1 City Council Meeting: June 10, 2025 Santa Monica, California ORDINANCE NUMBER _________ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA AMENDING SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 3.12.675
TO ALLOW BICYCLES AND OTHER DEVICES IN TRANSIT-ONLY LANES AND TO
AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO
ADMINISTRATIVELY DESIGNATE TRANSIT-ONLY LANES
WHEREAS, since adopting the Bike Action Plan in 2011 and the Bike Action Plan Amendment in 2020, the City of Santa Monica (“City”) has made significant progress in building a safe and comfortable citywide cycling network, however, key corridors without bike lanes remain, leaving cyclists and other device operators without comfortable options on some routes; and
WHEREAS, under Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.12.675, transit-only lanes may only be used by buses and other limited mobility services as designated by the Traffic and Parking Engineer and approved by Council; and WHEREAS, currently, Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.12.675 does not permit the operation of bicycles and other devices in traffic lanes designated as transitonly lanes; and WHEREAS, authorizing the Director of the Department of Transportation to designate bicycle and other device inclusive transit-only lanes would help prevent cyclists and other device operators from being cited for traveling in a lane with a higher degree of riding comfort and practicality; and
WHEREAS, the City of Los Angeles, which surrounds the City on three sides, currently permits the operation of bicycles and other devices in designated transit-only 2 lanes, and permitting the same in Santa Monica will assist in creating a multijurisdictional network; and
WHEREAS, City staff will develop additional training for Big Blue Bus (“BBB”) Motor Coach Operators to better promote safety for cyclists and other device operators; as well as provide safety outreach to cyclists and other device operators; and WHEREAS, amending the Municipal Code to allow the Director of the Department of Transportation the ability to administratively designate future transit-only lanes will enable the City to swiftly respond to changes in transit demand, specifically as those demands may arise from upcoming regional mega-events.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 3.13.675 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code is hereby amended as follows:
3.12.675 Transit Lanes
The Parking and Traffic Engineer Director of the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Traffic Engineer, may designate specified lanes of traffic for transit service as follows:. A person may operate a bicycle or “shared mobility device”, as defined in Section 3.22.020, in designated lanes of traffic for transit service. Designated lanes of traffic for transit service are as follows:
(a)
Lanes on Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway between Ocean Avenue and Fifth Street may be designated for use by public transit buses only. (b)
3 Parking on Lincoln Boulevard may be restricted to create transit lanes for use by:
(1) public transit buses; (2) dial-a-ride vans; and (3) charter party carriers and passenger stages operating pursuant to State licenses or permits. However, diala-ride vans, charter party carriers and passenger stages may only use transit lanes if they have at least two passengers on board and may not make passenger stops within the transit lane.
(c) The Director of Transportation, in consultation with the Traffic Engineer, may designate lanes of traffic for transit services other than lanes listed in sections (a) and (b) above. The Director of the Transportation shall make available to the public a list of designated lanes of traffic for transit services.
SECTION 2. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official 4 newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become effective thirty days after adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
Douglas Sloan, City Attorney