S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY smmirror.com
May 27 – June 2, 2022 Volume CXLII, Issue 146
INSIDE
John Adams Middle School Student Selected to Perform at Carnegie Hall
PAGE 5
Shared Mobility Plummets in Santa Monica Recent report also shows that nearly half of riders make over $100,000 BY SAM CATANZARO Shared mobility use in Santa Monica has plummeted, according to a recent report that also found that nearly half of riders make over $100,000 a year. Shared mobility devices have been around in Santa Monica since 2017 when Bird rolled out their e-scooters. The City’s second 21-month pilot program began July 1, 2021. The participating companies— Lyft, Spin, Veo and Wheels— have provided 602,304 trips in Santa Monica during the first nine months of the Pilot Program, according to a recent city staff report released this month. This program had an initial fleet of 2,200 total devices citywide, and the potential to increase to the fleet cap of 3,250 devices based on demand. According to the report, however, between July 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, 1,563 devices of the permitted fleet were available on average as operators did not deploy the fully permitted amount because demand has been suppressed by the pandemic. This is a part of a larger drop in transportation activity experienced in Santa
Monica. Between March and December 2020, the City experienced reductions in parking transactions of 52 percent, Big Blue Bus (BBB) ridership of 59 percent, and of shared mobility ridership of 77 percent, when compared to the same months in 2019. In 2021 during the first six months of the second Pilot Program, movement in the City continued to be impacted by the pandemic, with parking transactions and BBB ridership remaining at approximately 77 percent and 44 percent respectively, while shared mobility ridership remains at only 26 percent of pre-pandemic levels. According to the report, shared mobility ridership has been slow to return to prepandemic levels. A core userbase, however, continues to rely on these services for regular transportation needs. In the most recent rider survey conducted in January of this year, 42 percent of the respondents reported that they ride daily or between 1-6 times per week. Of the survey responses, 43 percent of riders live in Santa Monica, 37 percent live in greater Los Angeles County, and 20 percent reside outside of LA County. The most common trip purposes are recreation (28 percent), to/from restaurants and dining (22 percent), and commuting to/from work (21 percent). The report also shed light on the economic demographics of riders. Currently, the four operators offer similar payment plan options and charge a similar rate per trip. All four operators charge a $1 unlock fee
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
and between $0.33 - $0.39 per minute of use. At these rates, an average 1-mile trip costs approximately $2.57 - $3.051, rates that continue to be much higher than other public transportation options. According to the report, the demographics of the current user base skew towards those who are wealthier. Based on the bi-annual user survey, 47 percent of participants make over $100,000 per year. When asked “What barriers prevent you from using e-scooters or e-bikes in Santa Monica?”, 36 percent of survey respondents selected too expensive, the second most selected reason. The most selected reason was 49 percent of survey
respondents saying devices were “difficult to locate” as a barrier preventing them from riding The City requires that each permitted provider offer low-income qualified rates that are easily accessible. The low-income programs that each of the four providers offer are based on requirements that range from home zip code, participation in state or federal programs or SMC enrollment status. The incentives range from monthly memberships at a reduced price, reduced or eliminated unlock fees, and per minute
Shared Mobility, see page 4
New Renderings for Frank Gehry Hotel Development in Santa Monica Project would include hotel, apartments, retail and a museum BY DOLORES QUINTANA Slowly but surely, plans for a Frank Gehry-designed project that would include a 120 room hotel, apartments, retail and a museum inch closer to reality on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica The proposal comes from Worthe Real Estate Group and would be built on an L-shaped property at Ocean and Santa Monica Boulevard. As reported by Urbanize Los Angeles. Most of the site would need to be cleared to allow for the construction of the following: • a 120-room hotel with amenities and meeting rooms; • 100 apartments - including deedrestricted affordable units; • 36,000 square feet of retail and
restaurant space; and • a 35,000-square-foot museum and gallery campus. The project would be required to reserve 25 deed-restricted affordable housing units that would be meant for renters making 30, 50 and 80 percent of the median income in the area and moderate-income family groups and, on top of that, 11 rentcontrolled apartment units. The balance of the units would be rentals priced at the market rate. Nearby two landmarked buildings at 1333 and 1337 Ocean Avenue would be added to the proposal’s full campus. The architect of the project is the celebrated Frank Gehry. Recently updated renderings show undulating, sculptural facades that are part of Gehry’s style. The highest buildings in this proposed campus rise to 130 feet above ground level and are the maximum height that is allowed by The Downtown Santa Monica Community Plan. Paseos that are publicly accessible flow through the center of the property and are the pedestrian connections to Ocean
Rendering: Gehry Partners LLP
Avenue, Santa Monica Boulevard, 2nd Street and 1st. Court. The design has a series of terraces on the upper floors and there is an observation deck built above the hotel. As per the environmental study conducted for the project, the construction of the project is scheduled for 34 to 36 months of continuous work. A financial analysis that was submitted to the Planning Commission says that the cost of the construction for the Ocean Avenue
Project is about $243 million and the soft costs will raise the budget to around $350 million. Worthe Real Estate Group has made a proposal for a community benefits package which would include financial and land contributions that would make the development of affordable housing, community use of the cultural campus and public open space, the observation deck and including various fees that would amount to a cost of $120 million.