Students commuting through Santa Monica Boulevard may notice a
change of scenery on their drive to school in the next few
months.
The Santa Monica Boulevard Transit Parkway Project is underway,
and its construction will affect drivers, businesses and residents
alike.
Construction began in March of this year and is scheduled to end
by late summer of 2005.
Currently, construction is taking place on Little Santa Monica
Boulevard at Overland Boulevard with re-routes directed to Westwood
Boulevard.
Drivers will continually deal with road closures and decreased
parking spaces on the street. Parking in the median will not be
permitted during construction.
The Department of Public Works offers updated information and
resources for parking availability, said Tonya Durrell, a press
aide for the department.
Drivers will also encounter the effects of construction on
traffic through the heavily used route.
Work on the roads has involved lane and intersection closures,
allowing less space for traffic flow.
The city has responded to complaints from the community about
traffic at closed intersections by increasing detour signage and
having traffic control officers help direct motorists around the
work zone, said Carl Nelson, project manager for the Parkway
Project.
Drivers are informed about which lanes have been closed through
the use of changeable message signs near each closure.
Residents in the area are concerned about traffic being routed
through their neighborhoods due to the closures, said Durrell.
“Our goal is to keep traffic moving on the boulevard while
we are constructing this project,” she said.
In addition to resident and driver concerns, businesses were
also taken into account during construction planning.
The DPW allows access to businesses near construction areas, and
places signs re-routing customers to parking and entrance
access.
The DPW brings both residents and businesses together to discuss
the project in monthly meetings.
The community is also briefed on the latest construction
progress and the floor is open for them to discuss problems with
the DPW.
“Oftentimes there are things we learn during those
briefings that help define the direction we go in,” Durrell
said.
The project has been taking shape and direction for over 20
years, when the idea for the Transit Parkway Project was first
conceived.
It will combine Big and Little Santa Monica Boulevard to create
a “classic” boulevard.
This means adding bicycle lanes, new street lights, and a new
traffic signal system, all with a retro decorative style.
Designers hope combining the boulevards will also impact traffic
flow around the area once the project is finished.
“We’re hoping to increase mobility,” Durrell
said.
The new combined boulevard will be between the 405 Freeway and
the Beverly Hills city limit, with eastward- and westward-flowing
traffic.
Progress for the creation of the boulevard is on schedule,
Nelson said.
“The public should begin to see dramatic increases in
fieldwork over the next several months,” he said.
For more information on construction updates, visit
www.smblvd.org.