> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Up in smoke: Santa Monica merchant feeling snuffed - URL: https://www.smdp.com/up-in-smoke-santa-monica-merchant-feeling-snuffed/ - Published: 2003-11-12T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T03:12:33.000Z - Author: John Wood - Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import, Homeless *Transit mall a detriment, not an asset, business owner says* In the three years since David Weiss bought a little cigar shop in downtown Santa Monica, his rent has doubled, and he’s lost the only three parking spaces in front of his store. Despite a plan to widen the sidewalk on Broadway downtown and draw more foot traffic from the popular Third Street Promenade, Weiss said his shop has become a cave easily missed by shoppers. Buses start and stop 10 feet from his door. The signs for Lone Wolf Cigars are obscured by trees and a tall metal structure over the bus stop. Homeless people sleep on the sidewalk and benches out front. “They told us it was going to be like the Promenade,” said Weiss, 34, who’s lived in the Ocean Park neighborhood of Santa Monica for the last 10 years. “It never came to fruition. “The biggest insult is it’s so clear — they didn’t think about me.” Most of Weiss’ complaints stem from the transit mall project, which was completed last July. It took away parking spots but widened sidewalks and added a bus-only lane to Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway. The long-term goal of that project is to increase foot traffic and reduce car trips, officials said. But Weiss, a native of New York, said it’s hurting small businesses and pointed to the shop next to him, which has been vacant for several months. Lone Wolf grosses less than $1 million each year but dishes out nearly $6,000 in monthly rent. Weiss said he’s looking into wholesale and Internet sales to supplement the lag in retail sales. Local officials said no study has been done so far on the transit mall’s impact, but some have conceded that sacrifices have been made in order for it to work. “We need to hear this,” City Councilman Herb Katz said, adding elected officials should want to know if businesses are failing as a result of their policies. “The overall goal (with the transit mall downtown) is people coming in and pushing mass transit, and if it’s a real peak and you can get people out of their cars, then it begins to work... but you really need a comprehensive plan.” Kathleen Rawson, executive director of the Bayside District Corp., the nonprofit that runs downtown with City Hall, said Weiss might be eligible for a special permit to move his signs but that he has not contacted Bayside for any help. Rawson added there are a number of projects underway to boost foot traffic on streets off of the Promenade. But finding the money for them is an ongoing challenge. In the meantime, officials could benefit from checking in with local businesses and visitors to see how they are receiving the new mall, she said. “The transit mall is a great experiment from the city, and it’s probably time to take a moment and step back and say, ‘Did the predictions come through? Is it a better street because of the transit mall or not?’” Rawson said. While downtown slowly evolves according to City Hall’s plan, Weiss, who employs three full-time workers in the small cigar shop, said he regularly piles up $48 tickets because he’s forced to unload stock illegally from the alley next door. And his customers — annoyed by the constant noise and deterred by the lack of parking — are missing out on outdoor seating because of the adjacent bus stop. In order to make the situation better, Weiss said he needs a variance to make his signs visible. The trees should be trimmed to grow higher, and the visitor kiosk next to the bus stop should be moved to the Promenade, where all the foot traffic is, Weiss said. He added that if he had his way, buses would be re-routed and would-n’t come further west than Fourth Street. “Who’s really protecting the small businesses, Bayside? Yeah right,” he said, admitting he hasn’t contacted Bayside or City Hall since being given the runaround by local officials on other matters years ago. “I’m paying everyone. and nobody’s protecting me... The reality is, business owners are busy. I can’t go to all these meetings.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/111203-04_02.jpg) The bus stop in front of Lone Wolf, a cigar store on Broadway, blocks the owner’s view and deters customers, he claims. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 12, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/111203.pdf?ref=smdp.com)