The City Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a safety overhaul of Santa Monica Boulevard, directing staff to install temporary physical barriers at a dangerous intersection near McKinley Elementary School before the next school year and to pursue stronger pedestrian crossing technology on the corridor's eastern half.
The 7-0 vote on the Santa Monica Boulevard Safety Study clears the way for the city to apply for state grant funding before a June 22 deadline and locks in upgrades the city hopes to complete before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The corridor has recorded 435 high-injury crashes over the past decade, with pedestrians and cyclists overrepresented, according to the advocacy group Santa Monica Families for Safe Streets.
The plan narrows general travel lanes to a maximum of 11 feet, designates bus-only lanes of 12 to 13 feet, and extends transit lanes along the corridor in coordination with the Westside Cities Council of Governments. Pedestrian signals will activate automatically from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., eliminating most crosswalk button-pressing.
The most contentious debate centered on the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Chelsea Avenue, used by children walking to McKinley Elementary. Parents pleaded for immediate physical protections, while a nearby Kia dealership pushed for a redesign that would preserve a left-turn lane into its business.
Council Member Dan Hall, who moved the staff recommendation, said dealership access should not drive the design.
"I'm not super interested in preserving a left turn at Chelsea, if the highest pedestrian protection for the children crossing the street to their school would have us design the intersection otherwise," Hall said.
Hall later clarified that if staff determined the safest design eliminated left turns into Chelsea or the Kia driveway, the council would defer to that recommendation. Staff said the Kia left turn — slightly down the boulevard from Chelsea — could potentially be preserved while restricting movements at Chelsea itself.
Council Member Lana Negrete pushed staff to "stress test" the designs for turning radii of fire and bus vehicles.
"I just want to make sure that we're not unintentionally creating conflicts between pedestrian safety and transit operations, emergency response functionality, and, of course, the business community," Negrete said.
The council directed staff to install temporary "quick-build" protections, such as bollards, at Chelsea before the next school year, with final design left to staff.
The council also tackled a technical debate over pedestrian crossings. Staff had proposed Rapid Flashing Beacons — described in city materials as small yellow flashing lights — but advocates said they are insufficient for the corridor's traffic volumes and speeds.
Planning Commissioner Jacob Wasserman warned that "lives are at stake" and urged staff to install Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons, known as HAWK signals, or full traffic lights. In written comments, he wrote: "Why are RFFBs proposed and not HAWKs (or even normal signals) at crosswalks? Research is clear that HAWKs are safer."
Council Member Natalya Zernitskaya echoed those concerns, noting national safety guidelines do not recommend the flashing beacons for streets with the boulevard's traffic volumes. Council Member Jesse Zwick pressed staff to ask the state for the stronger treatment.
"At this stage in time, I mean, we're asking for money. So is there a reason why we wouldn't want to ask for the more appropriate treatment, since we're asking the state for money?" Zwick said.
Staff acknowledged HAWK signals cost considerably more but agreed to include them in upcoming grant applications. The motion directed staff to explore HAWK signals or full traffic signals over the flashing beacons on the eastern half of the corridor.
The vote followed months of revisions. The council had directed staff in February to return with a plan that more aggressively prioritized pedestrian safety and reduced speeding.
Public comment ran heavily in favor of adoption, with dozens of McKinley parents submitting nearly identical letters urging quick-build medians by August 2026 and a HAWK beacon at Chelsea. Some residents pushed back. Caitlin O'Brien wrote that the city had not collected sufficient data on community impacts; Deborah Dinsmore questioned whether narrowed lanes and curb extensions would improve safety.
Mike Sullivan, owner of the Kia Santa Monica dealership at 2440 Santa Monica Blvd., submitted an alternative concept by engineering firm Linscott, Law & Greenspan that he said would maintain the westbound left turn into the dealership while meeting safety goals. City Manager Oliver Chi said staff would continue working with stakeholders without "compromising pedestrian safety."
Approval was time-sensitive. An adopted plan is required for the Caltrans Active Transportation Program Cycle 8 grant, which has a June 22 deadline. Staff will also submit a Capital Improvement Project request for the Chelsea intersection in the fiscal 2026-27 budget cycle, with an estimated cost of $1.15 million.
The study covers the corridor from Ocean Avenue to Centinela Avenue. Phase 1 items — signal timing, pedestrian recall and far-side bus stop relocations — are slated to advance within six to 12 months.