By Jeff Bender Santa Monica
Re: “SMC Students Are Feeling The Parking Pinch,” (SMDP, March 17, page 1). Mr. Saldana, student parking needs have been addressed. Two new parking structures have been built, and students have free parking at Santa Monica Airport. You want to let students park in the preferential parking areas set aside for the people who actually live in the residential areas surrounding SMC? Students already park in these areas with their grandma’s handicapped permits. Perhaps you’d be happier if the residents just parked in Brentwood and take a bus home. Don’t you think that the people who live around SMC put up with enough (traffic, constant noise pollution, litter, student leaders who could care less about the college’s neighbors, etc.) without taking away our preferential parking? Preferential, meaning I have to pay to park in front of my own house.
Ms. Dyke, if there wasn’t a “final resolution” on these meters, why did we put them in? Now that we’ve already paid for them to be installed, let’s get some return on the investment. Traffic on Pearl Street is a nightmare. Students routinely park in the street, waiting for a parking spot. This creates a very dangerous situation, especially for cyclists, and causes even more congestion. The meters on Pearl Street were a good idea, and they need to be activated, at maximum cost. SMC police need to start ticketing those who illegally double park in this area as well.
Students at the City Council meeting did make some very astute comments, “Parking is difficult... and not guaranteed,” and the traffic and parking issues “causes them to spend hours every school day commuting.” Welcome to Santa Monica and welcome to the real world.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 18, 2005. Read the original PDF.