Sunny Grill - Poor Design of Venice Blvd. Road Diet Hurts Business

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EXCLUSIVE: Sunny Grill owner Mia Pelonis Garefis shares how her business has struggled through multiple unannounced sidewalk construction projects and poor road design on Venice Blvd.







TAKE ACTION!

Contact those in charge of the road diet project and request they restore 3 traffic lanes and the bike lane to its previous configuration in each direction on Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista.

1) LADOT - https://www.veniceblvdmarvista.org/be-heard/
(ladot.veniceblvdmarvista@lacity.org)

2) Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti - https://www.lamayor.org/talk-us
(mayor.garcetti@lacity.org)

3) 11th District Councilmember Mike Bonin - http://www.11thdistrict.com/contact_us (councilmember.bonin@lacity.org)

4) Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors  - http://marvista.org/contact.php
(board@marvista.org)

DISCLAIMER: The unscripted views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the businessperson and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Restore Venice Blvd. No monetary compensation was provided for participation in this video.

©2017 Restore Venice Blvd. All rights reserved.

Tattoo Lounge - Venice Blvd. Road Diet Causes Decline in Business

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EXCLUSIVE: Tattoo Lounge tattoo artist Patrick Thomas explains how the Venice Blvd. road diet has caused a reduction in clients and made his commute much more dangerous.






TAKE ACTION!
Contact those in charge of the road diet project and request they restore 3 traffic lanes and the bike lane to its previous configuration in each direction on Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista.

1) LADOT - https://www.veniceblvdmarvista.org/be-heard/
(ladot.veniceblvdmarvista@lacity.org)

2) Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti - https://www.lamayor.org/talk-us
(mayor.garcetti@lacity.org)

3) 11th District Councilmember Mike Bonin - http://www.11thdistrict.com/contact_us (councilmember.bonin@lacity.org)

4) Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors  - http://marvista.org/contact.php
(board@marvista.org)

DISCLAIMER: The unscripted views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the businessperson and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Restore Venice Blvd. No monetary compensation was provided for participation in this video.

©2017 Restore Venice Blvd. All rights reserved.

Grand View Market - Struggles in the Wake of Venice Blvd. Road Diet

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EXCLUSIVE: Grand View Market owner Miriam Zlotolow discusses how the road diet and parking reductions on Venice Blvd. have negatively affected her business and how she feels the city is working against small businesses.






TAKE ACTION!
Contact those in charge of the road diet project and request they restore 3 traffic lanes and the bike lane to its previous configuration in each direction on Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista.

1) LADOT - https://www.veniceblvdmarvista.org/be-heard/
(ladot.veniceblvdmarvista@lacity.org)

2) Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti - https://www.lamayor.org/talk-us
(mayor.garcetti@lacity.org)

3) 11th District Councilmember Mike Bonin - http://www.11thdistrict.com/contact_us (councilmember.bonin@lacity.org)

4) Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors  - http://marvista.org/contact.php
(board@marvista.org)

DISCLAIMER: The unscripted views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the businessperson and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Restore Venice Blvd. No monetary compensation was provided for participation in this video.

©2017 Restore Venice Blvd. All rights reserved.

Louie's of Mar Vista - Venice Blvd. Road Diet Casualty

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EXCLUSIVE: Former Louie's of Mar Vista owner John Atkinson talks about how the road diet on Venice Blvd. negatively impacted his business and contributed to its closure on Sunday, November 12, 2017.




TAKE ACTION!
Contact those in charge of the road diet project and request they restore 3 traffic lanes and the bike lane to its previous configuration in each direction on Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista.

1) LADOT - https://www.veniceblvdmarvista.org/be-heard/
(ladot.veniceblvdmarvista@lacity.org)

2) Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti - https://www.lamayor.org/talk-us
(mayor.garcetti@lacity.org)

3) 11th District Councilmember Mike Bonin - http://www.11thdistrict.com/contact_us (councilmember.bonin@lacity.org)

4) Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors  - http://marvista.org/contact.php
(board@marvista.org)

DISCLAIMER: The unscripted views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the businessperson and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Restore Venice Blvd. No monetary compensation was provided for participation in this video.

©2017 Restore Venice Blvd. All rights reserved.

Tell the MVCC You Still Want The Lanes on Venice Blvd. Restored

11 Sept 17

 We need EVERYONE to remind the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) and Councilman Bonin that you still support the return of the lanes on Venice Blvd. #restoreVeniceBlvd

Go to Sample Email



The majority of the MVCC Board still refuse to listen to the community and are once again purposely encouraging bicycle and pedestrian activist groups to send a flood of support letters the MVCC and Councilman Mike Bonin in favor of the current configuration of the Great Streets - Venice Blvd. "pilot" project. 

