'Trench of Doom' Raises Concerns

New ways to alleviate vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic were proposed at Tuesday's meeting amid about the .

Council members and residents raised concerns and expressed support as city staffers highlighted key areas of research and planning work aimed at satisfying the city’s vision for a fully networked and integrated downtown urban design.

Most notably, staff and consultants raised concerns about the “trench of doom,” as it was unofficially dubbed by the evening’s end, that exists between the more fully developed north and south sides of the 10 freeway.

Among the proposed improvements are an additional freeway crossing at Seventh St.; an abbreviated freeway-capping project that would allow for future developments; general aesthetic improvements to the ; and an extended bicycle network that would expand routes on Second, Sixth and Seventh Streets, as well as Broadway Ave. downtown.

“[Tonight’s discussion] is really a leading edge of a change that’s coming to Santa Monica, and it’s really an important leading edge of a change that’s probably a little bolder than a lot of us in the bike community would have imagined,” said Recreation and Parks Commissioner Richard McKinnon, who is also active in the bike community.

Other residents reinforced McKinnon’s applause of the plans, noting that the improvements would vastly change the efficiency and safety of bicycle and pedestrian traffic in the city.

“It’s a very modest set of recommendations that will go a long way to helping people gain access to downtown and bring customers to downtown by means other than automobiles, and really provide alternative ways to get [to Santa Monica],” resident Kent Strumpel said.

Others weren't so supportive of the proposals. Some raised concerns that the plans taking shape are too bicycle-centric in focus, and that other steps need to be taken simultaneously to help make improvements in public transit and traffic safety on shared roadways.

“The only bikes I’ve ridden in the last 20 years are in rehab centers, so it’s rather important to get to downtown outside riding a bike,” Louisa Fish said. “If I’m coming into downtown on the [ Line 1], and it gets stopped at Lincoln Blvd., and it takes another 15 minutes to make it into downtown, that doesn’t work. … I’m not objecting to the bicycle improvements; I’m saying that cannot be your total focus.”

Council members echoed some of the questions and concerns raised by members of the community. Councilman Bob Holbrook questioned the necessity of the planned bicycle and pedestrian bridge that would cross the 10 freeway at Seventh St. He pointed out that such a bridge used to exist in the same location but was removed because its use did not justify the bridge’s upkeep.

City officials responded by insisting that the Seventh St. crossing would be useful in tying the two neighborhoods on either side of the freeway, and that the pedestrian and bicycle bridge would contribute significantly to the throughout Santa Monica.

Councilman Bobby Shriver raised questions about the cost of the proposed improvements.

“What we have here is a little bit of a discussion of things that people all think would be cool, and a lot of advocates for cool things," he said. "But no one can pull together the price of any of this stuff. ... We all want what we want until we see the price.”

His concerns were met promptly with information from City Manager Rod Gould, who imparted that the plans will be presented to the council again next month in greater detail and with cost estimates attached.

Until then, no action is required of the council.

For more on Tuesday night's City Council meeting, check out "."