In 2008 Laguna Beach appointed a City Task Force to study and make recommendations to reduce congestion and improve traffic safety for Laguna Beach. Members of the Complete Streets Task Force consisted of LB residents and neighboring beach cities volunteers, we coordinated with the LB Planning Commission to find money and develop plans to adopt approve and implement COMPLETE STREETS POLICY for Laguna Beach.
In 2012 The City responded THERES NO MONEY FOR THAAAAAT.
Meanwhile forward thinking city staff in San Clemente applied for, won grant money and in 2014 won a "Best in State" Award for their multi-modal street safety plan and adopted Complete Streets Policy.
Today the LB PATCH declares "$168,000 Grant Awarded to the LBPD for Traffic SAFETY". The public remains under the illusion that congestion and traffic safety is an enforcement problem and grant money must be the means to improve traffic safety. Law enforcement grants do nothing to address the issue of mobility policy or road infrastructure.
The LBPD grant will allow law enforcement to:
- DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopped suspected impaired drivers.
- High visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California's hands-free cell phone law.
- Enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk.
These measures correct motorist behavior, they do not fund a multi-modal plan to improve traffic safety with new infrastructure (bike-lanes, pedestrian furniture, traffic calming). Grant funding for Complete Streets Policy is available if the City applies, instead this grant funds LBPD law enforcement.
If the City of Laguna Beach Has No Money for Thaaaaat, then where does all our money go? These charts show where Laguna's city budget compared other beach cities.
-LS
