Sunday, July 31, 2016

Consultant Assesment Downtown Specific Pan

DSP Five Gateway Opportunities, click to enlarge


  • The Laguna Beach Independent  "The First Try at Downtown Update Misses the Mark." Independent article here.
  • Draft Downtown Framework, Task 2.13, MIG Consultants, July 2016  here
  • MIG Consultants Task List here.




What MIG offers us in the Draft Framework:
  • 5 locations as Gateway Opportunities for development (p3,14,15)
  • Parking Structures: Las Brisas, V Entrance, NE Broadway&PCH, Act V
  • Pedestrian Scrambles
  • Parklets on Forest Ave
  • Bike friendly Ocean Ave, 100 yards of bike access
  • Way-finding signs to parking lots
  • Pedestrian chicken-strips at Cliff and PCH
  • Pedestrians are traffic calming devices, Forest & PCH!
  • Permeable multi-use path for the Village Entrance
  • Re-purpose downtown alley(s)
  • Specific street improvements follow:
  • Forest Avenue: "Amplify the existing streetscape amenities"  
  • Ocean Avenue: Modify as bike-friendly street
  • Broadway: Visually connect downtown to Main Beach via plazas
  • Move transit station out of town
  • Bike and Ped access for Broadway not recommended
Will Laguna build a banana peeler?

  What MIG forgot:
  • Autonomous cars
  • Car Share
  • Bike Share
  • Bikeracks
  • Transit stops at Gateways
  • OCTA Regional Corridor
  • Lightrail terminal plan
  • Embellish the existing Transit Station
  • Pedestrian Zones
  • No Pocket Parks see Parklets
  • Modified, In Lieu or relaxed parking requirements
  • Substitute beach transit for parking spaces to satisfy Coastal Commission


-LS

Friday, July 22, 2016

Automating New Urban Landscape








Shared Use + Automation = New Urban Design
  • narrower streets means
  • greater public space

Car usage today 4%   Car lifespan parked 96%

Morgan Stanley:
  • Car ownership unnecessary
  • Car dealerships obsolete
-LS

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Laguna's New Driving Alternative the Summer Breeze

Ride the Summer Breeze (OC Bus Route 689) July 9 to August 28 11am to midnight from this parking lot along Laguna Canyon Road with these stops:
  • Sawdust Art Festival
  • Laguna Art-A-Fair
  • Festival of the Arts
  • Pageant of the Masters
  • Laguna Playhouse
  • Laguna Beach Bus Station
The Bus Station connects to the FREE Laguna Beach Trolley.

Summer Breeze No. 689 Schedule here
FREE Summer Trolley Transit Map here
Connecting OCTA Metro Schedules here

Hillside Trolleys on Tracker App here.
Bluebird Canyon, ToW, Arch Beach Heights
30-minute intervals June 24 - Sept. 5
  • M-Th 6:30a - 6:30p
  • F 6:30a - 11:00p
  • Sa 9:30a - 11:00p
  • Su 11:00a - 8:00p
-LS