HONK! HONK!
WHAT MEASURE R COULD HAVE DONE FOR OUR CITY

As is so typical for all of us between the hours of 4pm and 7pm, I’m sitting in my car right now, stuck in traffic. I briefly consider switching lanes, but the one to my right is just as hopeless. The only option is to make my way forward, an inch at a time. I tap my finger on the steering wheel. I flip through radio stations. Just as my mind begins to wander, traffic starts to move again. I refocus and gleefully apply pressure on the gas, only to jump back on the brake not a minute later. I am a whopping 20 feet closer to my destination!

Truth is, as you’ve probably already guessed, I’m not stuck in traffic right now. Rather, I’m stuck in front of the computer. I know, always the kidder. But like many of us, I’m no stranger to our region’s congestion woes. Dealing with gridlock is our unofficial, though well-earned badge of honor. And for those of us on the Westside, where traffic conditions are particularly gruesome, the situation can make you want to pull your hair out– not a good look. The way we Angelino’s complain about bad traffic is much like the way Eastcoaster’s complain about bad weather.

But how about this: what if traffic conditions gradually improved? How would it affect our quality of life, especially in the Santa Monica/ Westside area? Would an already strong retail-sector become even stronger? Would more companies move-in, bringing with them a whole new class of talented workers? Basically, this is what I’m saying: if commuting became easier, what would there be left to complain about? Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that if we really got a handle on our congestion troubles it would make a great place like Santa Monica, even better. Sound nice?

The continued prosperity of Santa Monica/ Westside depends upon our efforts to make this the best place to live, work, and recreate. It requires policies that foster economic growth, which include forward thinking improvements on infrastructure. The November election, by all measures, was a big deal. We will soon have a new and untested Administration confronting a long list of troubling economic, political, and social issues. You and I both can only wait and see how that plays out. On a local level, where the current recession has affected certain sectors pretty hard, we voted on two important items, Measures R and T. On the surface, each measure was designed to address the salient issue of relieving traffic congestion. While Measure R dealt with traffic for Los Angeles County as a whole and Measure T dealt specifically for Santa Monica, both had broader economic implications. In a nutshell, Measure R was good. On the other hand, Measure T was, well, plain awful. Fortunately, everyone saw the light.

TRAFFIC RELIEF, THE GOOD:

Measure R, also called the Traffic Relief, Rail Extensions, Reduce Foreign Oil Dependence Measure, was sponsored by the Los Angeles County Metro Transit Authority (MTA). The how and the why of the measure is to raise the county-wide sales tax half a cent (8.25% to 8.75) in order to fund a wide range transportation related initiatives. From less glitzy projects of fixing potholes and synchronizing traffic signals, to the costly expansion of the subway and light rail systems, Measure R will be a sweeping effort to move Los Angeles into the new century. Or that’s the idea, anyway. The measure passed with a needed “supermajority” of 67.22% of the vote. In other words, a lot of people thought the measure made good sense. I tend to agree with them.

But $40 billion dollars is no paltry sum. And while the project’s funding is generated over a 30-year period, the sentiment that now is the worst time to be raising taxes is understandable. While on principle I agree that taxes do much more harm than good— encouraging government inefficiency, stifling business, and generally making people feel like they’re being punished for their success, I’ve come around to the idea that Los Angeles needs to get onboard with a new and improved program, traffic-wise. And if we put Measure R on the cost/benefit scale, benefit outweighs cost by a ton. That is, if our politician’s do what they say they’re going to do...hmm.
Here’s the good news, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), an esteemed and trustworthy nonprofit, taxpayers can expect to pay about $25 more a year during the life-span of the measure. What does this do, really? Measure R’s main projects are to develop rail lines to LAX and the South Bay, in addition to a much needed regional connector that links everything together. There’s even a plan to develop rapid transit along the 405/Sepulveda pass. But the real trophy is the extension of the already existing Western/Wilshire terminus all the way to Westwood, with the ultimate goal being to lay track all the way to Santa Monica. Yes, this is what the politicians call the “Subway to the Sea”.

