The City of Santa Monica has recognized Pacific Park® with a 2020-2021 Gold GoSaMo Achievement Award for reducing vehicle trips, congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions in the city .
The GoSaMo program is designed to help employers and property managers comply with local transportation regulations and assist commuters, residents, and visitors to find the mobility options that best suit their needs.
With the goal of reducing traffic, improving air quality, and promoting sustainable travel in Santa Monica, the GoSaMo Transportation Management Organization (TMO) provides services, resources, and direct assistance to organizations that support sustainable travel and meet their transportation goals. The GoSaMo Achievement Awards ceremony will be presented online in consideration of public health guidelines at a future date. For information about joining the project, visit www.GoSaMoTMO.org.
Pacific Park has been a longtime committed leader in green initiatives.
The Pacific Wheel is the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel. First opened in 1996 and then converted to solar two years later, the 174,000 are fueled solely by the pure California sun. On sunny days, the Ferris wheel’s power consumption is offset by three solar arrays located on the rooftop of the Park’s midway games and station house for the West Coaster rollercoaster. The solar panels are part of the iconic silhouette of the Pier and can be seen from the beach as a constant reminder that Santa Monica is dedicated to green initiatives and mitigating the environmental impacts of millions of visitors who visit the entertainment destination each year.
Through its own grassroots efforts, Pacific Park received the “Excellence in Stewardship of the Natural Environment” award at the 15th annual Sustainable Quality Awards presented by the City of Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, and the nonprofit Sustainable Works.
On the last Saturday of every March, the iconic Pacific Wheel, California’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel joins other world-famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Parthenon at the Acropolis in Greece, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London, Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, the Great Wall of China, and the Sydney Opera House in Australia, in a symbolic lights-out event to raise awareness for nature loss and climate change. It’s all in part of Earth Hour, one of the largest global grassroots movements for the environment first established in 2007 by the World Wide Fund for Nature. More than 190 countries and territories participate annually.
In addition to a commitment to green energy, Pacific Park was an early adopter of the City of Santa Monica’s organics collection program. Every day, visitors to the Pier contribute to rubbish and trash being added to local landfills. In addition to recycling plastics, cans, and cardboard, Pacific Park collects organic materials from our kitchens and concessions to be diverted from the landfill to the City of Santa Monica’s organics program. To learn more about how organics are reused by the City, visit www.smgov.net.
Being a green business goes beyond the property lines. Use of low-flow water fixtures, installing reduced-wattage lighting, and participation in local initiatives to reduce single-use plastics are great steps guests can take back to their own homes. Pacific Park works to bring awareness of these solutions not only by participating in these programs but also by participating in regional and global awareness campaigns. Locally, Pacific Park supports Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and their beach clean-ups, and the Bay Foundation in their initiatives to rebuild local habitats for local, endemic flora and fauna.
Photo by @keembeats