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# Rethinking restriping
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/rethinking-restriping-editor/
- Published: 2008-01-21T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T18:05:07.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*By Phyllis Chavez Santa Monica*

Thanks for the article on restriping Ocean Park Boulevard (”One lane or another?” page 1, Jan. 15).

I consider myself a patient and fair person, not overly quick to make a judgment. I think a month is a fair amount of time to form an opinion on the restriping. The month has passed and it is as bad as the first day. I could go on and on but instead I’ll just list my main complaints: 1\. ACCIDENTS: As of this afternoon about 3 p.m. there have been five accidents. This count includes the one on the first day (Dec. 15) when a person was hit in the crosswalk in front of Bolivar Cafe. These are only ones I personally saw or heard, so there may have been more in other locations. Of the five accidents, four have been near or at the intersection of 21st Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. 2\. NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS: There have been at least three near miss accidents (that I know of). The latest was last Wednesday. As I’m waiting to cross the street to tutor at the library, I hear screeching brakes, smell burning rubber and have to jump back from the curb as a car in the intersection just misses rear ending the car in front of him. A lucky inch or two kept myself and probably three cars from involvement in another accident. Then I have to walk between all the cars that were still blocking the crosswalk and the intersection. This again is at the intersection of 21st Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. 3\. BLOCKED INTERSECTIONS AND CROSSWALKS DUE TO TRAFFIC SITTING IN THE INTERSECTION: I’m tired of having to thread my way through the cars when I cross at 21st and Ocean Park to go to the library or mail a letter. This is the “new norm” now. So now in addition to being careful when I cross the street, I have to be super, ultra vigilant making sure the drivers don’t try to go forward or back up trying to clear the crosswalk, while I’m in it. 4\. INCREASE IN TRAFFIC NOISE AND HORN HONK- ING: I can tell the time of day without a clock by the horn honking, screeching brakes and the cussing and shouting. 5\. INCREASED TRAFFIC ON 21 STREET: Monday through Thursday, 21st has become the “traffic back up twin sister” to 23rd Street. The traffic often backs up from Ocean Park Boulevard to Oak Street with cut-through traffic. When leaving my alley driveway, I used to only be blocked on 23rd. Now I have an equally hard time leaving on 21st during the early morning hours. 6\. INCREASED POLLUTION: The cars seem to be spending more time stopping and idling than before due to back up. This creates more pollution and air quality issues at my residence.

I live on Ocean Park Boulevard. I have yet to see the advantages of this arrangement. As far as I’m concerned, the trial is over, change it back.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 21, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/012108.pdf?ref=smdp.com)