1 Xavier Mota
From: Dr Michael Cahn <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2023 10:37 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre; Donald Shoup Subject: Item 16B (12/12/2023)
EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
Please do not approve item 16B! Within a few miles of Santa Monica resides Donald Shoup (copied), professor of parking, and author of the bestseller "The High Cost of Free Parking" He has inspired an international movement that for the very first time acknowledges the cost of free parking, and the need to price parking dynamically. He has done this not as a car hater, but as an economist, as a mathematician. He has found that free parking is a poisonous drug that provides perverse incentives and does so at the expense of the community: Both the impacts of additional cars lured into the city, the environmental impacts, but also the lost income from such a program are not what we need in the week when COP28 concludes in Dubai. It would indeed be a very unwelcome gift to us residents to entice more cars into our community during the holidays.
Instead, I would ask you to design a program for the holidays that waives all fees for transit and bus riders.
Thank you
Dr Michael Cahn
507 Washington Ave
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Auguste Miller <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 1:03 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: No to Item 16B
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
Hope this finds you well
I am writing in opposition to item 16B
We do not need to incentivize more people to drive downtown for the holidays! We already tried this and lost valuable revenue in the process, while failing to fulfill any of the intended outcomes.
Anyone who goes downtown over the weekend has seen the gridlock caused by cars looking for parking; there is no lack of people driving here, as proven by the 64% of our GHG emissions caused by motor vehicles. Offering more incentives for driving than we already do would be a waste of valuable resources.
If our goal is to encourage people to come here, let’s encourage them to do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, whether it’s by using the E Line, the Big Blue Bus, micro mobility, bike share, or the Circuit.
Better options are available; let’s promote those over driving! Thank you
Auguste Miller
37 Park Ave
Sent from my iPhone
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Jacob Wasserman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 9:04 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: Oppose Item 16B
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
As a car-owner, walker, biker, parent, and Santa Monica resident, I am writing in opposition to Item 16B.
We do not need to incentivize more people to drive downtown for the holidays. We already tried this and lost valuable revenue in the process, while failing to fulfill any of the intended outcomes.
Anyone who goes downtown over the weekend has seen the gridlock caused by cars looking for parking. There is no lack of people driving here, as proven by the 64% of our greenhouse gas emissions caused by motor vehicles. Offering more incentives for driving than we already do would be a waste of valuable resources. Evidence instead shows that business income increases through promoting safe bicycle use and sidewalk activation.
If our goal is to encourage people to come here, let's encourage them to do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, whether by using the E Line, Big Blue Bus, micromobility, bike share, or Circuit. Better options are available; let's promote those over driving! Thank you,
Jacob Wasserman
11th Street and Washington Avenue
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: B K <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 9:28 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: I oppose Item 16B!
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am wriƟng in opposiƟon to item 16B.
We do not need to incenƟvize more people to drive downtown for the holidays. We already tried this and lost valuable revenue in the process, while failing to fulfill any of the intended outcomes.
Anyone who goes downtown over the weekend has seen the gridlock caused by cars looking for parking; there is no lack of people driving here, as proven by the 64% of our GHG emissions caused by motor vehicles. Offering more incenƟves for driving than we already do would be a waste of valuable resources.
If our goal is to encourage people to come here, let’s encourage them to do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, whether it’s by using the E Line, the Big Blue Bus, micro mobility, bike share, or the Circuit. BeƩer opƟons are available; let’s promote those over driving!
Thank you,
Billy kang
Sent from my iPhone
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Sam Shapiro-Kline <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 9:58 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: I oppose Item 16B!
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing in opposition to item 16B.
We do not need to incentivize more people to drive downtown for the holidays. We already tried this and lost valuable revenue in the process, while failing to fulfill any of the intended outcomes.
Anyone who goes downtown over the weekend has seen the gridlock caused by cars looking for parking; there is no lack of people driving here, as proven by the 64% of our GHG emissions caused by motor vehicles. Offering more incentives for driving than we already do would be a waste of valuable resources.
If our goal is to encourage people to come here, let’s encourage them to do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, whether it’s by using the E Line, the Big Blue Bus, micro mobility, bike share, or the Circuit. Better options are available; let’s promote those over driving!
