Santa Monica Boulevard Freeway?

During almost fifteen years of neighborhood meetings, residents were promised a Santa Monica Boulevard Transitway Project that would be as aesthetically pleasing as “the grand boulevards of Europe.” Final renderings of the project, created as part of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) process, echoed this promise.

But the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (DOT), without consulting with the neighbors to whom a “grand boulevard” was promised, has decided to make some unsightly changes to the project that will make it look more like a chunk of freeway than a lovely boulevard. A careful examination of the myriad of documents on the Santa Monica Blvd. project’s website reveals plans for at least seven signs stretching over the new boulevard that will be six feet high and twenty feet long. When questioned by area HOAs, DOT officials acknowledged that the enormous size of the signs is not mandated by any federal or local regulations. Their explanation for the huge size of the signs is that they will provide "positive information to the motoring public".
 

This approximates the "freeway style" sign that will be near the Mormon Temple approaching Overland from the east.

This graphic approximates the sign on little Santa Monica approaching Overland from the east.

Removed Billboards will be Replaced by City-owned flashing billboards. 

When community residents questioned Glenn Ogura, who is in charge of designing and implementing the project signs, why these signs were added to the post design, Mr. Ogura first responded that they would provide messages to the commuting public relating to congestion on the freeways and arterial streets.  In theory, this would provide commuters with a reasoned choice about their route.  One resident questioned what that choice might be, since the only alternative choice that could be made would be to direct traffic onto the residential streets in the neighborhood. Mr. Ogura confirmed that would be the effect.

No, they won't say this, but they might as well if commuters are warned in Century City of problems on the 405.  Those commuters would likely use Beverly Glen, Overland and other local streets...

Only after 15 minutes of discussion and only when asked point-blank if the signs were negotiable, Mr. Ogura stated that the two CMS were non-negotiable, that is, they would not be removed from the Project plans or moved. A representative from Council District 5, however, supported the community's request to move the CMS currently posed to be placed for westbound traffic between Moreno and Century Park east, closer to Sepulveda Boulevard and the 405 Freeway to provide the motoring public with a "better choice" for an alternative route if the 405 is congested (which is more of a certainty than an "if").

Also of concern is the recent discovery that Boulevard bus stops will have mini-billboard advertisements as shown below.  One of the larger expenses for this Project was the pay-off by the City to billboard owners to dismantle the numerous unattractive billboard signs along the 2.5 mile median strip. It was determined that these large signs were aesthetically unattractive and took the commuter's eyes off the road, creating a safety hazard.  Polluting the Boulevard with new advertising is inconsistent with aesthetic goals of the project.

The sign issues discussed above represent another front in the battles concerning the Santa Monica Boulevard project being fought by West L.A. homeowner associations.  The sign issues now join questions about mitigation funds, serious design changes and ethically questionable tactics aimed at securing community buy-in on the list of concerns shared by the associations.

For fun:  Here are pictures of Beverly Glen/Santa Monica in 1972,  before the project and a rendering of after the project.