Santa Monica's City Council voted 7-0 on Sept. 8 to hire a firm to design a concrete-protected bikeway on 14th Street. The 1.3-mile corridor between Pico Boulevard and Washington Avenue has drawn organized opposition over street safety and emergency access.

The council awarded the contract to Kimley-Horn for up to $1,999,205 over five years, according to the city's agenda. The money covers design only. Construction funding is separate and would require future council approval.

The project would convert existing painted bike lanes into a two-way facility separated from traffic by concrete barriers. Design features include raised crossings at select intersections, traffic signal changes, bus-boarding islands and curb ramp improvements.

The contract uses no local tax dollars. Three outside sources fund it: $749,205 from a state Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) grant, $1,150,000 from the Los Angeles Metro Measure M Subregional Program and $100,000 from the St. John's Hospital Development Agreement.

Final design is expected in spring 2028. Construction would begin in fall 2028, after the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to the staff report.

The item passed on the consent calendar, meaning it drew no council debate.

Former Mayor Phil Brock, now a City Council candidate, has led opposition to the project. In a social media post before the Sept. 8 vote, as reported by Santa Monica Next, Brock argued 14th Street is the wrong street to narrow. He cited daily use by fire trucks, police and paramedics and the proximity of UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center's emergency department one block away on 15th Street.

In an Oct. 4 interview with the Westside Current, Brock said he supports bike lanes but not the concrete-barrier approach. "The city traffic engineers and department made this decision without really consulting residents," he said.

A resident group called Unsafe Streets SM has organized against the project, raising concerns about emergency access, parking, ADA compliance and traffic circulation. The group's website compares the plan to the city's 17th Street bikeway and points to reports of firefighters in New York City struggling to reach emergencies because of concrete bike lanes.

No public response from the Santa Monica Fire Department or UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center on the emergency-access concerns appears in available records as of publication.

Supporters pushed back. Santa Monica Spoke and the Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance submitted a letter to the council on Sept. 8 backing the contract, signed by Cynthia Rose and Cris Gutierrez. The groups said protected bike lanes are critical for families who bike with children.

The city's 2022 Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP), which analyzed crash data from 2015 to 2019, identified 14th Street as a priority corridor. The LRSP found 65% of all fatal or severe-injury crashes citywide during that period involved pedestrians, cyclists or scooter riders.

Seven firms submitted proposals for the contract. An evaluation committee selected Kimley-Horn based on expertise in signal design, drainage and similar projects in neighboring cities including South Pasadena. The bikeway would connect Lincoln Middle School, Memorial Park, Santa Monica College and the 17th Street Metro E Line Station.

City staff said the design phase will include community presentations and council check-ins on concept designs and project trade-offs. Specific meeting dates have not been announced.