The Santa Monica City Council votes Tuesday, Sept. 8, on a nearly $2 million contract to design a two-way protected bikeway on 14th Street.

The contract with engineering firm Kimley-Horn, listed as item 4.B. on the council's consent calendar, would authorize up to $1,999,205 over five years for transportation planning, design and engineering. Future-year funding would still require council budget approval.

The project would convert existing bike lanes on 14th Street into a two-way protected bikeway stretching from Washington Avenue to Pico Boulevard, covering 2.6 lane miles, according to a city press release from Dec. 16, 2025.

Staff is also asking the council to adopt a finding of categorical exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and to approve a budget amendment. The budget amendment requires five votes from the seven-member council, which includes Mayor Caroline Torosis, Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick and Councilmembers Ellis Raskin, Dan Hall, Barry Snell, Lana Negrete and Natalya Zernitskaya.

State grant money backs the project

The bikeway is partly funded through a $49.9 million Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program grant that the California Strategic Growth Council approved unanimously in December 2025. Of that total, $14.3 million covers sustainable transportation projects including the 14th Street upgrade, five zero-emissions electric Big Blue Buses, bus shelter installations and curb ramp improvements.

Department of Transportation Director Anuj Gupta said Dec. 16, 2025, when the grant was announced, that the award "ensures continued progress in expanding protected bike lanes, transitioning to a zero-emissions fleet, and improving bus stop amenities and pedestrian access."

Because the contract sits on the consent calendar, all consent items are approved in a single motion unless a council member pulls one for separate discussion. No separate debate is guaranteed.

The Santa Monica Observer reported that the design phase is a critical juncture, arguing that once a consultant is locked in and design work begins, reversing course becomes harder and more expensive. The Observer compared the 14th Street project to the city's earlier 17th Street redesign, which the outlet said drew complaints about lost handicapped parking, accessibility problems for elderly and disabled residents and blocked emergency vehicles. The Observer reported that a petition against the 17th Street changes gathered hundreds of signatures.

No independent public records confirming the Observer's 17th Street claims were available for this story.

The city has built or is building protected bikeways on several corridors. Construction on Broadway from Ocean Avenue to 26th Street was expected to wrap up by late summer 2026, and similar projects have been completed on 17th Street, 26th Street and Colorado Avenue.

How to weigh in

The council meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, at City Hall Council Chambers, 1685 Main St., Room 250. Written public comments can be emailed to [email protected] by noon on the day of the meeting. Residents who want to speak by phone must register at santamonica.gov/public-comment by 5 p.m. the business day before the meeting. The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 22.