What is MOVE Culver City? 

MOVE Culver City is a city-led effort that envisions a reimagining of our streets as public spaces and prioritizes moving people more efficiently and safely in the design of the street. The effort involves the creation of physically separated bus and bike lanes on three corridors around the city by converting a single vehicle travel lane in each direction to a mobility lane. One lane of car access will remain in both directions. The project’s goal is to help ensure that bus passengers, cyclists, and emergency vehicles will all benefit from increased speeds, ease of travel, and reliability of sustainable connections to key destinations and regional transit connections. 

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Why MOVE Culver City?

The community has experienced increased traffic congestion that will continue to rise with the city’s economic growth. There is no opportunity to expand the public right-of-way, so the City is reimagining the street to move those traveling within and through Culver City more efficiently. MOVE Culver City also explores the various ways the City can encourage a variety of mobility opportunities for people to learn how to move safely along our busiest corridors.

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What corridors are included in the MOVE Culver City Project?

The MOVE Culver City Project includes three corridors:  

1. Downtown Corridor: Culver and Washington Boulevards between the intersections of Culver Boulevard/Duquesne Avenue to the west and Washington Boulevard/La Cienega Avenue to the east (approximately 1.3 miles).

2. Sepulveda Boulevard: Future Project limits TBD

3. Jefferson Boulevard: Future Project limits TBD 

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When will MOVE Culver City be implemented?

The project will be implemented in three phases. Phase 1 is the Downtown Corridor, which will connect Downtown Culver City with the Metro E-Line station and the Arts District with dedicated lanes for bikes and buses in both directions on Culver and Washington Boulevards. Construction for the Downtown Corridor began on October 11 and was completed on November 30, 2021. Sepulveda and Jefferson Boulevards will be commenced in phases 2 and 3.

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What is the duration of the project?

This project is a pilot – meaning all changes and materials are temporary and can be adjusted, if and when needed. The Downtown Corridor (Phase 1) will last approximately 12 months and be evaluated for modifications and additional improvements. The duration of Phase 2 Sepulveda and Phase 3 Jefferson will be evaluated during the design process. 

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What are the primary goals of the project?

The overarching goal is to make Culver City’s roadways safer and more efficient by prioritizing high-capacity options such as transit, walking, and bicycling and leveraging transit investments such as the E-Line. The City Council is directing this bold, visionary change as a first step in solving this issue.

Project Goals Include

1. To implement the guiding principles set forth in the City’s Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Visioning Plan (adopted in 2017) & the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan (adopted in 2020).

2. Building on the City’s TOD Plan, this project will implement attractive multi-mobility options and help promote and encourage individuals to use buses, bikes and trains to get to and through Culver City safely and efficiently.

3. Filling in the gap of the existing bike network and enhancing access throughout Downtown, especially the connection to the E-Line Station.

4. Implementing physical improvements to create a safe, efficient, and reliable corridor for transit, biking and walking to address the rising travel demand in Culver City. If no action is taken, traffic will continue to increase and other travel options (such as transit and biking) will continue to degrade along with more traffic.

5. This project will utilize a quick-build process that allows for temporary treatments and provides agility to update the design in the future. Instead of a traditional design project, we can test the improvements and monitor travel patterns to assess the impacts and update the design as needed.

6. Create and build upon a new sustainable transportation culture as the region continues to add more jobs and residents.

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Will MOVE Culver City result in additional service and improvements?

Yes! While developing the MOVE Culver City mobility lanes, the Culver City Transportation Department will also implement the following complimentary services and projects during the same time frame.

1. Implementation of a high-frequency circulator service in the downtown mobility lane corridor.
2. Improvements to the Culver City E-Line station entrance and improved connections to Culver CityBus stops to create Gateway Mobility Stops at this location and at the termini of the downtown mobility lane corridor.
3. Development of Mobility Stop Guidelines for locations citywide.

