Traffic: Montana Avenue Restriping and the Neighborhood

After having witnessed the disaster on Montana Avenue, I thought I might be the only one opposed to this so-called improvement. I was relieved, then, to discover there are many, many more (“Residents, Merchants Protest Montana Ave. Lane Restriping,” March 19).

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” should apply to the oxymoronic Santa Monica Planning Commission in this case. Montana was a nice, accessible, though no longer quiet, street. Two lanes on each side meant you could pass up the rubbernecker looking for Robert Redford’s offices or the 33 1/3-r.p.m. parking spot searcher. Now a line of cars is forced to participate in this slow-motion parade.

Dolores Press of the Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition (whoever they are) is quoted as saying, “This is progress in its finest sense.”

Apparently she doesn’t live in our neighborhood. Because if she did, I would think all the traffic that has now taken to the residential streets out of frustration would certainly bother her.

What’s really scary, though, is when they start talking about things like “decorative sidewalk paving, landscaped medians and ‘chokers’ to add sidewalk space.” This is a neighborhood, and it sounds like what they would like to see is Rodeo Drive West.

What’s next--turning the Aero Theatre into Gucci Land? I, for one, definitely plan to be present at the meeting that will decide the permanence of this ill-conceived plan.

ANDREW FINLEY

Santa Monica