By Carla Barrett Santa Monica
After reading Bill Bauer’s (opinion piece) on changing Ocean Park Boulevard from Lincoln Boulevard to 25th street (“What’s happening on Bauer’s radar,” Oct. 8), I have decided that no one in Transportation Management actually drives anywhere in Santa Monica.
They are planning on taking a street that is jammed up every morning and afternoon, both east and west, from Bundy (Drive) to Lincoln Boulevard, with two lanes in each direction and then funneling traffic down to one lane at 25th Street. The intersection of Ocean Park (Boulevard) and 23rd (Street) is one of the heaviest traveled in this city. The short one block over to Cloverfield Boulevard on Ocean Boulevard going east is also backed up with those that need to turn north on Cloverfield. The left turn light going west on Ocean Park onto 23rd Street seems to only work when it feels like it, rather than with each signal cycle Ocean Park is a main street for the business park, for Santa Monica College and for access to the south area beaches. The one-lane system has worked so well on Santa Monica Boulevard west of Lincoln — with traffic backed up from stop light to stop light, from Seventh Street west all day long — that the city, instead of looking at relieving the gridlock, wants to create it again on Ocean Park Boulevard.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 9, 2007. Read the original PDF.