Santa Monica Blvd.

Re “Is Santa Monica Ready for a Face-Lift?” Feb. 26: Let me see if I have this straight. The top five reasons to spend $68 million transforming Santa Monica Boulevard into a high-speed “Gateway to West Los Angeles” are:

So car-poolers can speed on to the San Diego Freeway without a wait; so motorists can barrel through an intersection in under 39 seconds; so commuters can work longer hours; so vehicles can be spared “wear and tear”; so we aren’t embarrassed by the ugly road when tourists come to town?

What’s missing here? Any real concern for the people who live in the neighborhoods north and south of Santa Monica Boulevard and how this high-speed “gateway” will affect their lives.

This is just another example of the sort of shortsighted, grandiose projects that are rampant in Los Angeles. And while the bloated Santa Monica Boulevard plan may ultimately add to the city’s coffers, it also sends a message to homeowners and residents that the mayor and the City Council are quite happy to sacrifice our neighborhoods in the process.

DEBRA GENDEL

Westwood