Where can I view the approved designs for the Phase 1 Downtown Corridor?

Click here for 100% Permit Plans and here for 100% Permit Plans for WB Culver Blvd in Downtown.

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What are the Design Guidelines for MOVE Culver City? 

With guidance from the Mobility Subcommittee, Community Project Advisory Committee (CPAC), and the Transportation Department and the Public Works Department, a set of design guidelines were developed at the outset of the Phase 1 Downtown Project (the Project) design process to ensure that goals and key considerations were being met. The guidelines incorporated comments received through the public engagement process and were approved by the City Council in February 2021. They are listed below:

1. Corridor 1: Downtown/E Line/Arts District Project Boundary

The Project boundary is established to be between Culver Boulevard / Duquesne Avenue to Washington Boulevard / La Cienega Avenue.

2. Utilize Quick Build Implementation Approach 

The Project will be done as a quick-build implementation pilot, which allows for a cost-effective, agile approach to test the elements of the project. The City will implement the mobility lane utilizing cost-effective temporary materials, monitor the effects of the mobility lane, and make necessary adjustments, to address potential issues during the pilot period. The robust project monitoring will employ constant reporting and evaluation to provide recommendations both for design updates during the pilot period and for the future recommendations.

3. Stay Within the Physical Boundaries of the Right-of-Way.

As a quick-build project, no major construction is anticipated beyond striping, plastic bollards, paint, bus/bike platforms, and selective signal upgrades.

4. Maintain Existing Auto Access and One General Purpose Lane.

The Project will maintain all current turning movements and access for general purpose traffic. As such, the Project will maintain one general purpose lane throughout the corridor.

5. Utilize Design Themes Based Upon the Local History and Environment.

The Project will implement dedicated and physically separated bus and bicycle lanes where possible. In segments where there are constraints and/or other factors to consider, the Project will implement shared bus and bicycle lanes. The design will be sensitive to surrounding conditions to enhance the travel benefits, safety features, and multimodal enhancements included in the Project. Incorporating local settings into the project’s design will reduce impacts, especially parking/loading zones where off-street parking supply is limited.

6. Quick Build Bus Stop Improvements to Correspond with the Project Launch. 

The Project will also fast-track bus stop improvements for all bus stops in the Project corridor to correspond with the launch date for the Downtown Corridor mobility lanes. The Project also will also include establishing and improving three Gateway Mobility Stops at the mobility lane termini (City Hall and Arts District at Washington Blvd./La Cienega Ave.) and at the E-Line Culver City Station. The Gateway Mobility Stops will include furniture, signage, micro-mobility drop-off zones, art-inspired sidewalk treatments, lighting, and potential connectivity to other mobility services.

7. Utilize Tactical Materials.

As a quick-build project, the Project will be constructed using shorter-term, temporary materials to allow for adjustments. These materials will last for the duration of the pilot project period.

8. Implement art-inspired street treatments.

Temporary art-inspired treatments will be implemented primarily at curb extensions, crosswalks, and at the Gateway Mobility Stops in the form of asphalt/sidewalk art. These elements will enhance the neighborhood character throughout the corridor as part of the pilot phase.

9. Establish a Continuity of Bus Lanes in the Corridor.

The mobility benefits for buses rely upon the continuity of the mobility lane throughout the 1.3-mile corridor. Exceptions, such as conflict zones and mixing zones, will be required, but the project will create a continuous mobility lane in both directions from Culver Boulevard / Duquesne Avenue to Washington Boulevard / La Cienega Avenue.

10. Create a Continuity of Bike Facilities throughout the corridor.

The mobility benefits for cyclists rely upon the continuity of the mobility lane throughout the 1.3-mile corridor. Exceptions, such as conflict zones and mixing zones (shared areas with other traffic), will be required, but the project will create a continuous mobility lane in both directions from Culver Boulevard / Duquesne Avenue to Washington Boulevard / La Cienega Avenue.