Thank you
Sam Shapiro‐Kline
90403
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Caro Vilain <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 10:36 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: I oppose Item 16B!
EXTERNAL
Dear council,
I strongly oppose item 16B.
We’ve tried similar things here before, and all it did was cost the city $128k, without showing any real positive impact.
You can find all the details below:
https://www.smarking.com/post/the‐significant‐cost‐of‐free‐parking‐learnings‐from‐the‐city‐of‐santa‐monica If our goal is to incentivize people to come to Santa Monica for their holiday shopping by gifting them something, offer free Tap cards for stores to give away to customers, promote the Bike Center’s bike valet and offer free hours of that, create a campaign that encourages people to the the Big Blue Bus for their holiday shopping, remind people that they can rent a cargo bike from the Bike Center if they have to carry bulky items. This would be a much more appropriate use of our funds, which doesn’t involve incentivizing the most unsafe, unsustainable, loud, frustrating way you could possible use to get downtown, also known as a motor vehicle.
Most of the purchases made downtown can easily be carried on transit or on a cargo or even regular bike. If someone is buying more than they could carry, the cost of parking won’t affect their choices.
In addition, parking in Santa Monica is already heavily subsidized. It also affects the lives of residents by encouraging more motor vehicles to travel through our streets, rather than have visitors come via public transit or micro mobility. I hope you understand at least some of the negative impacts this has.
If you’d like to learn more about the true cost of free parking, I highly recommend looking into some of the work of UCLA professor Donald Shoup.
https://www.shoupdogg.com/parking‐links/
I hope you take the time to inform yourself about the absurdity of free parking in a place like downtown Santa Monica, and strongly oppose this item.
Caro Vilain
90404
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Jonathan Serra <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 11:08 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: I oppose Item 16B!
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am wriƟng in opposiƟon to item 16B.
We do not need to incenƟvize more people to drive to downtown for the holidays. There is enough personal vehicle traffic congesƟon.
On any given day, downtown has gets gridlock caused by cars looking for parking. there are too many people driving here, as proven by the 64% of our GHG emissions caused by personal motor vehicles. Many of those cars have one maybe 2 people.
If our goal is to encourage people to come here, let’s encourage them to do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, whether it’s by using the E Line, the Big Blue Bus, micro mobility, bike share, or the Circuit. BeƩer opƟons already exist; let’s promote public transportaƟon over driving!
Thank you
[Jonathan Serra ]
[BLOCK EX. 500 22ND ST]
Sent from my iPhone
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Carter Rubin <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 11:24 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: I oppose Item 16B!
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing in opposition to item 16B.
We do not need to incentivize more people to drive downtown for the holidays. We already tried this and lost valuable revenue in the process, while failing to fulfill any of the intended outcomes.
Anyone who goes downtown over the weekend has seen the gridlock caused by cars looking for parking; there is no lack of people driving here, as proven by the 64% of our GHG emissions caused by motor vehicles. Offering more incentives for driving than we already do would be a waste of valuable resources.
If our goal is to encourage people to come here, let’s encourage them to do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, whether it’s by using the E Line, the Big Blue Bus, micro mobility, bike share, or the Circuit. Better options are available; let’s promote those over driving!
Thank you
Carter Rubin
Euclid Street, Pico Neighborhood
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Vincent La Rocca <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 11:52 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: I oppose Item 16B!
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing in opposition to item 16B.
We do not need to incentivize more people to drive downtown for the holidays. We already tried this and lost valuable revenue in the process, while failing to fulfill any of the intended outcomes.
Anyone who goes downtown over the weekend has seen the gridlock caused by cars looking for parking; there is no lack of people driving here, as proven by the 64% of our GHG emissions caused by motor vehicles. Offering more incentives for driving than we already do would be a waste of valuable resources.
If our goal is to encourage people to come here, let’s encourage them to do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, whether it’s by using the E Line, the Big Blue Bus, micro mobility, bike share, or the Circuit. Better options are available; let’s promote those over driving!
Thank you
Vincent La Rocca
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Dena Greenwalt <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 12:21 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: I oppose Item 16B!
EXTERNAL
Hey Santa Monica City Council,
I hope this finds you well.
I'm reaching out to share my concerns about item 16B on the agenda.
