Ocean Park Boulevard Green Streets Project COMMENTS FROM COMMUNITY WORKSHOP 1: LISTENING / MARCH 3, 2008 I. SUMMARY OF COMMENTS This memorandum provides a summary and compilation of all the comments received at the March 3 Community Workshop. The order of the themes presented below is not prioritized but is simply a listing of clustered comments that provide a sense of the range of ideas expressed by the public on that Monday evening. The themes included those noted immediately below: 1. Enhance Walkability and Pedestrian Safety! 2. Emphasize Bikeability! 3. Slow Down Vehicular Traffic! 4. Improve Pedestrian Safety Around the School! 5. Address Traffic Issues at Highland Ave and Ocean Park Boulevard! 6. Address Traffic Issues at Lincoln Boulevard and Ocean Park Boulevard! 7. Address General Traffic Issues! 8. Redesign 4 th Street Overpass! 9. Emphasize the View from 4 th Street Overpass! 10. Provide Gateways, Landmarks, and Public Art! 11. Emphasize Environmental Sustainability! 12. Provide More and Better Greenery! 13. Beautify! 14. Enhance Bus Stops! 15. Address the Mural at Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard! 16. Address Flooding at 5 th Street! Comments that did not fit the above themes or addressed areas of interest outside of a purely urban design scope are noted in an additional category presented below; Other General Comments. II. COMMENTS BY THEME 1. Enhance Walkability and Pedestrian Safety! Make the neighborhood for walking. Increase sidewalk width at strategic points along Ocean Park Blvd. Sidewalks along the ramps approaching 4 th Street are too narrow and impede walking. (David) Consider pedestrian bridges. (Dennis) Provide medians and green areas with crosswalks like in Portland. (Mary) Repair uneven sidewalk seams. Consider raised sidewalks. (Tony)
Ocean Park Boulevard Green Streets Project March 3, 2008 John Muir/SMASH The point along Ocean Park Boulevard where there are blinking lights to deter pedestrian crossing needs to be looked at from a safety perspective since people still cross there. (Hara) Widen sidewalks. They are too narrow for two-way pedestrian traffic! (2) Create more crosswalks designed like the one in front of City Hall that are safer for pedestrians. Put pedestrian striping at all crosswalks. A raised median would increase pedestrian safety, beautify the streetscape, and slow traffic speeds. Provide more crosswalk signage and flashing lights. Provide pedestrian bridges. (2) Provide pedestrian and bicycle crossing like at the beach (note: CAL Incline). 2. Emphasize Bikeability! Consider bicycle safety. (Frank) Bikes will become more and more prevalent. Build with bikes in mind. (Eric) The bike lanes along Ocean Park Boulevard are unsafe. Bike lanes physically separated from the road may not be the answer but the issue of bikes on Ocean Park Boulevard should be addressed. (Dennis) Talk to LA Bike Coalition and make it easier for traffic to coexist with cyclists. Bike lanes don t necessarily have to be separated from cars with green strip. Emphasize safety for bicycle travel! Separate bike lanes from cars for safety. Isolate bike lanes. Provide bike lanes and sidewalks as one not bike lanes on streets. Separate bike lanes with landscaped medians and integrate runoff mitigation measures. (3) 3. Slow Down Vehicular Traffic! Cars move too quickly along Ocean Park Boulevard. It s a neighborhood street! (Frank) Drivers heading westbound on Ocean Park Blvd make left turns onto 2 nd Street with too much speed. Drivers have run their cars into walls as well as a parked car at the intersection. (Tony) The intersection at Beverly Lane and Ocean Park Boulevard is dangerous. Westbound drivers approach at full speed. (Arthur) Vehicular speed and traffic volume are problematic. (Art) Provide a roundabout at Neilson Way. (Mary) Provide traffic circles. (Dennis) Slow traffic by integrating more curves and landscaping along the street. Chicane the street but perhaps not the bike lanes. Remember that this is a residential street and not a freeway. Provide a traffic circle at 3 rd Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. Increase enforcement of traffic laws. Stop or slow down or reduce overly fast turns from Ocean Park Boulevard onto southbound 2 nd Street and 3 rd Street. A narrower street section will slow down traffic. Slow traffic. 2
