Venice Blvd for All is coming along! Metro and LADOT have opened 4 miles of protected bike lines and dedicated bus lanes near Palms.
Venice Blvd Bike and Bus Lane ribbon cutting with SFA founder Michael Schneider, SFA Steering Committee/Palms NC member Katrina Kaiser, LADOT GM Connie Llanos, Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, and CD5 Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky
What is Next?
We are continuing to advocate for finishing the entire Venice for All corridor - connecting DTLA to the beach with safe and fast bus and bike infrastructure.
Int he next year we’ll hear more about Stay tuned for Phase 2 of the current Venice mobility improvements expanding west from Beethooven to Lincoln BLVD. Metro has also won a grant to install construct 38 new bus boarding islands along Venice Boulevard between Culver City Station and Lincoln Boulevard.
In the future, we will be sharing updates for how to complete the connections of bus lanes west of Tilden and east of National Blvd for the 33 along with protected bike lanes east of Lincoln to the beach and west of Culver City to DTLA.
We need to seize this opportunity to make sure L.A. follows its own Mobility Plan and implements safe, efficient infrastructure for bus riders, pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists.
What’s possible for Venice Blvd?
Safe for Everyone
Venice Blvd is on L.A.’s high injury network, a collection of streets with a high concentration of severe injuries and deaths. Between 2015-2018 from Lincoln to Cadillac there were 762 severe traffic injuries and 7 deaths. Improved signage, sidewalks, crossings, and bicycle infrastructure will make sure that Venice Blvd is safe for all users, regardless of age, mode, and ability.
Reliably Efficient
A dedicated bus lane can move more than 5x as many people as a standard traffic lane while giving emergency vehicles a path through crushing LA traffic to better serve neighborhoods. Venice Blvd. is unusually wide at 175 feet (most major LA streets are 80 feet), and can safely accommodate many different modes of transportation.
Better Business
Traffic and looking for parking are stressful and deter customers. Giving people a way to get to a destination outside of a car is good for business. One parking spot generally delivers one customer, where in the same space you can have 5 or 6 customers on bikes or scooters.
Sustainable & Healthy
Los Angeles has the worst smog (ozone) in the nation. We have the 5th worst particle pollution in the nation. We have the 8th highest rate of new childhood asthma cases due to traffic in the world. Venice Blvd can be an example for building a healthier and greener Los Angeles.
What specifically are we advocating for?
Four years ago, L.A. City Council passed Mobility Plan 2035 which included dedicated bus lanes, protected mobility lanes, and pedestrian improvements on major streets all across the city, including Venice Blvd. Since its passing, the plan has been largely ignored-- a coalition of well-funded, anti-progress groups are pressuring our leaders to keep the status quo. But with some of the worst traffic, highest rates of childhood asthma, worst air quality, and worst traffic violence in the country, we cannot afford to wait until our city’s leaders decide whether to keep their promises. We are taking action now and building a grassroots team of organizers and advocates from across Los Angeles to demand the change we so desperately need.
We are simply holding the city accountable to its own commitments: Mobility Plan 2035, Vision Zero Action Plan, and the Green New Deal Sustainable City pLAn. By implementing dedicated bus lanes, protected mobility lanes, and pedestrian improvements we can bring our city into the 21st century and create a safer, cleaner, and more livable Venice Blvd for everyone.
How much money will it cost?
The City currently has approximately $14M available to improve the stretch of Venice Blvd. between Lincoln and Cadillac. If additional funds are required, there are many available options to the City including Metro and State grants.
How will this benefit me?
In a word, freedom. You will have the freedom to choose how you wish to use Venice Blvd, the freedom to escape traffic, to use the street safely, and to breathe healthier air. Just grabbing something quick from the market? Bike or scoot in a protected lane. Need to go from Venice to DTLA? Hop on a bus and never get stuck in traffic, regardless of the hour. Want to walk to a neighborhood restaurant? Cross the street more easily with enhanced crosswalks and signals. Driving to an appointment? Use a lane dedicated to you without having to “fight” with buses or bikes for space. All users of Venice Bl. will also enjoy a more beautiful street, with the addition of plants and trees along the corridor.
I love this idea, how can I get involved?
Please sign our petition to support upgrading Venice Blvd into a complete street. We will have opportunities for volunteering. Together, we will fight to ensure that progress wins!
