As part of Earth Month, the Westside Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles Chapter (USGBC-LA) is presenting a guided tour of two Green Street sites as part of the City of Santa Monica Green Street Program. The tour includes two Green Street locations, as well as a presentation from the Office of Sustainability and the Environment at the City of Santa Monica to explain the implementation of the city's Green Streets initiative, which aims for developing community and creating unique and sustainable places for people to live.
The tour will commence at 6 p.m. April 19, at Ocean Park Blvd. and 4th Street, where a segment of a complete Green Street is under construction to result in a better performing, enhanced streetscape that is pedestrian- and bicycle-oriented, attractive, green, and prevents urban run-off from entering the Santa Monica Bay.
Key Ocean Park Blvd. Green Street project elements include: wider sidewalks; parkway/storm water bio-filter swales and infiltration areas; a drip irrigation system; over 100 new trees; new landscaping and medians; new marked crosswalks with enhanced overhead flashing beacons; more visible, painted bike lanes and traffic striping; new artist-designed bike racks; street furniture; trash and recycling cans; 75 pedestrian-scaled light poles; traffic signal improvements; and Los Amigos Park storm improvements.
The group will continue their walking tour to Bicknell Avenue and First Street to view a completed Green Street. Completed in May 2009, this installation features such innovative strategies as: permeable concrete in the parking lane; subsurface infiltration basin; climate appropriate landscape plants; and depressed parkway bioswale with drip irrigation.
Read more about building a green home.
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