 These MVCC Board members and activist groups are encouraging people from all over the city to email the MVCC and Councilman Bonin to silence our voices and speak in support of the lane reductions.

 We need YOU, the stakeholders who are living this gridlock nightmare everyday to write an email and say "No! I use Venice Blvd and I STILL DO NOT WANT THIS!!!"

Please, let's not let a small and vocal group - who don't care how long it takes for you to get to work, the doctor or your kids baseball game - speak for us. Please, send an email and let you voice be heard! Send your email no later than 5:00 PM on September 12th.  

If you can, join us Tuesday, September 12, 7 PM  at the  MVCC Board of Directors meeting at Mar Vista Recreation Center, 11430 Woodbine St. in the small gymnasium to show them what community really looks like.


SAMPLE EMAIL

To: MVCC@EmpowerLA.org, board@marvista.org

CC: councilmember.bonin@lacity.org

RE: Restore Venice Blvd NOW

Dear Board Members of the Mar Vista Community Council:

As community representatives, you need to listen to Mar Vista and Venice Blvd. stakeholders who continue to support any and all policy motions that immediately reverse the lane reductions, aka road diet, and return Venice Blvd. to the long established six lane configuration.

I still believe that Venice Blvd. must be improved with the safety of everyone - drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians - in mind.  I still don't believe this Great Streets - Venice Blvd. "pilot" project is the solution, and over 3,000 stakeholders have signed the petition on Change.org asking for these lane reduction to be reversed now. (info.restore-venice.com/petition)

As someone who uses Venice Blvd. on a regular basis, I am once again requesting the immediate return of the 3rd lanes for vehicles on Venice Blvd. and a reconfiguration of the boulevard that works for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Sincerely,

[insert you name here]
[insert your address or city here]

One Day Email Blitz

 , , ,    
6 September 17

We need YOU to flood the MVCC Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with emails supporting two *new* motions on the agenda for the meeting today, Wednesday, September 6th.

Go to Sample Email


These motions call for:

7b. Potential Reversal of Lane Reductions on Venice Blvd.

POLICY MOTION: Restoration of 3 car - lanes in each direction on Venice Blvd.
The Mar Vista Community Council asks that Councilmember Mike Bonin immediately reverse the lane reductions on Venice Blvd. and implement other strategies to improve the safety, efficiency, and accessibility of our roads for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. As representatives of your constituents and your elected advisory body, we believe strongly that this is the only remedy that addresses the constant, voluminous, community outcry on this issue.

7d. Advocacy/Laws for Potential Safety Measures for Bicyclists and Pedestrians

1) POLICY MOTION:  Universal Helmet Laws and Night Lights for Bicyclists

2) POLICY MOTION: Distracted Pedestrians Crossing Streets and Highways

3) POLICY MOTION: Regional Safe Bike Routes Policy Motion

You can find the entire agenda for the meeting here: http://www.marvista.org/parking-committee.php

If you would like to attend the meeting, it will be held at 7:30 PM at the Windward School Boardroom 1030, Building C (by baseball diamond), 11350 Palms Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90066.



Send your emails to: Ken Alpern (ken.alpern@marvista.org) and Michelle Krupkin (michelle.krupkin@marvista.org) and cc: the MVCC Board of Directors (board@marvista.org) and Councilmember Mike Bonin (councilmember.bonin@lacity.org).

We need as many emails sent as possible please, especially if you're not able to attend the meeting. Thank you!

Sample Email

To: ken.alpern@marvista.org, michelle.krupkin@marvista.org

cc: board@marvista.org, councilmember.bonin@lacity.org

Dear MVCC Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Co-Chairs Michelle Krupkin and Ken Alpern,

I am a Venice Blvd stakeholder and I continue to support to the return of the third lanes on Venice Blvd. I support any motion that asks Councilmember Mike Bonin to immediately reverse the lane reductions on Venice Blvd. and implement other strategies to improve the safety, efficiency, and accessibility of our roads for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles.

I understand there are also motions on the Committee meeting agenda tonight that support:
  • creating Regional Safe Bike Routes
  • encouraging education on the issue of Distracted Pedestrians Crossing Streets and Highways 
  • urging the adoption of Universal Helmet Laws and Night Lights for Bicyclists. 
 I want you to know that I am in favor of these motions as well.