Other important aspects of the measure include providing access to Claremont, the Santa Ana corridor, Canoga to Chatsworth, and San Fernando Valley. Couple all that with more fuel efficient buses and the widening of existing freeways, Measure R is really a broadly ambitious overhaul of our approach to transportation in the Los Angeles region.

If all this sounds like it’s going to take awhile to get completed, that’s because it will. Measure R is not a quick-fix solution to our congestion problems. It’s really about making Los Angeles a more livable and productive place for future generations. And there in lies the rub.

As taxpayers we foot the bill for benefits we are not likely to see anytime soon. Painful and annoying, but in all honesty we should have moved in this direction quite some time ago. It’s not like comprehensive subway systems are anything new. Just look at Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC. And I won’t even mention how a majority of Europeans walk, ride a bike, or take some form of public transport. Sure, we have the great weather, but imagine where we would be today if 20 years ago Measure R got passed? It’s not like we were living in the Dark Ages back in 1988. Perhaps it was a totally different culture back then?

I’ll just say it: we love our cars. We love to drive. Me too! The trouble is that as the years have gone by and the population has steadily increased, we are doing less driving and more, well, waiting. All right, I’m done waxing philosophical. Let’s talk business.

Even though Measure R is not perfect, it seems to be the best solution for the economic, environmental, and population challenges that are unique to our region. The spirit of the measure, I believe, does what government should always do: improve our quality of life. Referring back to the LAEDC, they claim that Measure R will create 210,000 new jobs. That’s fantastic. We could definitely use more of those. In addition, easing traffic congestions has all sorts of positive side-effects. For instance, workers can get to their jobs faster and under less stress, which translates into gains in productivity. Increased productivity leads to better goods and services.

Let’s look at Santa Monica. If the flow of traffic coming in and out of SM/Westside becomes easier, then more people will want to live and work here. Does that even seem possible? Going beyond that, if demand goes up, then so will prices. That’s always a good thing for owners. And don’t forget how retail stands to benefit. The less hassle it takes to get to stores, the more time consumers have to shop. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve decided not to checkout some funky store or hot new restaurant on the Eastside simply because it’s takes an hour to go 10 miles. And I don’t think I’m unique in feeling that way. Sigh... that’s Los Angeles for you.

TRAFFIC RELIEF, THE BAD

I want to briefly address the travesty that was on the local Santa Monica Ballot, otherwise known as Proposition T. It was covered quite well in the pervious issue of Westside Apartment Monthly by my esteemed colleague, Francyne Shapiro-Lambert. It relates to the some of the issues that I discussed above and I want to bring its demise into the fold as merely a cautionary reminder of what we need to guard against.

As many of you know, it didn’t pass. Thank goodness. As a recap though, Proposition T, or Residents’ Initiative to Fight Traffic (RIFT), if passed, would have capped commercial development in Santa Monica to just 75,000 square feet a year for the next 15 years. Basically, the idea behind the initiative was to limit traffic congestion by choking development. The word ill-conceived comes to mind. As you can see from reading the above, in order to effectively address our region’s traffic woes, the smart money says that it will take a series of bold measures that build on infrastructure while encouraging development and growth. And that’s what the smart money is going to do. Perhaps if Santa Monica were a sleepy beach community or Martha’s Vineyard, then such provincial methods at the heart of Proposition T would have been more appropriate. But Santa Monica is not one of those. We have companies like Google, MTV Networks, and Yahoo with major offices in the vicinity. We have some of the most high-end retailers in the country. We have all that plus we have beautiful homes and strong demand multi-family residences. It’s the perfect blend of quality of life and a thriving business environment. To put the breaks on development is to deny the fact that Santa Monica is a unique blend of these two worlds. And it’s worked beautifully so far in my opinion, as I’m sure in many of yours.