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Editorials, letters to the editor, and other community opinions about Santa Monica.

Video: Watch the damage the I-10 did to LA and Santa Monica’s Communities

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Back in November, when a fire under the I-10 in Los Angeles caused the shutdown of a portion of the freeway; the YouTube channel Segregation by Design published a video that illustrates the destruction...

Editorial: Make More Cities Safe on the PCH

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In his last constituent newsletter, Councilmember Jesse Zwick urged readers to contact State Senator Ben Allen and ask that he include Santa Monica in legislation that will authorize a speed camera pilot program in...

Mayor Phil Brock’s Presentation at Wilmont Neighborhood Coalition Offers Glimpse Into Santa Monica’s Insular...

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Santa Monica has seven officially recognized neighborhood groups. Despite their official recognition and city funding, most of these groups are known for not being representative of their neighborhoods–indeed, many residents don’t even know they...

A Look Ahead at 2024’s Biggest Stories from Your Santa Monica Next Editor

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Well 2024 is now well upon us. Starting Monday, Next will resume its normal coverage which makes now the perfect time to look ahead at what we think will be some of the biggest...

California Can’t Be a Climate Leader Until it Stops Building Freeways

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This piece first appeared at Streetsblog California. Representatives from the State of California are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates right now for COP28, the climate summit where world leaders make agreements to reduce greenhouse gas...

The Clock Is Ticking to Submit Comments on Plans for Grant Elementary…Including a Car-Centric...

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Want to submit a comment? Submit your comment on the Draft EIR as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00pm on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 to Cupton@smmusd.org Grant Elementary School in Sunset Park, where my...

Donate Today to Support Santa Monica Next in 2024 and Beyond…

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Like any non-profit publication, Santa Monica Next relies on reader donations to continue publishing and plan for the future. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in 2023, speaking truth to power on a shoestring...

Is L.A. Finally Ready to Close the “Northvale Gap” on the Expo Bikeway?

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It has been a year since I reported on the Expo bike path’s Northvale Gap – something I’ve been doing in Streetsblog since 2015. I want to provide a quick update. But I also want to share...

I Lost My Job at Caltrans for Speaking Out Against Highway Widening

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This op/ed by Jeanie Ward Waller, former Caltrans Deputy Director for Planning & Modal Programs, has appeared at several news outlets including the San Francisco Chronicle and is reprinted here with the author's permission. Cars...

Open Letter from SMMUSD Superintendent: Fall Celebrations and Events Build a Sense of Belonging

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Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, Students and Community Members, As the weather cools and the leaves turn signaling we are getting close to the end of 2023, our students are feeling the warmth and comfort of...

This Halloween, Don’t Kill Any Kids With Your Car!

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The following is a media release from Circulate San Diego. Halloween is the ultimate pedestrian holiday with little kids and their parents out trick or treating dressed in fun costumes.  But the deadliest monster in...

When in Rome, do as Santa Monicans do: get inspired about building a park...

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The following piece first appeared on The Healthy City Local. I was traveling in Italy earlier this month so thankfully I wasn’t around when the Santa Monica City Council had the mother of all nightmarish...

Op/Ed: The Long City Council Meetings Are Bad for Democracy, And All Solutions Should...

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It seems that every meeting of the Santa Monica City Council there’s a debate or controversy caused by how darned long the meetings are. The seven person Council includes more than a handful...

Commentary: Daylighting is Now the Law. But it’s up to Cities to Make it...

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The following article first appeared in Streetsblog San Francisco. Governor Newsom signed A.B. 413 into law on Tuesday. As explained in the Tweet below from the advocates at Los Angeles-based Streets for All, A.B. 413 will, in...

Council Will Discuss Lottery to Pick Members of SMO Development Committee

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When I interviewed Jesse Zwick for the first What’s Next podcast on Santa Monica Next, he proposed for our second segment a discussion of public participation. He argued that the current public participation process...
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