to name another street in Santa Monica.
The Santa Monica City Council tonight will consider asking residents to submit their votes on what former State Route 187 should be named.
State Route 187 is an access road to the Pacific Coast Highway located between Palisades Beach Road and Ocean Avenue.
The one-block street, which has no addresses along it, could be named to honor someone in the community or a shared community value.
City Hall will ask the community to submit names for the street through the Internet and the city’s publication, “Seascape.” City staff will then present a list of names to the City Council, which could then either direct staff to use one of the suggested names, one of its own or to narrow the list and conduct an online poll.
In March of 2002, hundreds of residents had to change their addresses when City Hall renamed a portion of Ocean Avenue. Nine apartment buildings, one home and a hotel now reside on Barnard Way, after council members decided Ocean Avenue was too confusing.
Ocean Avenue runs from the northern city limits to Pico Boulevard, where it veers towards the Pacific Ocean and continues to Hollister Avenue. Traveling south of Pico Boulevard on Ocean Avenue toward Hollister Avenue the street name suddenly changed to Barnard Way.
Council members agreed that it would be less confusing for residents and visitors if the entire street from Pico Boulevard to the southern city limit had the same name, which is now Barnard Way.
The City Council in 1966 honored former mayor Benjamin Barnard by renaming “The Speedway” and a portion of Ocean Avenue to Barnard Way. Within a couple of months, the council then changed its decision and the Ocean Avenue portion was reinstated.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 11, 2003. Read the original PDF.