July 3, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Reimagining Lincoln Blvd. – Grassroots Movement Gains Momentum:

What started as a small grassroots movement three years ago has caught fire and grown into a full-blown effort to improve the busy stretch of Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica between the 10 Freeway and the south city limits at Ozone Ave.

It’s called the Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor Plan (or “The LiNC”), and members are committed to working with city leaders, local businesses, and property owners to come up with a positive vision for the future of this corridor.

The latest workshop for “The LiNC” was held Thursday, Aug. 6 at John Muir/SMASH Auditorium.

“We have about a dozen key contributors and 80 volunteers that have expressed an interest in being involved,” said Roger Swanson, one of the leading members and key contributor of the LiNC. “We’re kind of a loose-knit group of people who are involved in the neighborhoods. I’ve been the coordinator but the ideas come from everyone.”

As stated in the group’s mission statement:

“The Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor Plan is meant to provide a comprehensive framework for the overall enhancement of the Boulevard, and will artfully weave together phased physical design improvements to the streetscape and right-of-way with policy and program level recommendations for improving vehicle flow and creating a more functional, aesthetically pleasing pedestrian experience that is supported and/or managed by the local business community and property owners.”

Swanson said that his group has been able to take their ideas to city leaders and others in the community.

“We’ve got a good relationship with the city,” Swanson noted. “We don’t tell them what to do; we just say here’s what people are thinking and here’s our data to prove it. We’ve generated a lot of ideas and have had over 600 people weigh in on our survey.”

The LiNC has conducted these surveys in the past to find out what local residents want to see improved. There are several areas of concern that Swanson and his group members are addressing when it comes to improvements on Lincoln Boulevard. Some of these concerns include busy traffic flow, narrow sidewalks and limited crossing, aging buildings, and homelessness.

Swanson feels that Lincoln Boulevard would benefit with the addition of more restaurants and cafes.

“That’s one of the things we want to see,” he said. “There are currently about 150 businesses on Lincoln and only about nine restaurants and a whole bunch of fast-food places. About one-third of the businesses are automobile related and used car lots. When we did a survey, the residents were strong in favor of adding restaurants and cafes, things you could walk to.”

Walking along Lincoln is another hot topic.

“Crosswalks are one of our top priorities,” Swanson said. “We’re considering three locations for crosswalks and we want what is called smart crosswalks with flashing lights. Those are relatively easy to get and will allow people to cross safely.”

To help beautify the sidewalk and business area, LiNC members are looking at adding more trees and brightening up the landscaping.

“That was one of our original requests,” Swanson said. “I think there have been about 50 locations identified where they want trees.”

There are other improvement areas identified as well, and Swanson is hopeful the project can be completed over the new few years. As the mission statement goes on to emphasize:

“Once complete, the plan is intended to be implemented incrementally as funding allows to create a high-quality streetscape and pedestrian environment that removes existing barriers, expands accessibility, increases safety, and improves public health among all non-motorized travelers.

“The plan is also intended to provide a foundation for ongoing collaboration between various city departments and stakeholders in reviewing and addressing long-term management issues affecting Lincoln Boulevard, including the development of targeted educational and outreach programs.”

Besides Swanson, other key members of the LiNC include Zina Josephs, Jim Lawson, Mary Marlow, Jeff Jarow, Dolly Sloan, Anthony Fuller, Killeen Pilon, Dave Tann, Nina Fresco, Gloria Garvin, Bob Taylor, Jan Ludwinski, Evan Meyer, and Cynthia Rose.

For more information, visit www.lincsm.net.

in News
<>Related Posts

Proposed Rebuilding Authority for Wildfire Recovery Sparks Local Control Debate

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Plan Aims to Streamline Rebuilding but Raises Questions Over Community Input A proposed “Resilient Rebuilding Authority” to oversee recovery from...

Pentagon Orders Troop Drawdown in LA: 150 National Guard Members Reassigned to Wildfire Duty

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Federal Forces Begin Partial Withdrawal From Protest Response as California Leaders Push Back U.S. Northern Command announced Tuesday that 150 National Guard...

(Video) ‘World’s Strongest Man’ Champion Pulls Big Blue Bus for 30 feet

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

World-class strongman Martins Licis pulled a 34,680‑pound, 35-feet long, battery electric bus through the Pier to set off Pier 360...

California Highway Patrol Deploys for Independence Day Enforcement Surge

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

All Available Officers to Hit California Highways for Holiday Weekend As Californians gear up for Fourth of July festivities, the...

Court Postpones Arraignment for Driver in Malibu Crash That Killed Four Students

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Fraser Michael Bohm Faces Murder Charges in Fatal PCH Wreck  The arraignment for Fraser Michael Bohm, the 23-year-old man accused...

More Commercial Uses Could Be Coming to RAND Building

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Amendment Unlocks New Opportunities, Secures $5.5 Million in Community Benefits The Santa Monica Planning Commission unanimously approved an amendment to...

People are Using Palisades for “Disaster Tours.” Local Officials Are Trying to Stop Them

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

A new motion introduced to City Council requests a coordinated strategy from LADOT, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the...

Santa Monica Favorite Esters Rebrands as Esters Wine Shop & Oyster Bar

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

New Concept Launches With French-Spanish Flair and Free Bubbles Esters Wine Shop, the fave Parisian-style wine bar in downtown Santa...

Letter to the Editor: Santa Monica’s Great Park: It’s Time to Deliver on 100 Years of Promise

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Santa Monica stands at the edge of history. For nearly a century, residents have consistently supported turning the airport land...

Why Nordstrom Says It’s Closing Its Santa Monica Place Location

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

A Nordstrom spokesperson explained the closure as a strategic realignment Nordstrom confirmed its decision to close its Santa Monica store...

Three-Bed Palisades Highlands Townhouse Hits Market for $1.7M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The Mediterranean-style property, located at 1529 Michael Lane, is part of a 71-unit community A remodeled 1,919-square-foot townhouse in the...

Six-Bed Mar Vista Hilltop Home Under Construction Lists for $5.3M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The private backyard is complete with a pool, spa, fire pit, built-in BBQ, and areas for outdoor dining A stunning...

(Video) Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction of Palisades Wildfires

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

With the reopening also comes a new exhibit, “The Kingdom of Pylos” Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction...

Free Virtual Planetarium Shows Coming to SMC in July

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The virtual format is in place as construction of the new SMC Planetarium and Observatory nears completion The Santa Monica...

Santa Monica Adopts $793.3M Budget for FY25-27, Prioritizing Housing and Safety

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The budget preserves core services and invests in major projects, including over $1 billion in hotel investments The Santa Monica...