SOUNDING OFF: Bringing visitors by rail would help retail

It seems that several City Council members have expressed entrepreneurial concepts for the city bureaucracy. That is not all bad and in fact, if one acts upon these instincts, perhaps the city may be able to generate revenues without increasing taxes.

There may be better ways than taxes to generate revenues by concentrating on and optimizing market forces.

A strategy that may have merit in simultaneously solving pollution and congestion is to link existing under-utilized public transportation systems to benefit Laguna Beach.

This would increase the number of visitors and their length of stay, thereby increasing consumer (visitor) spending, directly and indirectly adding revenue to the city.

The test of free local transportation initiated by the City Council is a start but it is not bringing in new visitors.

How could such a simple concept work?

What exist are the Metrolink, Amtrak and Orange County Transportation Authority buses.

What does not exist is a strategy to connect them to, and be productive for, Laguna Beach.

It is without question that Laguna thrives on visitors for revenue.

What better way is there to increase visitors and revenue of the city, yet not increase autos, traffic, pollution and congestion?

The strategy is simple:

Meet with regional transportation agencies and work out a deal which will increase their ridership and bring new visitors to Laguna Beach without the related traffic burden.

What the city must do is:

?Negotiate a transportation concept;

?Develop related ideas for a city marketing/advertising program touting Laguna Beach as the place to visit;

?Motivate the chamber’s members to be creative and have members prepare programs to offer visitor incentives, awards, prizes or free goods or passes;

?And, yes increase entertainment and the uniqueness of the diverse world renowned beaches.

This is “strategic planning” that is needed by the city. We have a resource that is under-utilized and must be more productive. The city, chamber and citizens must think optimization of these resources!

Every valuable asset of and within Laguna Beach must be made to be a productive asset that will attract visitors who in turn will deposit or leave much-needed revenues to be used to further enhance our assets, known as Laguna Beach.

But we must attract those visitors/clients without the baggage of cars, pollution, traffic and congestion.

The solution is out there and some of it is on a fixed track, needing ridership.

I would suggest that the City Council convene a work session with the chamber and other interested parties to “brainstorm” and prepare a strategic concept that links regional transportation to enhanced utilization of city assets. A free bus ride from the Irvine train station to Laguna is a beginning. Assisting Metrolink in increasing ridership will be received with great interest and, one would expect, great enthusiasm.

One could imagine concerts on Forest Avenue to counter off-peak periods. Close Forest Avenue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and create a band-stand. Create better daytime functions welcoming visitors who will arrive and depart by rail. If current visitors to the various festivals stay just two hours more in the community, the expected revenues can be calculated. The question is how!

This strategic thinking would guide the way business advertises, the city markets itself, and lead to an array of ideas that would create revenue for the city and increase the vibrancy of business opportunities.

As an example, how many people visit the Spanish Steps, Piazza Popolo, St. Marks Square or Cinque Terra, and do nothing more than buy a cup of coffee or a sandwich and a post card? However, they do one thing extraordinarily well “” they leave money and a tip.

What is unique about those places is that no cars are allowed!

The city of Laguna Beach is a tourist mecca.

Disneyland relies not only on its ability to extract revenue from each visitor but also to attract even more visitors. Clearly, a different audience could be invited by train to view the art festivals in morning hours, spend early afternoon in town and return by train in the evening.

The city may be tapped out in bringing visitors by auto, however, the alternative is staring the city in the face and all that is needed is to be creative and work with the fixed rail systems.

The solution is not:

?More parking spaces;

?Higher parking meter fees or another meter technology;

?Revenue bonds secured by city assets; or

?Parking garages and long-term debt financing.

The answer is to encourage visitors to come by Metrolink and Amtrak from throughout Southern California to enjoy the beauty and services of the city and area. This generates revenues beneficial to all.

ALBERTO TREVIÑO lives in Laguna Beach.