Ocean Park Boulevard Green Streets Project March 3, 2008 John Muir/SMASH 4. Improve Pedestrian Safety Around the School! Provide a pedestrian bridge at 5 th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. Provide a crossing light at 5 th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard for children and pedestrians. Consider a traffic circle at 5 th and Ocean park Boulevard. The intersection is dangerous. Urgently install a pedestrian traffic signal at 5 th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. Repeat urgently. Provide raised intersections at 5 th and 6 th Streets for pedestrian safety and to traffic calming. Provide safe crossing for school. Provide a pick-up and drop-off area at the school. (2) Add a four-way stop at 5 th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. Provide a traffic circle at 5 th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. Provide a traffic-calming roundabout at 5 th Street. Replace the signal at 6 th Street with a stop sign. 5. Address Traffic Issues at Highland Ave and Ocean Park Boulevard! Provide a crosswalk at Highland Ave. The intersection at Highland Ave is the highest point along Ocean Park Boulevard. Add a three-way stop sign there. Add a raised median/curb to prevent left turns at Ocean Park Boulevard and Highland Ave. 6. Address Traffic Issues at Lincoln Boulevard and Ocean Park Boulevard! Eastbound Ocean Park Boulevard as it approaches Lincoln Boulevard would work best if it were striped to allow a left turn lane, a through lane, and a right turn lane. The timing of the signal at Lincoln Boulevard and Ocean Park Boulevard sucks. The signal at Lincoln Boulevard requires a 90-120 second wait. Provide a traffic light at 7 th street that is coordinated with Lincoln Boulevard to allow 7 th Street access. 7. Address General Traffic Issues! 3rd Street in the northbound direction at Ocean Park Blvd needs to be redesigned. Maintain Ocean Park Boulevard s ability to move traffic. Consider quiet asphalt along Ocean Park Blvd to reduce noise. (Jan) Density, traffic, and bigger cars are compromising neighborhood character. (Miriam) Provide a drop-off area at the school off Ocean Park Boulevard. Initiate a dialogue with the school soon. Take advantage of Prop BB. (Ted) Resolve access issues. Not being allowed to make left turns from Beverly Ave onto Ocean Park Boulevard is a huge inconvenience. (Marta) It is difficult to get to Lincoln Boulevard heading north from Beverly Ave. Drivers are required to make a left across Lincoln Boulevard traffic from Kensington or head towards the ocean on Ocean Park and make a U-turn t0 get back to Lincoln Boulevard. 3
Ocean Park Boulevard Green Streets Project March 3, 2008 John Muir/SMASH Restrict left turns to strategic points along Ocean Park Boulevard. 