Changes in how we get where we’re going can have a huge impact greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the number of motor vehicle trips is key with methods listed below:
- Establish a district wide transportation management association to create literature, signage, and programs promote telecommuting, carpooling, bicycling, and public transit use.
- Add bike racks and showers/lockers to commercial buildings to support bicyclists.
- Limit motor vehicle traffic on some streets (6th Street, 7th Street, 8th Street) by creating bicycle lanes. This will increase bicycle travel, improve the retail environment, and make for more walkable neighborhoods
- Increase bus and minibus routes and create bus-only lanes on Wilshire, Western, and Vermont.
- Establish a bike sharing program.
- Re-allocate federal funds from motor vehicle transportation to public, pedestrian and bicycle transportation.
The following are the big picture ideas from the Eco Charette for discussion.
Goal: Reduce Car trips within, to, and from Area. Increase pedestrian and bike travel that will create vibrant retail and nightlife districts and reduce carbon emissions.
- Road Diet (reduce lanes on streets, such as 6th Street, 7th Street East of the Ambassador Hotel, 8th Street (reduce 4 lanes to 3, put in bike lanes) – this reduces through car travel, increases bike travel, improves retail environment, encourages pedestrian travel, makes walkable streets.
- Bike Boulevard 4th Street and 7th West of Ambassador– (allows bikes to go through quiet streets) encourages bike travel over through car travel on residential streets
- Bike Sharing Program – could sell sponsorships, BID could act as facilitator
Goal: Reduce Car trips within, to, and from Area. Increase pedestrian and bike travel that will create vibrant retail and nightlife districts and reduce carbon emissions.
SHORT TERM:
- Closure of Streets on Temporary Basis as in Farmers Market Days – Need to study area and find interesting retail activity where such closures would create pedestrian friendly and retail friendly environment. Possible locations: 8th Street between Irolo and Vermont.
- Parking Cashout / Bus Pass for those commuting into the area
- Bus Only Lanes on Wilshire
MEDIUM TERM:
- Establish a Transportation Management Association – creates literature, signage and programs to help area business encourage employees to carpool, bicycle and use public transport usage.
- Encourage Telecommuting
- Greater Bus and minibus routes through the area and within the area.
- Bus Only Lanes on Western and Vermont
- Commercial buildings include bike parking, bike racks, showers, lockers
LONG TERM:
- Modal Investment of Transportation Dollars – make goals of percentage travel split between peds, bikes, autos, transit and invest accordingly.
GOAL: Conversion and Multiple Usage of Existing Parking Space - -1,718,250 approximate million square feet of parking lot. Represents major opportunity for Greening of Spaces, CO2 Offset by Trees, Reduction of Runoff of water, Generation of Energy from Solar.
SHORT TERM:
- Plant Trees in Parking Areas without restricting parking
MEDIUM TERM:
- Convert Asphalt / Concrete to Grass Pave with native grasses / shade and drought tolerant plants
- Install Solar Panels over parking, allowing landowner to eventually use for charging for electric car charge
- Build Area Parking Structures of several stories to free up other surface level parking for conversion to parks / multiple uses (retail / residential)
- Landowners use air rights to encourage ground level green uses of former parking lots.
LONG TERM
- Transition of Parking lots entirely to non-auto usage as use of single user auto is drastically reduced
- Conversion of Parking Lots over to Solar Energy Generation to meet the needs of neighboring buildings.
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