I am sharing this footage to highlight a persistent safety crisis at the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd and Manzanita St. As a neighbor, I have documented the "high-end" patrons using the center turn lane as a personal parking zone for Erewhon. This specific segment of Santa Monica Blvd is part of the city’s High Injury Network—the 6% of streets responsible for 70% of traffic fatalities. This behavior forces traffic into bike lanes and creates a high-conflict "death-trap" at a busy intersection.
Erewhon center turn lane used as parking on High Injury Network zone
Current Action Taken:
- Formal Letter: I have sent a formal letter to Erewhon CEO Tony Antoci addressing the disconnect between their "organic" branding and this total lack of civic decorum.
- City Inquiry: I am currently in contact with Karla Martinez, Field Deputy for CD13 (Councilmember Soto-Martínez’s office), who is officially looking into the situation.
We are pushing for "hardened" infrastructure (concrete medians/bollards) to protect our community. If you have witnessed accidents or near-misses here, please share your experience below.
Full letter to the CEO included in the comments. Videos could not be posted here, but available.