Sincerely,

<insert your name here>
<insert where you live here>

cc: MVCC Board of Directors
     Councilman Mike Bonin

Can you join us this week?

Please join us and fellow #restoreVeniceBlvd supporters at these meetings and events this week:



AUGUST 8TH, 7 PM - The Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors meeting at Mar Vista Recreation Center, 11430 Woodbine St. in the small gymnasium.  

SAVE THE DATE: the next meeting will be 9/12.




AUGUST 9TH, 6:30 PM - The Mar Vista Community Council Great Streets Ad Hoc Committee meeting at the Mar Vista Branch Library, 12006 Venice Blvd.  

SAVE THE DATE: the next meeting will be 9/13.

Looking for Councilman Bonin? He'll be at the Mar Vista Farmers' Market, Sunday, August 13th from 11 am to 1 PM.  Come tell him how much his road diet is affecting you & your family and ask him to give us the lanes back now!


Please share this information with your neighbors!  Thank you. 


LADOT Venice Blvd Open House - July 22, 1 to 3 PM


 PLEASE RSVP HERE: http://info.restore-venice.com/rsvpLADOT.

This is the first LADOT open house on the Great Streets Venice Blvd. "pilot" project. LADOT says they will be presenting a one-month evaluation on July 22 from 1 to 3 p.m.at the Windward School Gymnasium 11350 Palms Blvd, Mar Vista, 90066. Parking will be available onsite in the parking lot off Sawtelle Blvd.



It's time to ask them for the DATA about the "pilot" project's impacts, including traffic flow, emergency response times, walking and bicycling activity, cut-through traffic, and safety statistics. 

COME PREPARED WITH YOUR QUESTIONS & DON'T LEAVE UNTIL YOU GET THEM ANSWERED!

We Should Follow the Money

Posted by S.S. from Mar Vista Hill 13 July 2017

  I say we should follow the money and influence peddling that may be involved.
This is bigger than bike vs. car, people.

 They want us focused on that myopic part of the larger issue and not on the big picture.

 Consider this...and yes, this indeed has the potential to be a "Game Changer."

It has been suggested that Garcetti and Bonin's plan is to slow down merchants' business enough so that they fold. 82% of the affected businesses surveyed are against what has been forced upon Venice Blvd. and all of us.  Some store owners at the July 11th Mar Vista Community Council meeting said they are struggling. One store has already closed: the ice cream store next door to the Venice Grind.

With storefronts empty, they can work with the developers who want to swoop-in to the Westside and build their new high-rises.

It is not a stretch to those who suspect they may be on to something -- that Garcetti and Bonin envision building a series of mini-Manhattans, like Playa Vista, where you live, work, play in one place and primarly use public transportation and /or a bike and only  RARELY use your car to go anywhere. A series of Playa Vista's, Century City's, Warner Center's, and Irvine's all linked with more light rail and buses paid for by those of us who simply want to be left alone.

 It becomes easy to suppose these two guys might be in bed with the developers.

 I said "might".

Add to that that Garcetti may want to take Jerry Brown's job one day. If  "coat tails" matter, we could see a Bonin run for Mayor.

 I know some people may think I am going all conspiracy theory here but this does raise serious concerns and poses valid questions, does it not?

I think Bonin's and Garcetti's silence is saying something to a great many people.  Follow the money and influence!

Action Alert: 7/11 - Mar Vista Park - Arrive by 6 PM

10 July 17


Councilman Mike Bonin will be attending the
Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors meeting

You MUST arrive by 6 PM to ensure seating in the small gymnasium or you might be denied entrance.


Mar Vista Recreation Center
11430 Woodbine St
Los Angeles, CA 90066
small gymnasium
 
Background:  If you’ve driven, biked or walked along Venice Blvd. in the last 45 days, then you’ve experienced the impacts of Mayor Garcetti’s L.A. Great Street Initiative.  Councilman Mike Bonin was responsible for implementing this initiative in his council district.

  1. Councilman Bonin took away a traffic lane on each side on Venice Blvd. as part of this Great Streets - Venice Blvd. "pilot project."
  2. The community was not informed that lane reductions were going to be a part of this "pilot project." 
  3. Now Councilman Bonin, the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) and cycling activists are trying to pit drivers against bicyclists, saying that the lane removal was necessary to create a protected bike lane. We don't believe that. Look at Culver Blvd. in Culver City: they re-purposed the center median there into a protected bike path.


The community thought that this "pilot project" was meant to create a safer street, promote alternative forms of transportation, and increase customers for local businesses. The community sees that this HAS NOT HAPPENED.

