If the Marina Freeway is extended, it could drastically affect the quality of life in Venice. Everyone who cares about maintaining our community should turn out Thursday Evening for this meeting (details at the end of this message) and express their strong opposition. Here are 10 reasons (there are more) to oppose the freeway extension to Admiralty Way: 1. There is only one way for traffic on Admiralty Way to get out of the Marina. It has to go through surface streets in Venice. 2. The extension will not alleviate traffic on Lincoln Blvd. It will simply draw more Valley-bound traffic from the 405. 3. Venice is full of pedestrians - both locals and beach-goers. More traffic zooming through Venice is a guarantee of more auto-pedestrian accidents. Even without the freeway extension, Venice is used by too many commuters who have little regard for posted speed limits or pedestrians attempting to cross the street. 4. Venice residents have been nearly unanimous in their opposition to freeways and freeway extensions in the past - and they will be again. 5. Instead of trying to accommodate more auto traffic by routing it through the narrow streets of Venice, government should examine alternatives such as more buses and an extension of the Green Line light rail down Lincoln Blvd. 6. A Marina Freeway extension to Admiralty Way would only stimulate more over-development of the Marina to the detriment of small boat owners and residents. 7. Thousands of more cars per day in Venice would seriously increase the amount of pollution. Many Los Angeles residents come to the beach, in part, to escape the pollution in their neighborhoods. If the beach suffers greater air pollution, where will they be able to go to get relief. 8. Not only would streets such as Abbot Kinney, Ocean, Pacific, Venice Way and Main get more traffic, but residential streets throughout Venice would see a large increase in traffic as commuters take “short cuts” in hopes of shaving a few seconds off their trip. 9. Since Venice is a beach community, planners should place the needs and safety of pedestrians, skaters and bicyclists first. 10. In planning for auto traffic, Venice should be seen as a destination, not a convenient throughway for speeding commuters. Jim Smith JSmith@igc.org www.freevenice.org ------------- Come to the Public Meeting: Public Meeting Jan. 10 from 7 - 9 pm, Thursday at Burton Chace Park Community Building 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey Venetians have been fighting periodic attempts to dump more traffic into Venice from this freeway - or run it through the middle of Venice - for years. This time the scheme is to extend the 90 across Lincoln to Admiralty Way, which would run more traffic onto Venice surface streets. Here's more information in this week's Argonaut (Jan. 3) on page 29: HEARING JAN. 10 ON PLAN TO EXTEND RTE. 90 ACCESS TO ADMIRALTY IN MARINA A proposal to realign the Marina Freeway (Route 90) access expressway at Lincoln Boulevard and extend the roadway inside the Marina to Admiralty Way will be the topic of a public meeting by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works between 7 and 9 p.m., Thursday, January 10th, at Burton Chace Park Community Building, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey. Community members will have the opportunity to talk to county representative about the proposed project and present ideas, suggestions and comments about proposed alternatives. Information. Paul Maselbas, project manager, (626) 458-3918, 7:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or by e-mail at: PMASELBAS@dpw.co.la.ca.us