Santa Monica approves pedestrian-friendly makeover for Lincoln Boulevard

City officials in Santa Monica are betting on a streetscape makeover to make one of its main thoroughfares, Lincoln Boulevard, less of a mess, especially for people on foot and on bikes.

Santa Monica’s City Council approved plans Tuesday for the first phase of the Lincoln Neighborhood Corridor Plan, reports Santa Monica Lookout.

The makeover will affect a stretch of Lincoln that’s just over 1 mile long, extending from Olympic Boulevard, next to the 10 Freeway, to Ozone Street. The first wave of changes will include:

• A dedicated bus lane during peak hours
• Curb extensions
• ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps
• New crosswalks and improvements to existing ones
• Nearly 50 new trees

The project does not include the creation of a formal bike lane, though it will allow for bike riders to use up to 5 feet of the bus lane.

An earlier staff report had pegged costs for the first phase at about $2.5 million. (A second, more expensive phase, is ultimately planned. It would involve adding stormwater filtration infrastructure and pedestrian lighting.)

The vote just approves the concept, emphasized a city planner; there are still many details that have to be figured out before the upgrades can be implemented.

An overhaul of Lincoln Boulevard has been in the works since at least 2015.

• Santa Monica City Council Approves Concept for Lincoln Streetscape Re-Design [SML]
• Santa Monica’s Lincoln Boulevard could get pedestrian-friendly makeover [Curbed LA]