The idea of incentivizing more downtown driving during the holidays doesn't sit well with me. In the past, we tried this approach and unfortunately saw a loss in revenue without achieving any desired results.
Anyone who's been downtown on weekends knows the chaos caused by cars hunting for parking spots. With 64% of our GHG emissions coming from motor vehicles, it's evident that we don't lack traffic. Investing more in driving incentives seems counterproductive and wasteful.
Rather than doubling down on driving, why not focus on promoting more efficient and sustainable alternatives? Whether it's through the E Line, the Big Blue Bus, micro‐mobility options, bike shares, or the Circuit, there are better, greener ways to encourage people to visit.
Thanks for considering my perspective on this.
Best regards,
Dena
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Diego Martinez <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 1:39 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: I oppose Item 16B!
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
My name is Diego MarƟnez. Although I’m a resident of Ventura County, I am passionate about keeping the our urban areas sustainable and focused on the benefit of all people, not only people with cars. I am wriƟng in opposiƟon to item 16B.
We do not need to incenƟvize more people to drive downtown for the holidays. We already tried this and lost valuable revenue in the process, while failing to fulfill any of the intended outcomes.
Anyone who goes downtown over the weekend has seen the gridlock caused by cars looking for parking; there is no lack of people driving here, as proven by the 64% of our greenhouse gas emissions caused by motor vehicles. Offering more incenƟves for driving than we already do would be a waste of valuable resources.
If our goal is to encourage people to come here, let’s encourage them to do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, whether it’s by using the E Line, the Big Blue Bus, micro mobility, bike share, or the Circuit. BeƩer opƟons are available; let’s promote those over driving!
Thank you
Diego MarƟnez
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Aaron H <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 1:59 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre
Subject: Oppose Item 16B on council agenda
EXTERNAL
Dear SMCC
I encourage you to oppose item 16B. We don't need more congestion and traffic around the holidays.
There is no such thing as "free" parking ‐‐ it is a public amenity that we all pay for that incentivizes inefficient ways to travel around.
To be clear I'm not against offering parking, but I'm against using our limited tax dollars to pay for people (especially from out of town that don't pay our taxes) to use up our public space to store their private car, especially given the city's recent actions to widen travel and parking lanes at the expense of a safe and comfortable bike lane.
Past experience shows that decreasing free parking periods keeps more spots available for visitors, especially those that need the space to access downtown. Long free parking periods increase the number of cars looking for parking and therefore more gridlock and traffic. In 2023 the people that want to drive are determined to do so ‐ they don't simply drive through downtown and "decide" to stop on a whim solely due to free parking ‐ especially since that free parking leaves fewer spots available.
If our goal is to encourage people to come here, let’s encourage them to do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, whether it’s by using the E Line, the Big Blue Bus, micro mobility, bike share, or the Circuit. Better options are available; let’s promote those over driving!
Thank you
Aaron H
1835 7th St
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Jason Mastbaum <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2023 4:40 PM
To: Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Gleam Davis
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: 12/12/2023 item 16B
EXTERNAL
Councilmembers, why are we revisiting an idea that we already know is a failed one? We already tried this in the 2020 holiday season and it was an abject failure. You don't have to take my word for it, our former parking manager Henry Servin's takeaway was, “If you’re a Parking Manager being pressured to reduce rates or to allow free parking, use this data and our learnings. In communities that already have an attractive draw, people will park for convenience not price.” (https://www.smarking.com/post/the‐significant‐cost‐of‐free‐parking‐learnings‐from‐the‐city‐of‐santa‐monica) In order to try to measure the impact of the free holiday parking, parking structures 7 and 8 were kept paid, and they saw more people parking than the free structures 1‐6 did. It also cost the city a whopping $128,000! Do Phil, Oscar, and Lana really want to have to explain to residents that the libraries remain closed because they flushed a bunch of city money down the toilet so Phil could get an extra 90 minutes of free charging for his new car? ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Andrew Thomas <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2023 11:32 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: December 12, 2023, Santa Monica City Council Agenda item 16B - Extending Free Parking at Downtown City Parking Structures
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members;
I am writing on behalf of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM, Inc.) regarding Santa Monica City Council Agenda Item 16B, the request that the City Manager extend the amount of free parking offered by the City at its Downtown parking garages from 90 minutes to three hours from December 22 through December 24 to spur last minute holiday shopping as a gift to our residents and visitors.