8. Redesign 4 th Street Overpass! Change the topography at 4 th Street to reduce slope. Close 4 th Street bridge. (Eric) Fill in the hill. (Dennis) The area over and under 4 th Street is awful and should be improved. Perhaps the underpass area can be lit up with solar powered lighting or receive other significant design treatment. (David) Getting onto Ocean Park Boulevard from side streets is dangerous. The ramps at 3 rd Street and 5 th Street are especially dangerous. (Judy) The layout of the west ramp from 4 th Street to 3 rd Street is awkward. (Tony) Left turns from the descending westbound ramp towards 3 rd Street at the westernmost stop sign is dangerous. (Tony) Provide sitting areas on the west side of 4 th Street. Provide lighting and sculpture under the 4 th Street bridge. Make the 4 th Street bridge wonderful. Turn the top of the 4 th Street overpass into a view point/vista point. Extend the structure on the west side to create additional space. Provide telescopes. Solar, back lighting on bridge. The murals have outlived their purpose. Preservation should not be a primary issue when deciding the final plan. 9. Emphasize the View from 4 th Street Overpass! Enhance access to ocean views. Celebrate our oceans. Provide viewing decks on 4 th Street overpass. Enhance access to the view from 4 th Street overpass. Beautify the overpass area. (Judy) Accentuate the view from the top of 4 th Street. (Dennis) The 4 th Street overpass feels blasted. Frame the ocean view as well as the view east. Provide benches. 10. Provide Gateways, Landmarks, and Public Art! Provide an iconic landmark in front of the school. (David) Gateway! Provide a gateway that announces that you ve entered Ocean Park. (Christine) Provide a welcoming sign to the Ocean Park District. (Tony) Emphasize historic nature of Ocean Park Blvd and Main Street intersection. (Roger) Provide better public art. (Jody) We should be utilizing the 1% developer fund to provide public art. (Roger) Create a gateway that welcomes people towards the sea. Provide a better school signage. Provide signage welcoming and pointing people to the beach. 11. Emphasize Environmental Sustainability! Provide drought tolerant plantings. 4
Ocean Park Boulevard Green Streets Project March 3, 2008 John Muir/SMASH The final Consensus Plan should reflect larger city policies and have a direct relationship to the city s sustainability goals. (Tracy) Provide community composting sites and/or community gardens. Specify which sustainable city plan goals this project will help meet. Turn 4 th Street bridge into a green bridge. Utilize permeable paving and/or recycled rubber sidewalks from Big Blue Bus tires. Provide native trees and sustainable landscaping and watering systems. Provide planted islands that serve as infiltration basins. 12. Provide More and Better Greenery! Don t cut down trees in the process. Provide edible gardens along Ocean Park Boulevard. (B.A) Reinforce the idea of having a signature street tree specie program to define the corridor. Palm trees can be iconic. (Scott) Provide real grass, not Astroturf. (Michael) Plant trees in empty tree wells. Provide medians with trees. Put in green center medians along Ocean Park Boulevard. Provide more trees along sidewalks. Green the medians along the entire boulevard. Provide more urban tree canopy. The ramps are awful! We need landscaping, new trees, and wide sidewalks. Provide center islands with landscaping. Provide street trees in the hatched areas of the street on the south side of Ocean Park Boulevard between 7 th Street and Highland Ave. Provide median strips with landscaping. Put in new trees. Provide more landscaping Canary Island Palms in medians as a gateway at Highland Ave. Create edible gardens. Turn parks along Ocean Park Boulevard into edible gardens. Use native and edible plants. Provide street trees in the hatched areas of the street on the south side of Ocean Park Boulevard between 7 th Street and Highland Ave. Consistent trees. Better trees. Close Ocean Park Boulevard and create a green space park. Acquire space at northwest corner at the intersection Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard and create a park. The park at 6 th Street south of Ocean Park Boulevard can become an edible garden that provides for the school s salad bar. Turn parks along Ocean Park Boulevard into edible gardens. Provide median islands. 13. Beautify! Emphasize beauty when redesigning Ocean Park Boulevard. (Frank) Provide a street design that emphasizes a relationship with the ocean. (Mitchell) 5
