January 12, 2016 -- A project that make Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica into a corridor that is more visually appealing and people pleasing is off to a clean start this year, with officials announcing on Monday that workers hauled away huge loads of trash, removed graffiti and made other improvements leading up to 2016. (Santa Monica Officials Seek Input on Lincoln Boulevard Makeover, August 19, 2015).

As of December 11, some 15,435 pounds of trash had been removed from the busy thoroughfare, according to Downtown Santa Monica (DTSM) Inc., a private nonprofit organization that manages operations in the city’s downtown.)

Nearly 400 stickers and 26 graffiti tags were also removed, said Kathleen Rawson, the Chief Executive Officer of DTSM.

"Lincoln is evolving, and we are in a unique position to help the bustling street become more walkable and liveable for all Santa Monicans,"  Rawson said.

In a news release, DTSM highlighted before and after photographs of two locations on Lincoln. One picture shows overflowing debris at a location on Lincoln Court behind Lincoln Boulevard neatly swept up into garbage bags; the other shows a stretch of street litter on the boulevard completely swept away.

Lincoln Boulevard property owners voted July 14 of last year to join DTSM, becoming part of its tax assessment district and the services it provides, which in this case will also involve marketing, community events and “monitoring” of transient encampments there, the media release said. (Council Set to OK New Tax Assessments, July 10, 2015).

The Lincoln Boulevard Corridor stretches 1.25 miles and across 17 blocks from the I-10 Freeway to Ozone Avenue on the city’s southern border. It is an unofficial gateway to downtown Santa Monica, but is notorious for congestion, carrying as many as 59,000 vehicles a day.

Over the last decade, City officials, neighbors, business interests and others have wrestled with creating a comprehensive plan to remake that section of Lincoln so it is more visually pleasing, attractive to bicyclists and walkers, and better able handle its problems with traffic congestion. Council OKs Election for New Tax Assessment District, April 30, 2015)

The Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor (LiNC) plan would add such elements as peak-hour bus lanes, more crosswalks, landscaping, street furniture and better sidewalks. (Santa Monica Planning Commission Praises Lincoln Boulevard Plan, September 8.) 2015,

LiNC envisions creating a “livable street environment” where pedestrians, bicyclists and public transit and private vehicles can co-exist more smoothly, according to City documents.

“Once complete, portions of the Plan will be implemented incrementally as private and public funding allows creating a high quality streetscape and pedestrian environment that removes existing barriers, expands accessibility, increases pedestrian comfort, and improves public health among all non-motorized travelers,” the plan on the City’s website said.

Most of the residential development proposed for Downtown is along Lincoln Boulevard, officials note. It is already home, though, to about 4,000 residents.