11. Implement New Circulator Service.

The project will also implement a new circulator service that runs through the entirety of the corridor. This service will enhance the flow of current transit and is a necessary component to expand safe and efficient mobility options in the corridor and complement the physical improvements that are implemented as part of this project.

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What types of materials will be used?

Most materials will be temporary and implemented within the curb lines. The most common materials are traffic paint, MMA paint, planters, curb stops and removable K71 delineators (flexible traffic bollards). In addition, transit and bike signals will be added along the corridor to enhance the travel experience for transit riders, cyclists, and scooter users.

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What are Bus/Bike Platforms and how do they work?

New Bus/Bike Platforms will be located at 14 locations throughout the Downtown Corridor.  These innovative locally fabricated platforms allow buses to maintain level boarding without breaking the continuity and protection of the bike lane.  The platforms were chosen with input from community members to ensure they match the aesthetics on the street and will provide new, elegant street furniture on the corridor. Bike riders will approach the platforms from the bike lane and will ride across the platforms to the other side where they re-enter the bike lane.  Bus riders will wait on the sidewalk for the bus and walk onto the platform to board the bus.  Bike riders will always yield to pedestrians on the platforms and signing will be provided to identify potential conflicts. 

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Does the project design include any sidewalk or curb changes?

No. All improvements for the quick-build process take place between the current sidewalks and curbs. Street furniture and asphalt art improvements at some locations will be made on the public right-of-way as part of this project. See “Asphalt Art” section for more information about asphalt art improvements.

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Does the project allow for adjustments from experience gained from the initial implementation design?

Yes. The beauty of the quick-build process is that it allows for easy modifications. By using temporary and inexpensive materials, adjustments to the design can be made throughout the Phase 1 Downtown Corridor 12-month pilot. This will be important as travel patterns change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Will the project’s changes approved by the City Council be permanent?

No. In using the quick-build approach with inexpensive materials and no changes to the curb, the mobility lane and accompanying design features remain flexible. This pilot project allows the City to experiment with alternatives to see what works and what does not work so that the City Council can make decisions accordingly. City Council approval would be required to make the project’s changes permanent.

Is the Phase 1 Downtown Corridor going to affect current traffic patterns?

Yes and no. The current travel routes to and around downtown Culver City and the Culver City Arts District will remain as they are today; however, the current capacity for car traffic will be reduced to allow for greater capacity for buses and bikes in the mobility lanes. This project will convert a single vehicle travel lane in each direction to a mobility lane so that one lane of general traffic access will remain in both directions. This conversion will encourage and facilitate sustainable and high-capacity transportation modes such as buses, bikes, scooters, and micro-transit.

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Will the new street design affect parking spaces?

Yes, in some locations. The new street design will impact on-street parking spaces in certain areas of the corridor. On-street parking will remain as-is in the Arts District, while parking will be removed in locations closer to Downtown where there are more off-street parking options. The project team has worked with residents and businesses to develop a design “sweet spot” that balances mobility goals and traffic circulation, while helping businesses, residents, and visitors explore alternative modes of transportation.

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Will the new design remove the current, temporary, on-street outdoor dining, permitted as a result of the pandemic?

Yes, in some locations. On-street dining will be removed on Westbound Culver Boulevard to accommodate the new mobility lane, bike lane, and bus stop improvements. On-street outdoor dining will remain on Main Street at this time. To lessen the economic impact of COVID-19 on our beloved restaurants in downtown Culver City and to maintain outdoor dining in some capacity, restaurants will have the option to build parklets in place of curbside parking. For more information on Culver City’s new parklet program, visit Parklet guidelines website (effective 10/4/2021). City Council has also retained a landscape design firm, SWA, to design and enhance the sidewalk dining opportunities on Culver Blvd. Updates on the progress of sidewalk dining will be shared at Economic Recovery Task Force Webpage. 