 What HAS happened:
 
    • The Great Street is causing gridlock every day.
    • Rush hour traffic congestion has grown exponentially. 
    • Police and fire response times have increased.
    • Drivers are cutting through residential side streets to avoid congestion. 
    • Car vs bike accidents are on the increase because drivers can't see them.
    • Merchants are reporting up to a 25% decrease in business along Venice Blvd. since the installation of the Great Street changes.

We, the stakeholders of Venice Blvd., are asking Councilman Mike Bonin and the Mar Vista Community Council to step back and consider the many alternatives that would improve cycling safety and walkability while preserving the ability of motorists to get to where they need to go on Venice Blvd.

This issue dramatically impacts our families, our jobs, and our quality of life. Please spread the word about the meeting. Post it on Nextdoor, Facebook and Twitter.  Share this article with your neighbors by email. 

Please attend the meeting and sign up to speak out during Public Comment. We will provide you with an orange sign to hold up during the meeting. 

If you get locked out, please stay and protest outside.

ACTION ALERT: Your Emails Needed ASAP

    
5 July 17

 We need EVERYONE who wants the 3rd lanes for cars returned to Venice Blvd. to write an email to the Mar Vista Community Council today.

Go to Sample Email



Some of the MVCC Board members refuse to listen to the community and are purposely encouraging bicycle and pedestrian activist groups to send a flood of support letters the MVCC and the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) in favor of the current configuration of the Great Streets - Venice Blvd. "pilot" project. 

 These MVCC Board members and activist groups are encouraging people from all over the city to email the MVCC and VNC to silence our voices and speak in support of lane reductions.

 We need YOU, the stakeholders who are living this traffic nightmare everyday to write an email and say "NO! I use Venice Blvd and I DO NOT WANT THIS!!!"

Please, let's not let a small and vocal group - who don't care how long it takes for you to get to work, the doctor or your kids baseball game - speak for us. Please, send an email and let you voice be heard! Send your email no later than 11:59 PM on July 10th.  

Then join us July 11th at the MVCC Board of Directors meeting to show them what community really looks like.


SAMPLE EMAIL


RE: Restore the 3rd lanes for cars on Venice Blvd NOW

Dear Board Members of the Mar Vista Community Council and the Venice Neighborhood Council:

As community representatives, you need to listen to the community of Venice Blvd. stakeholders and support any and all policy motions that immediately reverse the lane reductions and return Venice Blvd. to the long established six lane configuration.

I believe that Venice Blvd. must be improved with the safety of everyone - drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians - in mind.  I don't believe this Great Streets - Venice Blvd. "pilot" project is the solution, and thousands of Venice Blvd. stakeholders want this lane reduction reversed NOW.

As a [student, older adult, mom, cyclist, person with a disability, business owner, etc], I request the immediate return of the 3rd lanes for cars on Venice Blvd. NOW.
Sincerely,

Please Email Your Comments to the Mar Vista Community Council NOW

 ,    
Whether you are joining us at the July 11th MVCC Board of Directors meeting or not, we need you to send emails to the Mar Vista Community Council Board members letting them know you want the 3rd lanes for cars returned to Venice Blvd. NOW.

The Board is counting the number of responses they are getting.  So every email supporting #restoreVeniceBlvd counts.

Board of Directors

Sarah Auerswald, Chair
sarah.auerswald@marvista.org

Rob Kadota, 1st Vice Chair
Melissa Stoller, Secretary
melissa.stoller@marvista.org

Holly Tilson, Treasurer
holly.tilson@marvista.org

co-chairs of the Great Streets Ad Hoc Committee

Michelle Krupkin
michelle.krupkin@marvista.org

Greg Castelnuovo-Tedesco
greg.tedesco@marvista.org

Save the Date - July 11th

 ,    
 



Come and make your voice heard!

Save the Date - July 11th
We need EVERYONE to join us at the next
Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors meeting.


The Board will be voting on a Policy Motion 
to request the immediate return of the third lanes for cars 
on Venice Blvd.

We need to pack the room with 
#RestoreVeniceBlvd supporters
and show the MVCC what community really looks like.

Mar Vista Recreation Center
11430 Woodbine St.
7 to 9 PM

Please plan to arrive at 6:30 PM.

Please Donate to our GoFundMe campaign

    
Hello supporters!