Ocean Park Boulevard Green Streets Project March 3, 2008 John Muir/SMASH Ocean Park Boulevard is unusually ugly. We deserve better. (Mary) Provide streetlights that are beautiful as well as sustainable - solar-powered, with motion sensor. (Laura) The approach to Main Street should be made nicer. (Judy) Provide beautiful, solar-powered street lamps. 14. Enhance Bus Stops! Improve bus stops along Ocean Park Boulevard. (Jody) Improve the conditions around bus stops to enhance the waiting experience. (Frank) There are two major transit nodes along Ocean Park Boulevard: one at 2 nd Street and the other at 4 th Street. Buses that stop at 4 th Street can take you all the way to downtown. Take advantage of funds available for beautifying areas along transit corridors. (Frank) 15. Address the Mural at Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard! Improve the mural at Ocean Park Boulevard and Main Street. (Hara) Force owners of mural wall at Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard to restore or wipe-out that mural. Fix the mural at Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. Remove the mural at ZJ s. 16. Address Flooding at 5 th Street! Note that the area around the intersection at 5 th Street floods. The area was a pond in the past. Mitigate storm water runoff at 5 th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. The property that the school sits on used to be a fishing pond. The structure is sinking due to this past. There is an ongoing lawsuit associated with this. Other General Comments: What is the difference between island and median? We need more police presence along Ocean Park Boulevard. (B.A) The park at the Public Library is substandard. It should be improved to enhance usability. (Scott) This project could bring the community together. Its cost is worth the improvement in the livability of the neighborhood and our quality of life. (David) City processes need to come to completion and be made more efficient. (Scott) JC Construction dumps left over cement from sidewalk work in tree soil and is killing and injuring trees. Replace the school with a gas station. Provide more places to sit. Keep two lanes and bike lanes. Synchronize traffic signals during high traffic times. Return Ocean Park Boulevard east of Lincoln Boulevard to four lanes. Relocate Angel s Attic. Try to remember that this is a residential street! There is no commercial here! Metro Bus now uses Ocean Park Boulevard between 2 nd Street and Main Street and no one to monitor. 6
Ocean Park Boulevard Green Streets Project March 3, 2008 John Muir/SMASH Use quieter buses/smaller buses. The park at 2 nd Street and Ocean Park Boulevard attracts homeless. Provide better lighting. Provide a monorail from Lincoln Blvd to Main Street. Traffic circles are dangerous. Note Strand and 4 th Street. Do not install medians along Ocean Park Boulevard as they slow emergency services. Add 24 hour parking along the entire length of Ocean Park Boulevard. The intersection of Beverly Ave and Hollister needs a stop sign. 7
LINCOLN BLVD Intersection at Ocean Park Boulevard and Main Street. HIGHLAND AVE BEVERLY LANE 04 View looking north towards 3rd and 4th Street. 03 View looking north at the overpass at 4th Street. 04 View looking south at the overpass at 4th Street. OCEAN PARK BLVD 4TH ST 4TH ST 05/06 3RD ST 3RD ST 03 2ND ST 2ND ST 05 View looking north from the top of the overpass at 4th Steet. MAIN ST MAIN ST NEILSON WAY NEILSON WAY 06 View looking east from the top of the overpass at 4th Street. 0 200 400 1000 ft N 100 300 500 1.0 PANORAMAS