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What is the status of Temporary Use Permits for Outdoor Dining on the Corridor?

At this time, the City Council has extended temporary use permits for dining/retail use on sidewalks until December 31, 2021. Outdoor dining/permits located in street closures ​located on the north side of Culver Boulevard from Canfield Avenue to the East and Duquesne Avenue to the West in downtown will end on October 31, 2021, ​to make way for construction of the new MOVE Culver City project. For more information related to the Economic Recovery Task Force’s programs, including Temporary Use Permits (Outdoor Dining), please visit the City’s website through the following link: Economic Recovery Task Force Webpage

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What type of data is being collected for this project, and how will we know if this project meets the goals of safety and efficiency?

One of the primary components of the MOVE Culver City project is monitoring the impacts that the mobility lane has on vehicle, bus, bike, and pedestrian activity. The project team has planned a robust data collection program to include real-time vehicle traffic data on speeds and volumes, transit ridership and service, bicycle volumes, and pedestrian activity. The team will collect data about the number of vehicles traveling on nearby parallel routes such as Venice Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard and several neighborhood cross streets to understand traffic patterns once the project is implemented. The design team will conduct surveys with community members and local businesses to understand perceived impacts. A draft of the weekly Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Reports can be found here.

What is the Downtown Corridor Circulator?

Culver City has launched the country’s first electric, low-floor minibus that will run every 10 minutes at peak times and every 15 minutes at all other times at no cost. 

The new Route 1C1 Culver City Downtown Circulator will offer free rides for all passengers up to July 31, 2023. This pilot service was first launched in November 2021 connecting Downtown Culver City, Culver City E Line Station, and Arts District. In July 2022, the Circulator was extended to also service Culver City Senior Center and Veterans Memorial Park. The Circulator is part of the CityRide Service, a local public transit service operating only within Culver City and requires seatbelts for all riders.

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What vehicles are used for Downtown Corridor Circulator?

Circulator vehicles will be 100% electric Low-Floor Minibuses. All vehicles are ADA-equipped.  The vehicle can carry a total of 12 passengers (including 1 wheelchair passenger).

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What are the operating hours and the frequency of the Downtown Corridor Circulator?

MON-FRI	FREQUENCY
7AM – 9AM	10 min
9AM – 4:30PM	15-20 min
4:30PM – 7PM	10 min
7PM – 9PM (10PM FOR FRIDAY)	15-20 min

SATURDAY	FREQUENCY
10AM – 10PM	15 min

SUNDAY	FREQUENCY
10AM – 9PM	15 min

What is Asphalt Art? 

Asphalt Art is art drawn on the roadway to designate new pedestrian areas. As part of the MOVE Culver City Project design, asphalt art will be installed at selected locations in Culver City. The goal of this asphalt art is to not only beautify the city by connecting residents with artwork related to Culver City, but to also create spaces that are more pedestrian friendly throughout Downtown and the Arts District. A full description of what Asphalt Art can be found here. 

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What will the asphalt art in Culver City look like and how was the design chosen?

The MOVE Culver City asphalt art project is called “Scenes from Ballona Creek”. The murals depict various species of plants and animals that reflect the ecosystems around Culver City, from the flowers of the jacaranda trees that line downtown Culver City, to the various flower species found in the Ballona Creek wetlands. 

The project team started the asphalt art development process with a public survey in Winter 2021 to get feedback from the community on themes for asphalt art. The community selected “Scenes of Ballona Creek” as its preferred theme. In May 2021, the project team conducted another public survey to obtain feedback and reaction from the community on the initial design sketches. During the design process, we have taken into consideration the feedback we received from the community as well as the community project advisory committee to arrive at the design concept and locations. 

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Where can I find Asphalt Art? 