The DTSM, Inc. Board of Directors has not taken a specific position on this item. However, DTSM, Inc. strongly supports our local business community and all efforts to improve the parking experience in Downtown Santa Monica. Extending the free parking to three hours for these three days will benefit our residents, visitors, and local businesses by offering an important incentive to people visiting our Downtown. DTSM, Inc. commits to advertising this incentive through our stakeholder communications, social media, and by issuing a press release to all media outlets.
Thank you for discussing this item and for considering our local business community in making your determination.
Sincerely,
Andrew Thomas, LPM
Chief Executive Officer
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
1351 Third Street Promenade, Ste. 201
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.393.8355 (Office)
www.DowntownSM.com
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ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Natalya Zernitskaya <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2023 12:16 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Gleam Davis; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; David White
Subject: 12/12/23 City Council Agenda Item 16-B
EXTERNAL
December 12, 2023
Re: 12/12/2023 City Council Agenda Item 16-B
Dear Mayor Davis, Incoming Mayor Brock, Mayor Pro Tem Negrete, and City Councilmembers, I appreciate the intent behind the proposal to extend the length of free parking from 90 minutes to 3 hours at Santa Monica’s downtown parking garages from December 22nd through December 24th “to spur last minute holiday shopping as a gift to our residents and visitors.” However, I am opposed to this proposal because I do not believe that it will have the intended effect of increasing sales or increasing the number of people who would enjoy the holiday magic of 3rd Street Promenade and surrounding downtown area. Additionally, it would harm our City’s revenues when we are still in a period of fiscal recovery after the impacts of the pandemic.
I do not believe that increasing the length of the free parking period would drive more people to Downtown Santa Monica (pardon the pun) or lead residents and visitors to stay longer than they would otherwise do so.
If we are looking for ways to increase accessibility to our downtown and help support our local businesses, perhaps we could look into increasing awareness of and accessibility to downtown shuttles, improving pedestrian infrastructure, and banning right turns on red lights at “scramble” intersections so that residents and visitors exploring our amazing city can do so without fear for their safety.
Thank you for your continued service to our City.
Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Natalya Zernitskaya
Natalya Zernitskaya (she/her)
[email protected]
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
1 Xavier Mota
From: Ladd, Julia <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2023 4:36 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Gleam Davis; Jesse Zwick; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Phil Brock
Cc: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox
Subject: Written Comment Item 16B - Council Meeting dated 12-12-23
EXTERNAL
December 12, 2023
Dear Mayor Davis and Esteemed Councilmembers,
On behalf of Macerich and Santa Monica Place, we are reaching out to express our support for Item 16B, specifically advocating for the extension of free parking in the Downtown parking garages from 90 minutes to a generous 3 hours from December 22nd through the 24th exclusively.
Macerich, under its longstanding management agreement with the City, oversees the operation of Parking Structures 7 & 8. We are acutely aware that there would be a financial impact of the extension of free parking.
However, in the spirit of the peak holiday season, we believe that the gesture of offering three hours of complimentary parking will convey a powerful message of goodwill and gratitude to our retailers, residents and cherished customers.
In today's landscape, where the ease of online shopping continues to gain momentum, we must prioritize providing an exceptional in‐person shopping experience. The proposed extension aligns with our commitment to ensure Santa Monica remains a preferred destination for shopping and leisure and helps us remain competitive with neighboring beach cities, such as Manhattan Beach, which have successfully implemented complimentary public parking during the holiday season.
To ensure the effectiveness of this initiative, we propose that the extended free parking period be limited to the specified three‐hour and three‐day period, from December 22nd through the 24th. We also encourage a robust media outreach effort involving the City, Downtown Santa Monica (DTSM), local businesses, and the Buy Local campaign to drive business.
We believe that this collective effort will not only bolster the local economy during the holiday season but will also foster a sense of community and appreciation among residents and visitors alike.
We appreciate your thoughtful consideration and urge you to vote in favor of Item 16B.
Warm regards,
Julia Ladd | VP, Property Management
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Macerich
401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
2 Santa Monica, CA 90401
p. 424.229.3301
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023
ITEM 16.B.
December 12, 2023