SANTA MONICA— The city of Santa Monica’s annual Alley Renewal Program is taking on the task of improving 13 alleys in the region. The Street and Fleet Services Division, a part of the Public Works Department, have been working since February 2018 to refurbish and restore the alleys for the city’s residents and visitors.

Currently, 10 out of the 13 alleys chosen for major repair have been completed. The remaining three alleys listed are 24th Court, Georgina Place North, and Lincoln Court, which are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

According to the city of Santa Monica website, the Street and Fleets Services Division has been working with the Civil Engineering Division to install pervious gutters. Pervious gutters are useful in maintaining the flow of stormwater runoff, while filtering out pollutants. Urban runoff through storm drains results from residential yards, driveways, and streets and is the primary cause of pollution in areas such as the Santa Monica Bay. 15th Court, 11th Court, and Euclid Court are all located in the 1500 block of Santa Monica and had pervious gutters installed this year thanks to the Alley Renewal Program.

With the installation of pervious gutters, groundwater is being stored to replenish Santa Monica’s groundwater supply aiding the city’s goal to become water self-sufficient.

The Alley Renewal Program is funded by the Santa Monica Capital Improvement Program Budget. All of the pervious concrete gutters are funded through the Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax, or Measure V. Measure V was passed in 2006 by residents of Santa Monica in the effort to limit the amount of urban runoff that can be harmful to the Santa Monica Bay.