We want to take the #RestoreVeniceBlvd campaign to the next level, so we're asking the community to come together to help fund and share our *new* GoFundMe:

https://www.gofundme.com/restore-venice

Funds collected will help us reach even more Venice Blvd stakeholders through enhanced Community Outreach & Mobilization efforts. We also will be filing Freedom of Information Requests for the traffic reports, data and studies the City of Los Angeles refuses to provide us, as well as seeking Legal Counsel to explore any and all legal remedies that would enable us to restore the traffic lanes.

We're working tirelessly to get the 3rd lanes for cars back on Venice Blvd. and we'd really appreciate your support. Donations of any size are welcomed.

Thank you for your support!

A cyclist's view of Venice Blvd.

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June 11, 2017 on Venice Blvd. - photo by M.K.
Posted by C.R from East Venice on 14 June 17

I have been an avid cyclist in LA for the past 15 years. You think I would be for the changes on Venice Boulevard, but I am not.

As a cyclist, I will tell you that it is FAR safer to be visible to moving cars by having the bike lane next to them than it is to have cyclists hidden behind a row of parked cars.

I have heard, but admittedly not verified, that there was already an accident where a motorist hit a cyclist as the motorist was making a LEGAL right turn from Venice to Beethoven because they could not see the cyclist.

I have had to make a right from the same corner several times since the new bike lanes were put in and it is an unbelievable hazard.

I would argue that it is the "privileged few" who are fortunate enough not to need a car or a viable public transportation option (of which I am an huge proponent) to get to and from work, pick up kids, and run errands.

Oh, and I hope none of us never need an emergency vehicle that has to try to get down Venice Boulevard because we are screwed.

A much more sensible option by far would be to put bike lanes down residential streets such as Victoria. Instead, we now have cars speeding down those streets to avoid traffic on Venice Boulevard, turning once quiet residential street into highways and becoming hazards to kids and pets.

Once again, I am stymied by Bonin and his supporters lack of judgment and inability to think of simple but far better options.

Report from the MVCC Great Streets Ad Hoc Committee Meeting - June 14, 2017

 ,      No comments   
MVCC Great Streets Ad Hoc Committee meeting 14 June 17

Posted by S.C. from East Venice 14 June 17


Just came from the Great Streets committee meeting. There were about 80 people there -- standing room only. Big thanks to everybody who came out! 

We were able to get a motion passed recommending that the lanes be restored but keeping everything else. It passed 56 to 16. 

It'll next to go the MVCC Board of Directors meeting July 11, 2017, 7:00 PM at the Mar Vista Recreation Center -- SAVE THE DATE, we'll need to be there in force! 

And there will be another MVCC Great Street Ad Hoc Committee meeting July 12, 6:30 PM at the Mar Vista Branch Library. SAVE THE DATE - we'll need to be there, too.

We're making a lot of progress in a very short time. 

I want to point out that the people who spoke in favor of the project deserve our respect. I want safe bike lanes, better lighting, crosswalks, just like they do. I just want Venice to work as a street. 

One person pointed out that it's a tsunami evacuation route! An emergency doctor spoke quite eloquently about how much harder it is to get emergency vehicles through. 

All in all, it was a very good meeting with a lot of good people. 

This is the Policy Motion that was passed by the Great Streets Ad Hoc Committee, written by Stop the Unsafe Streets Project on Venice Blvd. supporter Ken Marek:

WHEREAS, the Venice Boulevard "Great Street" pilot project has recently been implemented, including several changes to the roadway between Beethoven Avenue and Inglewood Boulevard, and

WHEREAS, the changes include removing one traffic lane in each direction to accommodate a buffer zone for on-street passenger loading of parked vehicles (rather than from the sidewalk) and widening of the bicycle lane, and

WHEREAS, Council District 11 circulated surveys to a very small minority of community members (approximately 450 total surveys, many to students who don’t drive) and extrapolated “community-driven” support for many elements of the "Great Street", yet the surveys did not specifically ask the community about the lane reduction element of the program or obtain any feedback from the vast majority of those who use Venice Boulevard on a daily basis, and

WHEREAS, the lane reductions have caused significant daily traffic jams, increased cut-through traffic on surrounding residential streets, increased traffic jams on alternate streets throughout the greater Mar Vista area, and increased pollution from idling vehicles, and

WHEREAS, the increased traffic on Mar Vista roadways has had an adverse impact on emergency response times of Fire and Police Department, and

WHEREAS, the new on-street loading area does not provide convenient sidewalk access for disabled persons and has exposed the City to the risk of litigation based upon the American's With Disabilities (ADA) Act, and

WHEREAS, a grassroots movement of community members has emerged in recent weeks, and have obtained over 1450 electronic signatures asking for the return of the old three traffic lane in each direction configuration, and

WHEREAS, Council District 11 has communicated that the roadway changes consist of a pilot program, using inexpensive temporary materials, and that the City would keep what the community loves and remove what the community does not want,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that by the adoption of this Resolution, the Mar Vista Community Council hereby urges the City of Los Angeles to immediately reverse the lane reduction and return Venice Boulevard to the long established six lane configuration.

