The section of Lincoln Boulevard between the 10 Freeway and Santa Monica's border with Los Angeles at Ozone Avenue is poised to get a makeover that will transform it from unsightly and unwelcoming into a place with attractive, inviting space for buses, bikes, cars, and walkers. The plan, called Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor (LiNC), aims to add elements like dedicated peak-hour bus lanes, more crosswalks, nicer landscaping, street furniture, and better sidewalk lighting to the street, says Santa Monica Next. The aim of the plan is to cut down on conflicts between people in cars, on bikes, and on foot; improve the flow of vehicle traffic along the street; and encourage walking by making the corridor more comfortable and accessible for pedestrians, says the city website for LiNC.
Though the plans are still in the taking-public-comment phase, early designs will be presented to Santa Monica's Planning Commission next week. They'll show how the peak hours bus lanes would work out, as well as some possible improved bike crossings from side streets. Bus lanes were given priority over bike lanes on Lincoln Boulevard itself. There's also a push in the plan for adaptive reuse of buildings along the stretch to make them more attractive and ped-friendly—that would happen in phases and, at least as presented in the preliminary designs, ultimately have the auto-body-filled stripmalls at least partially repopulated with new, non-car-related tenants, like eateries or coffee shops.