The Venice Neighborhood Council’s (VNC) recommendation to Council Office was that Venice have a Free Shuttle for one year and that it be re-evaluated November 2015.

The VNC met Tuesday night to discuss many subjects but this was one of most importance to community and very controversial.

The shuttle, which will hold five, will have only one vehicle and it will be as shown above and operated by Santa Monica Free Ride from 7:30 am to 9 pm. Route is undetermined but Don Novack of Hal’s Restaurant, a strong advocate for shuttle, said it would probably be from the parking lots at the beach.

Venice is devoid of adequate parking much less for the influx of tourists. This is one opportunity to move people without cars.

There was opposition to the Free Shuttle because in order to be free it has to have advertising to support it. The advertising brought up strong controversy. Some wanted to restrict the type of advertisements but that was not passed.

Dennis Hathaway addresses the Venice Neighborhood Council.

Dennis Hathaway, president of the coalition to Ban Billboard Blight, was strongly opposed. He wrote a letter to the board prior to meeting. To read complete letter go to https://veniceupdate.com/2014/11/17/hathaway-concerned-about-proposed-shuttle/ His letter to the board stated:

In essence, this vehicle would be a rolling billboard occupying the publicly owned space of our streets for the benefit of large corporations marketing such products as alcohol, fast food, clothing, and other commercial products. Over the past decade, our organization, with the vital help of the VNC and many Venice residents, has succeeded in reducing the amount of commercial advertising in the community’s public spaces. Most notably, this has included getting rid of illegal supergraphic signs draped across sides of buildings and the Fuel Outdoor “movie- poster” style signs that were put in twos and threes on all of Venice’s commercial streets, and stopping the city’s plan to allow thousands of commercial ads on the Venice Boardwalk. This shuttle proposal represents a step backward from that achievement in helping preserve public space from the domination of branding and marketing pitches at every turn.

Gail Koslow was also opposed to the Free Shuttle because of the precedent it might set for billboards in Venice and provide billboards a path back into Venice.