Santa Monica Council Approves Design Phase for 14th Street Protected Bikeway

The useful part

For more on the transportation items on tonight's SM City Council agenda, Juan Matute previewed the meeting and explained in an op/ed how the Safe System approach works and why he believes it is the right fit for Santa Monica. Approval of the contract would be a milestone for the project, first approved as part of the city's Bike Action Plan in 2020. Once the contract is secured, the consultant will design the roughly 1.3-mile bike safety project.

How it works

• Research collected by PeopleForBikes has found that protected lanes can reduce crashes and injuries while attracting substantially more bicycle traffic than conventional painted lanes.
• The city's Bike Action Plan and subsequent amendments have called for a connected network of facilities that people of different ages and abilities can actually use, rather than a collection of disconnected...
• However, the contract before Council is for design work, meaning the detailed configuration of the bikeway, intersections, crossings and other elements would still be developed.
• The 14th Street facility would be an important link in Santa Monica's growing network of protected bicycle infrastructure, connecting the 17th Street Metro E Line station, Santa Monica College, Lincoln...
• The 17th Street and Michigan Avenue improvements have received the League of California Cities' 2024 Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Award and the Southern California Chapter of the American...

What to take from it

If Council approves the contract, design and community engagement would take place over the next two years, with construction currently targeted for fall 2028. It would cross three major streets, Broadway, Santa Monica Boulevard and Pico Boulevard, where the project is expected to include intersection safety improvements. Protected bike lanes are designed to make bicycling feel safer for people who are uncomfortable riding next to moving traffic.

Example or evidence

• Santa Monica has spent years identifying protected bikeways as a key part of its strategy to reduce serious and fatal crashes.
• Opponents created this AI image of what I guess is a woman trying to get out of her car on 17th Street.
• But 14th Street has opponents Former Mayor Phil Brock has been one of the most prominent critics of Santa Monica's recent protected bikeway projects.
• As a councilmember in 2023, Brock raised concerns about the city's 17th Street project after residents objected to the loss of parking and changes to the street.

Details worth keeping

The motion passed the City Council unanimously on Tuesday evening. By Damien Newton 1:28 PM PDT on September 8, 2026 a:first-child]:rounded-l-3xl [&>a:last-child]:rounded-r-3xl [&>a:not(:first-child)]:border-l-0"> Share on Facebook Share on Bluesky Santa Monica's 17th Street curb-protected bike lanes near Wilshire Boulevard. There is also a practical reason for the investment.

Related coverage

• Urbanize: City of L.A.
• Latimes: Long Beach has been working toward this vision since it adopted its bicycle master plan 25 years ago, now with mounting urgency as auto-related fatalities rise.
• Streetsblog: It includes 10+ miles of off-street bike paths and first/last mile connections to the Metro A Line.
• Streetsblog: The $7.5 million 1.2-mile Spring/Alameda project is upgrading walk and bike access to Union Station, Chinatown Station, L.A. State Historic Park, El Pueblo, the L.A. River, and more