City officials are considering a plan that would make a portion of Michigan Avenue east of Santa Monica High School a one-way street to make biking safer for students.
So, this week The Q-Line asks:
Do you think this would improve safety around Samohi or should Michigan be left as is?
Here are your responses:
"Michigan Avenue is not a clean, safe or hospitable place to be. Much of it runs past the graveyard and is surrounded by a local gang. It's not the place you want to be."
"I am sick of this. Who pays for roads? Drivers. Not bicyclists. Drivers. I use Michigan to get to the freeway, to 14th Street, to many areas of my neighborhood. With all the traffic congestion, do you want us residents who know how to use Michigan joining already crowded Lincoln and Pico boulevards? Can the city stop mucking up our streets? You know, demographics show an aging population; we kind of need our cars. Those of us who are getting up there would really appreciate using the roads that our gasoline taxes are paying for. Seriously, I'm not paying taxes for pretty flowers jutting into the roads, bicycle-only roads, or any other misappropriation of the roadways paid for by the driving public. If bicyclists want their own dedicated road, let them pay taxes for it."
"The idiots in charge of traffic in Santa Monica fudge things up so much, one would think they couldn't fudge it up any more. Well, you are wrong. This latest idea will fudge things up even worse than they already are. And when I say ‘fudge,' I mean it in the same context in which Ralphie Parker said the word in the movie ‘A Christmas Story.'"
"I think this is a great idea and long overdue. We need to get our kids out of cars for their own health and this is a great way to do it. Safety is often the number one concern of parents and cyclists alike. By making the small portion of Michigan Avenue by Samohi one-way, safety will certainly be enhanced. It can be a madhouse there in the mornings."
"Once city officials consider a plan, you can be sure it's already a done deal. Not only should Michigan be left alone, the whole city of Santa Monica should be left alone. What's next? There's a phrase from the song ‘Hotel California,' done by the Eagles, which states, ‘[Y]ou can never leave' and you can never ‘kill the beast.' This has less to do about safety and more to do with the quality of life changes overdevelopment has thrust upon us, the residents of this city. Anyone interested in a can of sardines?"
"The residents who live there should be more involved. Forty people can't decide. I also want safe bicycle trails for bicyclists and students. If anyone opens a car door on a bicyclist, they should get a certain amount of community service hours, nonnegotiable. All the stakeholders … should be involved besides the Planning Commission or the city. Have more community outreach to get more people involved. Not just a meeting with 40 people involved."
Editor's note: It seems like we wiffed on this one. We'll try harder next time to ask a question readers care about. You could help by submitting your ideas for a future Q-Line question to editor@www.smdp.com. We'd appreciate it.