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that by the adoption of this Resolution, the Mar Vista Community Council hereby requests that the City of Los Angeles posts all related survey results, traffic studies, and environmental impact reports online.  

Report from the Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors meeting, June 13, 2017

 , ,      No comments   
MVCC Board of Directors Meeting, 13 June 17
Posted by S.C. from East Venice on 13 June 17

For those of you who weren't there, the meeting was a great first step in our campaign.

There were roughly 80 people present, almost all of whom were against the changes. 

The Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors had a long agenda to go through, but ended up devoting most of the meeting to Great Streets - Venice Blvd. pilot project.

We heard a presentation from representatives from Councilman Mike Bonin's office, The L.A. Great Streets Initiative from Mayor Eric Garcetti's office and the LADOT, which were met with a lot of laughter and catcalling. 

The city has every intention of introducing lane reductions all over the town -- and they seem to have an almost magical belief that lane reductions will actually *increase* traffic flow. 

Then there was a long period devoted to public comments, which were almost 100% opposed to the project (dozens spoke against, only two spoke for). 

The MVCC Board of Directors and the city reps listened stern-faced, but didn't say much.

We learned that Morgan Pietz from Gerard Fox Law P.C. has created a PAC with the intention of recalling Coucilman Bonin. He can be contacted at recall@gridlockmikebonin.com.

All in all, it was an exciting evening and a great start to our campaign after only a week or two of organizing. 

Thanks to everybody who was present! You made a huge difference. 

We have to continue to show the city that their outreach was inadequate and that a majority of residents oppose "road diets."

Make your voice heard at the 6/13 MVCC Board of Directors meeting

 No comments   

Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday Jun 13 - 7:00 PM
Mar Vista Recreation Center
Small Gymnasium
11430 Woodbine Street
Los Angeles, CA 90066

At the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa meeting last night, many community members spoke against the Playa Del Rey "Safe Streets" program - a similar project to the Mar Vista "Great Streets - Venice Blvd." pilot project.

The NCWP Board voted unanimously in favor of a motion regarding this issue.

We hope that Mar Vista Community Council will develop an even stronger motion to encourage Councilmember Bonin to reverse the lane reduction on Venice Blvd.

Here is what that motion might look like:

Great Streets Venice Blvd. Motion to:

1) Request the implementation of mitigation measures designed to lessen the impact of the lane reductions on Venice Blvd. and,

2) Request that the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and/or the CD11 Council Office immediately provide a copy of any and all traffic studies done in advance of the commencement of the lane closures included in the Great Streets Venice Blvd. project and,
a) Provide any available data regarding traffic on the community streets impacted by the Great Streets Venice Blvd. project for the area bounded by Sepulveda Blvd. to the East, Lincoln Blvd. to the West, Culver to the South and National Blvd. to the North; and,
b) Provide a detailed plan for traffic enforcement for the next 90 days; and,
c) Provide written explanation of the feasibility of reducing Venice Blvd. to two lanes each way between Inglewood Blvd and Beethoven St.; and,
d) Respond in writing to all community suggestions and questions given at this meeting;
e) Direct the MVCC Great Streets Ad Hoc Committee to develop alternative and immediate mitigation measures for the Great Streets Venice Blvd. Initiative; and
f) set metrics for the success of the Great Streets Venice Blvd. project.

We have visited the LAGreatService.org/venice and LAGreatStreets.org/benchmarking web pages and the traffic studies, feasibility analysis and metrics for success are not there.

Please come to the Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, June 13 at 7 PM at the Mar Vista Park Recreation Center.  Make your voice heard about this controversial neighborhood issue.

BREAKING: Council District 11 Reps at the Mar Vista Farmers' Market June 4th

 ,      No comments   
FYI - from the E-Blast sent out from MVCC today:

Venice Boulevard Great Street Changes

There are strong opinions - both pro and con - regarding the recent changes on the Great Street Mar Vista portion of Venice Blvd.

