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# Santa Monica A pier ramp up is what we need
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-a-pier-ramp-up-is-what-we-need-editor/
- Published: 2005-07-05T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:22:31.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Pier, #archive-import

*By Michael S. Klein*

I appreciate Ryan Hyatt’s piece on pier access (“City Hall ramping up for easier pier access,” SMDP, June 29, page 1) and commend it.

Anything that moves the process along is terrific. The proposed bridge modifications and the ramp together are a win-win-win situation. Together, they will significantly improve safety of pedestrians going to the pier, will greatly benefit traffic flow, particularly for people leaving the pier and heading out of Santa Monica — which makes life easier for those of us who live here, too — and will assist persons with disabilities in accessing the pier. They will, in general, benefit the citizenry.

Add in the other things being considered by hard-working executive director Ben Franz-Knight, the PRC Board, staff at resource management and the City Council, including modifications that would allow docking of fishing boats and a marine exploration boat for kids, improvements to the aquarium, a better entertainment profile and some good food for families, and you have quite a package.

And, particularly given that, I hate to quibble especially when any reportorial confusion is no doubt my fault, but it would be unfair to the many people who have participated in and continue to participate in the design of the proposed ramp to claim credit for things I didn’t do. I suggested a modification only to the engineering design of the single lane of the auto ramp down to the 1550 lot. That modification was approved by the PRC and seemed to be the most popular choice in general. I get a kick out of that mostly because I’m just a lawyer — I know about as much about engineering as I do about the weather on Pluto. If the bridge and ramp ever get built, a lot of people will deserve a lot of credit.

And, as they say, “May it happen soon, in our generation.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 5, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/070505.pdf?ref=smdp.com)