By Heidi Marshall Booth Santa Monica
How many more pedestrians have to be hit or killed until the Santa Monica City Council and Police Department start taking the rights and safety of pedestrians in this city as a serious matter? (”Mean streets,” page 1, Sept. 6) When I walk, I have to say that buses are often some of the most serious offenders. Certainly because they have schedules to maintain and very few car drivers are courteous nor want to let buses in so bus drivers have become increasingly aggressive as traffic on the Westside has become worse. However, that is not an excuse for any driver to disobey traffic laws or put people in danger.
Please, start enforcing the laws of this city. All of them. Have police stationed near cross walks and fine people who do not stop. I cannot remember the last time I saw an officer on Main Street. Fine the drivers who fly past Urth Cafe. Have one walk by it to fine the smokers who constantly violate the 20 feet law.
Fine people who litter, smoke, and bring their dogs on the beach. Do not allow camping in the parks. (Do not bother fining.) Maybe if the laws were enforced they would not be so frequently broken. Otherwise, come up with a solution that will keep our walkers/runners/skaters/PEO- PLE safe. I keep reading about traffic patterns being a major issue. At some point, most of those people DO get out of their car. In a “Green” city, you should theoretically care as much or more about them. Please.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 8, 2007. Read the original PDF.