> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Bus-only lane approved on Lincoln Blvd - URL: https://www.smdp.com/bus-only-lane-approved-on-lincoln-blvd/ - Published: 2005-09-15T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T07:47:07.000Z - Author: Ryan Hyatt - Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Business owners say they’ve been forced on board* CITY HALL — A new bus-only lane on Lincoln Boulevard is expected to make riding more convenient for users, while local business owners say City Hall failed to notify them of the change and their livelihoods may suffer because of it. The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday approved a limited bus-only lane at peak traffic hours along a portion of Lincoln Boulevard. While proponents say the move will encourage mass transit use and improve traffic conditions along the city’s busiest commercial corridor, local business owners contend that the result of reduced parking will lead to fewer customers patronizing their estab- “I’m disappointed we had no opportunity for input whatsoever,” said Pat Barrett, owner of Barrett’s Appliances at 2723 Lincoln Blvd. “If I had notice the council would be discussing a bus-only lane on Lincoln Boulevard, I would have definitely come to the meeting to comment.” > “I’m disappointed we had no opportunity for input whatsoever.” — PAT BARRETT Owner, Barrett’s Appliances The plan will require that on-street, metered parking along Lincoln Boulevard be removed and replaced with a bus-only lane. Barrett and other local business owners said reduced parking at peak times will be bad for business. Customers will be forced to park on residential side streets, where parking is already limited. The bus-only lane still needs to be approved by the state, which city officials said is likely. Upon approval, it would allow exclusive access on Lincoln Boulevard for buses and other shuttling vehicles during weekdays. As a result, parking will be prohibited on the east side of Lincoln Boulevard from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. between the south city limit and Grant Street, as morning traffic heads north toward Santa Monica and the Interstate 10 freeway. Parking will be prohibited on the west side of the roadway from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. between Pico Boulevard and the city limit, as evening traffic heads south. A group called the Lincoln Corridor Task Force, comprised of regional government groups and local citizens, studied the expansion of public transportation on Lincoln Boulevard and concluded that adding bus-only lanes is the most immediate option to ease congested traffic on the road, according to city staff. The high volume of automobiles that use the Lincoln corridor, the threat of more development in Playa Vista, and limited street width indicate “the need for a new, more effective transit service on Lincoln Boulevard as a viable alternative auto use,” according to city staff. Staff indicates the peak-hour, bus-only lane will benefit users by reducing travel times by as much 20 minutes on a one-way trip. It will be especially important now that the Big Blue Bus Rapid 3 line is in service, running along Lincoln Boulevard between downtown Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, LAX and Aviation Station, city staff said. Many of the users are expected to be commuters and tourists who work and visit Santa Monica. Motorists also are expected to benefit from the separation of bus and traffic lanes, since vehicles won’t back up behind stopped buses, staff said. Barrett said he received a phone call weeks ago from a telephone-survey taker representing City Hall. The caller asked questions about the bus-only lane. Barrett said he expressed reservations about it, and was told he was the only business owner who had, which surprised him. “It made me wonder if I was the only person she had talked to,” Barrett said. “If she asked around, I’m sure she would have found many business owners in the area concerned about losing their parking.” Barrett said he was told by City Hall no plans had been made to put in the bus-only lane. He didn’t hear about the bus-only lane since until he was informed it had been approved at Tuesday’s meeting. Barrett said his main concern about the bus-only lane is that it takes away parking from businesses at crucial times. As a result, he said he would like City Hall to consider building a parking structure, or take other measures, to assist businesses trying to stay afloat on Lincoln Boulevard and help them recover the loss of parking. Jeff Hughes, owner of the Legal Grind, located at 2640 Lincoln Blvd., said he has mixed feelings about the bus-only lane. Hughes said he received “no notification whatsoever” about the proposal, adding that it “would have been nice.” Hughes said he was never questioned about the proposal in a survey. A proponent of public transportation, Hughes said he believes it’s important for workers commuting to Santa Monica to have as convenient a bus ride as possible. However, he feels the addition of the bus-only lane is typical of City Hall, which is making Lincoln Boulevard into a busier thoroughfare, instead of taking stronger measures to reduce traffic on it all together, which he would prefer. As the southern gateway into Santa Monica, Hughes said he would like City Hall to make a more concerted effort to beautify and improve Lincoln Boulevard. He would like to see more trees and a landscaped median that splits the thoroughfare. Hughes said buses “rumbling past” the boulevard aren’t the real problem, which is general neglect and a lack of a specific design plan. “Lincoln has been abandoned by the city,” Hughes said. “It’s treated like a cement wasteland.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/091505-01_01.jpg) Buses will soon have their own lane once on-street parking along Lincoln Boulevard is eliminated. (Photo: Fabian Lewkowicz/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 15, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/091505.pdf?ref=smdp.com)