LINCOLN BLVD 07 06 View of SMASH/John Muir Elementary School at 5th Street. View of SMASH/John Muir Elementary School at 6th Street. 03 HIGHLAND AVE BEVERLY LANE 04 05 03 View of linear park at Highland Ave & 6th Street. 04 View of linear park at Highland Ave & 6th Street. OCEAN PARK BLVD 4TH ST 4TH ST 3RD ST 3RD ST 2ND ST 2ND ST 05 View looking north towards Beverly Lane and Highland Avenue at 6th Street. 06 View looking south towards Highland Avenue and Beverly Lane at 7th Street MAIN ST MAIN ST NEILSON WAY NEILSON WAY 07 Intersection at Ocean Park Blvd and Lincoln Blvd. 0 200 400 1000 ft N 100 300 500 1.1 PANORAMAS
LINCOLN BLVD 14 Three-story commercial building on Main St and Ocean Park Blvd. Single-family residential building at 2nd Street. 03 Three-story multi-family residential building at 2nd Street. 04 Three-story multi-family residential building at 2nd Street. BEVERLY LANE 11 09 HIGHLAND AVE 12 13 10 08 05 Two-story multifamily residential building at 3rd Street. 06 Two-story multi-family residential building at 3rd Street. 07 Two-story multi-family residential building at 5th Street. 07 OCEAN PARK BLVD 4TH ST 4TH ST 06 3RD ST 3RD ST 05 03/04 2ND ST 2ND ST 08 SMASH Alternative School House at 5th Street. 09 Three-story multi-family residential building at Beverly Lane. 10 Three-story multi-family residential building at Highland Ave. 11 Two-story multifamliy residential building at 7th Street. MAIN ST MAIN ST NEILSON WAY NEILSON WAY 12 Two-story multi-family residential building at 7th Street. 13 Single-family residential building at 7th Street. 14 Commercial building at Lincoln Blvd. 0 200 400 1000 ft N 100 300 500 2.0 COMMUNITY CHARACTER
LINCOLN BLVD 15 14 Crosswalk striping at east side of Main Street and Ocean Park Blvd. Crosswalk striping at north side of Main Street and Ocean Park Blvd. Crosswalk striping at south side of 3rd Street and Ocean 03 Park Blvd. 04 Crosswalk striping at southeast side of 3rd Street and Ocean Park Blvd. 13 HIGHLAND AVE BEVERLY LANE 05 Crosswalk striping at north side of 3rd Street and Ocean Park Blvd. 06 Crosswalk paving and stripes at west side of 4th Street and Ocean Park Blvd. 07 Crosswalk paving and stripes at south side of 4th Street and Ocean Park Blvd. 08 Crosswalk stripes at north side of 5th Street and Ocean Park Blvd. 08 OCEAN PARK BLVD 4TH ST 4TH ST 05 04 09 12 11 10 06/07 3RD ST 3RD ST 03 2ND ST 2ND ST 09 Crosswalk stripes at west side of 5th Street and Ocean Park Blvd. 10 Crosswalk stripes looking north at 5th Street and Ocean Park Blvd. 11 Crosswalk stripes looking west side at 6th Street and Ocean Park Blvd. 12 Crosswalk stripes at south side at 6th Street and Ocean Park Blvd. MAIN ST MAIN ST NEILSON WAY NEILSON WAY 13 Crosswalk stripes at north side at 7th Street and Ocean Park Blvd. 14 Crosswalk stripes looking northeast at Lincoln Blvd and Ocean Park Blvd. 15 Crosswalk stripes at west side of Lincoln Blvd and Ocean Park Blvd. 0 200 400 1000 ft N 100 300 500 3.0 CROSSWALKS
LINCOLN BLVD 03 04 05 06 HIGHLAND A VE BEVERLY LANE 08 09 10 4TH ST 3RD ST 3RD ST 2ND ST 11 12 13 14 15 2ND ST MAIN ST 16 MAIN ST NEILSON WA Y 17 18 19 20 21 200 100 CHARACTER NEILSON WA Y 22 0 4.0 LANDSCAPE 4TH ST 400 300 1000 ft 500 N 07 OCEAN P ARK BLV D
LINCOLN BLVD 03 04 05 BEVERLY LANE /04/06 12 HIGHLAND AVE 09/10 16 06 07 08 09 OCEAN PARK BLVD 11 4TH ST 4TH ST 3RD ST 3RD ST 13 07 15 08 03 2ND ST 2ND ST 14 10 11 12 13 MAIN ST MAIN ST NEILSON WAY NEILSON WAY 14 15 16 0 200 400 1000 ft N 100 300 500 5.0 BUS / BIKE / OTHER
NEILSON WAY NEILSON WAY LINCOLN BLVD HIGHLAND AVE BEVERLY LANE OCEAN PARK BLVD 4TH ST 4TH ST 3RD ST 3RD ST 2ND ST 2ND ST MAIN ST MAIN ST 03 03 6.0 Ocean Park Blvd. Task Force Consensus Plan
Filterra Stormwater Bioretention Filtration System Flow Through Planters In-Ground Planters Bioretention Basin Vegetated Swale Infiltration Trench 7.0 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES