Santa Monica cyclists could soon gain access to bus-only lanes under a proposal the City Council will consider Tuesday, part of broader transportation safety initiatives including a comprehensive study of crash-prone Santa Monica Boulevard.
The council will vote on amending the municipal code to allow bicycles and other devices like e-scooters to operate in designated transit-only lanes, bringing the city in line with Los Angeles and potentially improving cyclist safety.
Currently, Santa Monica prohibits bicycles in transit-only lanes, forcing riders to use regular traffic lanes even when bus lanes offer safer conditions with lower traffic volumes and professionally trained operators.
"Staff believe giving cyclists and other device operators formal permission to ride in transit-only lanes can enhance safety and riding comfort," Transportation Director Anuj Gupta wrote in a staff report.
The change would give Gupta authority to determine which of the city's five transit-only lanes permit cyclists. These include peak-time restrictions on Lincoln Boulevard and all-day lanes on portions of Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway downtown.
A Los Angeles study bolsters the safety argument. After implementing shared bus-bike lanes on Wilshire and Sunset boulevards in 2015, crashes involving cyclists decreased by 10% and 30% respectively over two years, despite increased ridership.
Santa Monica's transit lanes meet safety guidelines established by the National Association of City Transportation Officials, with bus speeds well under the recommended 20 mph limit and most lanes seeing fewer than 15 buses per hour.
The Broadway transit lane particularly serves as a critical connector, linking the protected bikeway on Ocean Avenue with the protected bikeway under development along Broadway. The city's 2020 Bike Action Plan explicitly called for allowing bicyclists in this transit lane.
The council will also receive an update on the Santa Monica Boulevard Safety Study, a $590,000 analysis funded largely by a state transportation grant examining the corridor's troubling crash history.
Santa Monica Boulevard emerged as a high-priority corridor in the city's Vision Zero commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The 2.4-mile stretch from Ocean Avenue to Centinela Avenue has seen severe traffic injuries and one fatality over the past decade.
Data analysis identified 206 total crashes between 2015-2019, resulting in one death and nine severe injuries. Key intersections with notable crash histories include 6th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 20th and 26th streets.
The historic Route 66 corridor serves major destinations including Santa Monica College, the main library, medical centers and high-density residential neighborhoods. More than 100 sites identified for future housing development sit within one block of the boulevard.
Staff have conducted community outreach and analyzed crash patterns to develop safety recommendations. The study will continue through a community open house in August, with final recommendations presented to the council for adoption in early 2026.
Once approved, the city will seek grant funding to design and construct the safety improvements identified in the study.
The transportation initiatives reflect the city's broader commitment to Vision Zero goals and creating safer streets for all users—pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and transit riders.
The City Council meeting begins Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1685 Main St.