Main Council considers closing streets this summer
Apr. 30, 2021 at 6:00 am
Main Street may be closed to automobile and bus traffic this summer if Council were to approve a proposed pilot program that could boost economic recovery efforts.
Council directed staff to return with a pilot program during its meeting Tuesday that would close the most restaurant-dense areas of Main Street to everything except foot traffic.
The recent changes to Main Street have been a hot topic since the ideas were first conceived at the start of the pandemic. The program to expand outdoor dining has been popular amongst the business community. Local groups like the Ocean Park Association (OPA) have hosted surveys showing positive public opinion, but OPA members are far from the only ones who expressed interest in making al-fresco a permanent feature of Santa Monica.
Delivery bots get green light to serve city
Apr. 30, 2021 at 6:00 am
Robot deliveries will be seen throughout town as soon as next month after Council voted to increase the operation area of delivery robots citywide.
“If you remember, last summer, a company called COCO started operating remote-controlled, delivery robots for goods and food delivery services in the city. At the time, and still today, the City did not have a regulatory structure or a specific permit for these types of delivery services be they autonomous remote-controlled,” Senior Transportation Planner Kyle Kozar said, noting the lack of knowledge led Council to place a moratorium on autonomous delivery robots last October. However, Council directed staff to allow remote control delivery robots to operate as part of the Zero Emission Delivery Zone pilot program, which launched in January of this year, to test and understand these new services.
City to explore offleash dog park at Reed
Apr. 29, 2021 at 6:00 am
Reed Park may one day be the site of a neighborhood off-leash dog park after Council directed staff Tuesday to begin exploring the feasibility of such a project.
Councilmember Phil Brock said this week the idea initially came up in 2007 or 2008 in the Recreation and Parks Commission.
“We tried other things there, but every day when I’m on a walk anywhere in north Santa Monica, I see dogs and their owners out, and I get constant discussions about Rosie’s Dog Beach and the fact that there’s not one dog park in north Santa Monica whatsoever,” Brock said, listing the few places around Santa Monica that allow dogs to run freely. “We have no prospects of finding park space in North Santa Monica at all, yet we have a huge number of dog owners so it’s worth exploring.”
Council looks to expand remote-controlled delivery ordinance
Apr. 27, 2021 at 6:00 am
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A possible amendment to municipal code could soon allow remote-controlled delivery devices in the Zero Emission Delivery Zone program to serve businesses in all parts of Santa Monica.
In late 2020, City Council took up discussion on imposing a year-long moratorium on autonomous delivery vehicles in Santa Monica shortly after city leaders began to see an increasing number of unpermitted devices on local streets. Citing safety and a need to be proactive rather than reactive, Council agreed to partner the vehicles with a separate Zero Emission Delivery zone project that covered the Downtown and Main Street areas.
Main Street closures may become permanent
Apr. 27, 2021 at 6:00 am
Automobile and bus traffic may be prohibited on all or part of Main Street this summer in an effort to boost economic recovery efforts.
At the request of Councilmembers Christine Parra and Gleam Davis, Council will consider directing staff to return with a plan that would allow for the implementation of a pilot program that would close the popular retail area to automobiles and bus traffic, according to Tuesday’s Council agenda.
The item on Tuesday’s agenda does not list a staff report but one proposal that will be considered this week would allow through traffic on side streets like Hill and Ashland, which would allow for a better flow of traffic and emergency services while also allowing visitors to enjoy access to plenty of parking.