The lane reconfiguration is a pilot project, implemented using temporary materials - paint and bollards - so it is cheap and easy to alter. It's going to take some time to get used to! The city will gather data to evaluate it, and there may be some tweaks during the pilot period.

Residents who notice any unintended consequences are encouraged to call Councilmember Bonin’s Mobility Deputy (and our Mar Vista neighbor) Jessie Holzer at jessie.holzer@lacity.org or 310-575-8461 to try to address them as quickly as possible.

CD11 representatives are planning to be at the Mar Vista Farmers' Market on Sunday (June 4th) collecting feedback and explaining the project.
----
FYI: the Farmer's Market is held at Grand View at Venice Blvd. - hours are 9- 2 pm. http://www.marvistafarmersmarket.org/
The MVCC tent is located at Grand View and Pacific.
Not sure where CD11 reps will be stationed, but probably near there. 

Thank you Michelle Krupkin, co-chair of the Mar Vista Community Council, Great Streets Ad Hoc Committee for bring this to our attention.

Democratic process hurt when elected officials aren't up front

 , ,      No comments   
Posted by E.N. from Mar Vista Flats · 1 June 17

I second that description of the survey:

(The) survey only asked if neighbors wanted the potential good elements and avoided mention of taking a lane or increasing traffic, so didn't honestly obtain "extensive" "community-driven" feedback.
When I took it, I recall it asked only about the good stuff and I endorsed nearly each one with enthusiasm. It's only in seeing an opaque graphic at the outreach/survey results meeting, Aug 2015, that it dawned on me that we'd be losing lanes of traffic.

I actually don't oppose the Great Streets objective of transitioning Angelenos from single-driver vehicle reliance to greener forms of transportation. But I don't want to sacrifice governmental transparency to achieve my desires.

We hurt our democratic process when our elected reps at any level of government aren't up front all along about the impact certain decisions will have. Furthermore, we hurt our democratic process when we ourselves fail to recognize when our elected reps aren't being forthright.

We need to demand public hearings

 ,      No comments   
Posted by S. I. from So Marvista-Venice · 27 May 17

I thought that the City needed to do its due diligence and inform residents about major Public Works projects via mail.

Did the Great Streets project get around this by labeling this a "pilot project?"

We need to demand public hearings and a mailing to all residents about them before the changes on Venice Blvd. are made permanent.

I also think it was a mistake for the Mar Vista Community Council to stop delivering newsletters to all the residents in Mar Vista. I know they did it because of the cost, but I feel the net result is that Mar Vistans are now less informed.

Clearly not everyone has signed up for the MVCC emails, and even if they did (like me), it seems we missed the announcement that Venice Blvd. was going to be reduced from 3 to 2 lanes during a 1 year pilot project.

These changes affect everyone who uses Venice Blvd. to commute, visit businesses and local tourist attraction or travel from their homes to other destinations in the Westside. We need these stakeholders to stand with us.

I'd also like to encourage those of you who don't live in Mar Vista 90066 but travel on Venice Blvd. to join us: nearby neighborhoods like Venice, Marina del Rey, Del Rey, Palms, Culver City, etc. We need to get the entire Westside informed and involved.

LAFD stuck in traffic on Venice Blvd.

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Photo credit:  G.S, from So Marvista-Venice · 31 May 17

My daughter took this pic this evening. Sirens on and no way to get through. Hope it was a false alarm and I hope the City figures out this gridlocked mess before someone really gets hurt.
Posted by D.S. from So Marvista-Washington · 31 May 17

I witnessed this today. Almost made a video but thought it best to get moving to avoid the fire trucks. Because the cars are parked on the sides of the street there is no allowance for cars to pull over anywhere to let them get through. Also I've experienced not making it through a green light onto Venice blvd from Grand View because of cars waiting for the signal to change on Centinela and Venice. What a mess. Never experienced this before. Two lanes are not enough on this busy through fair. How long does this trial have to last. It needs to be reversed now. Terrible.

Difficult to see bike traffic

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Photo credit: Streetsblog LA
Posted by R.S. from Mar Vista Flats · 31 May `17 

I am not opposed to the idea of a "Great Street" in terms of beautification, but several experiences since the changes have shown what a folly the new configuration is.

There have been now two incidents of turning cars injuring people during the daytime (at Wasatch and at Beethoven.. Also this week in daylight, turning right from westbound Venice into my street, I realized that to look for cyclists past the parking lane I had to turn my head so far to the right that I had to take my eyes off the road in front of me. Very, very dangerous!

