SM College looks to public transportation for solutions
OCEAN PARK — Relief may be in sight for residents here who have been negatively affected by Santa Monica College’s practice of shuttling students to campus from a nearby beach parking lot.
Officials at SMC said Monday that they are looking at purchasing a piece of land in Santa Monica that should be suitable for a new student parking lot. Although they would not release any details, officials with the college said financing has been identified and an offer has been submitted to the owners of the property. The board of trustees is waiting for a reply.
The college is also looking for other parcels to incorporate into an overall transportation management plan that will rely heavily on public transportation. The plan could include amending state law to make it easier for students to purchase bus passes as part of their tuition.
“We are looking at all the numbers, trying to devise a smart shuttle schedule and other plans so that we can accommodate the needs of our students, provide timely transportation and reduce the disruption that this would cause on residents,” said SMC President Chui Tsang, who, along with City Manager Lamont Ewell, has been meeting with neighborhood groups to identify strategies to reduce the effects of student travel.
Students and residents alike have complained about the lack of affordable parking, something that forces SMC to lease from City Hall roughly 400 spaces at South Beach Lot 4 at 2030 Barnard Way, where students leave their cars and take buses to campus.
The frequency of the shuttles, which run every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to about 5:45 p.m., has caused a problem for residents in the area, who have complained about increases in traffic, noise and air pollution. When SMC officials, including Tsang, approached the City Council in June to extend the lease agreement, they were confronted by members of the Ocean Park Association. The members begged elected officials to deny SMC use of the lot, which was supposed to be temporary.
“They’re using these big diesel buses that are sometimes empty,” said Ted Winterer, president of the association. “It was like using a broad sword instead of a scalpel to do the job… They couldn’t even tell us what their ridership numbers were.”
The council approved the extension, but on several conditions. One condition was that SMC acquire a permanent shuttle location, preferably away from residential neighborhoods. The college was also required to apply for the necessary Coastal Commission permit, provide regular updates to the community on changes to the shuttle schedule and identify traffic reduction strategies, including working with Big Blue Bus and the MTA to increase the use of their services.
In a report to the council, SMC seems to be following through on its promises.The college has hired a consultant to assist with the application of the permit, and there have been two meetings held with Tsang, Ewell and residents of Ocean Park to address their concerns.
In addition, the college has purchased two smaller buses that will be integrated into the shuttle route at appropriate times, and there is new a limit on the time period when the shuttle lot will be used. Students will be issued parking permits on campus during summer and winter intersessions, when demand is at its lowest. During those times, the shuttles will be discontinued.
All of these efforts are expected to result in a 35 percent reduction in the number of planned shuttle trips, according to the report.
“It’s been frustrating because many of the things we’ve been asking for just seem like common sense. But there are signs of progress,” Winterer said. “We’ll have to wait and see in the coming weeks to see how far we’ve come along.”
The college is also looking at other options suggested by neighbors, including moving the shuttle stop to Main Street, coordinating with Big Blue Bus on its Community Transit Initiative and continuing work on a bus pass program.
“Really, the direction for us is to utilize the great public transportation system Santa Monica offers,” Tsang said. “We will encourage our students to use public transportation as much as possible.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 15, 2006. Read the original PDF.