Tonight I was a passenger with a friend driving westbound on Venice and between the reflectors on the bollards and the confusing parking lane and breaks in the parking lane for driveways, I had a heck of a time directing her when to turn north on the street I have lived on for 40 years!!

We are both cyclists and she too was horrified by how difficult it was to see possible bike traffic in the bike lane. Much more difficult than when the bike lane was next to the traffic and both drivers and cyclists could see each other!

Plus, with all the reflection, we could no longer see my street sign on the corner, so it's function as a marker for directions is now useless.

For those of you supporting this idea, try driving at night...it might change your perspective.

Project is a trade-off between interests of Mar Vista and the greater community

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Posted by S.C. from East Venice · 31 May 17

The new businesses were there before the Great Streets project went in. They will thrive either way.

This project represents a trade-off between interests of Mar Vista and interests of the greater community -- the street is a resource that we all share. It is the main thoroughfare for Venice and is the best way to get out of the neighborhood.

There are plenty of ways to improve Mar Vista that do not create gridlock for the surrounding areas and I would be happy to support those things. But every time we reduce traffic lanes we create trouble for everybody in a wide radius.

Traffic gets worse on side streets as people try to get around the snarl-up. People start using Waze on your local streets, looking down at their phones as they speed through your neighborhood. And all the other thoroughfares get worse, too -- Washington, and Culver.

There is no free lunch. If you take away capacity, you take it away. It has to go somewhere.

Councilman Bonin avoided mention of taking a lane

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Posted by K.M. from East Zanja · 1 June 17

Councilmember Bonin has presented this project with a political spin from the start. His survey only asked if neighbors wanted the potential good elements and avoided mention of taking a lane or increasing traffic, so didn't honestly obtain "extensive" "community-driven" feedback. Now, he states that they used "temporary materials" and can "remove what we dislike", yet his deputy (Jessie) states that the new lane alignment will be kept for at least "one-year".

If you hope to see this error corrected sooner than "one-year", then please:



Calling this "Great Streets" doesn't make it great

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Posted by A.A. from Venice Walk Streets · 29 May 17 

"She's just cutting through the neighborhoods and alleys!" Exactly.

Calling this "Great Streets" doesn't make it great.

WAZE will direct those who didn't grow up here onto the residential streets of Mar Vista.

Oh, and as I write in "Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck" about the sort of people who stock in a neighborhood, it shore ain't those whizzing through it. To them, the people on your block are faceless nobodies -- what matter is that they get to their destination quickly.

...oops, did they run over your cat?

It's become an overnight nightmare!

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 Posted by L.Z. from Mar Vista Flats · 29 May 17

Though this may be a great idea for cyclists and pedestrians, let's face it... many, if not most of the locals need to drive to work, with Venice as their main thoroughfare. I doubt that the business of just the pedestrians and cyclists is enough to keep our local businesses alive. I am not boycotting neighborhood stores, but realistically, I won't be stopping or shopping at any of them when there's traffic. Many won't!

It takes me at least 10 minutes to cross Venice after work because of the traffic. I used to drive down Venice as a quicker route to neighboring cities, even the beach. I'd make my quick pitstops at the businesses along the way. Now I avoid it entirely.

I am a longtime resident, 27 years! It's my community too! I live and work in the community. It's become an overnight nightmare! I moved here because I loved the community feel of Mar Vista!

I do not want the overflow traffic rerouted down my street! Summer will be gridlock! It always is, and I already ride my bike to the beach because of it.

Reaction from Firefighters at LAFD Station 62

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Photo credit: Image capture Google
Posted by G.S. from So Marvista-Venice · 25 May 17

I was just at Vons and ran into the firemen from #62. They are located on Venice & Inglewood. I asked them how they felt about the new lane configuration on Venice Blvd. They laughed and said they are not happy at all and are very concerned about being able to get through. One said, "You think the City would have let us know!" They are going to be emailing Mike Bonin with their concerns. They are taking the long way around to get to anyone in need.

I was told last night by Bonin's spokesperson (I don't know his name) that LAFD was all for this and were totally fine with it. Maybe LAFD downtown, but zero communication with the guys who are trying to help us in emergencies. Or maybe I was being lied to. Either way, I'm not surprised.

I was also told they (emergency vehicles) could just drive over the white posts if need be. I started thinking about that and am curious how they would do that if 2 lanes are filled with cars that are gridlocked and the next lane has parked vehicles in them? Where is the common sense when planning these things?

Was a traffic/safety survey done? I'd like to see it.

I get wanting to improve things, but you must look at all sides and that was clearly NOT done for this project.