Asphalt art can be found on curb extensions and crosswalks throughout Downtown and the Arts District. To view the latest plans click here. Specific locations where asphalt art will be installed include: 

• Culver Blvd & Lafayette
• Culver Blvd & Irving Place
• Culver Blvd & Cardiff Avenue
• Washington Blvd & Helms Ave
• Hutchinson Ave & Washington Blvd
• Caroline Ave & Washington Blvd
• Sherbourne Dr & Washington Blvd
• Cattaraugus Ave & Washington Blvd
• Fay Ave & Washington Blvd
• McManus Ave & Washington Blvd
• La Cienega Ave & Washington Blvd

The new wooden platforms allow for level boarding for buses while also allowing for the continuity of the bike lane. These platforms were designed to balance the needs of people with disabilities and general users with the desire to maintain an uninterrupted, protected bike lane. 

Side-by-side 

The new red paint along Washington and Culver Boulevards indicate dedicated bus-only lanes. Cars are not allowed to travel in the red bus-only lanes. The green painted lanes are for bikes and e-scooters. The green painted lanes are protected from traffic with curb stops and delineators. 

Dedicated bus lanes make bus routes faster and more reliable and result in increases in ridership. Boosted ridership from better service can also help reduce carbon emissions and enhance access for everyone that travels in Culver City.   

The separated bike lanes are meant to appeal to a broad cross-section of the population. Studies have shown that cities that implement separated bike lanes see increases in the number of people who bike for transportation and recreation. 

The National Association of City Transit Officials (NACTO) estimates that one 10-foot lane at peak conditions can move between 600 and 1,600 people driving in private vehicles an hour. A dedicated transit lane, on the other hand, can move between 4,000 and 8,000 people an hour. 

For example, a bus-only lane in Arlington, Massachusetts documented reductions in commute times by 10 minutes. New York City’s dedicated busway on 14th Street boosted weekday ridership by 24% and no major traffic impacts were observed on parallel streets.  

Closer to home in downtown Los Angeles, the Flower Street lane is capable of moving 70 buses an hour during peak service times. 

These new dedicated bus and bike lanes form the basis of the city’s connection to the E-Line Station, allowing for enhanced access for residents, employees and visitors. 

Red or green stripes 

The red stripes in the bus lane indicate areas where cars can enter the bus lane to make a turn.  These treatments occur prior to intersections or driveways where drivers can merge into the bus lanes to make a right turn or enter a driveway. Green stripes indicate areas where the bike lane crosses driveways and major intersections. At these locations, drivers must yield to bike riders. 

Red only 

At certain locations along the corridor, you will see solid red shared bus-bike lanes. These are lanes where buses share the lane with bikes at low speeds and moderate headways. Buses are discouraged from passing, and bicyclists pass buses only at stops. Shared bus-bike lanes provide increased space and visibility for active street users while improving transit service reliability. 

Dividers 

White bollards and grey plastic curbs are used to physically separate the bus and bike lanes from car lanes. They are also placed around the curb extensions to protect pedestrians crossing the street. These raised elements also discourage turning vehicles from cutting across the bikeway when turning right. 

New Signs 

Right lane assignments: These new signs along the corridor convey the proper lane assignment to drivers so that they can make a proper lane choice in advance of the intersection. 

Multi-lane assignments: These multi-lane assignments clearly convey the different lane uses for vehicles, buses and bikes. 

Pedestrian signs: At a yield sign, drivers must slow down and yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and vehicles that are approaching from another direction. 

No right turn: The new LED signal communicates that turning right at the intersection or junction is not permitted. 

Signals for buses 

The new bus-only traffic signal displays a vertical bar while all other signals at the intersection are red, indicating only buses can proceed. After three seconds, a flashing triangle indicates that the priority signal for buses is about to end. Finally, a horizontal bar indicates that buses no longer have priority and must obey normal traffic signals.  

Signals for bikes 

Bicycle signals are traditional three lens signal heads with green-yellow and red bicycle stenciled lenses that are employed at standard signalized intersections. 

Bicycle signals are typically used to improve identified safety or operational problems involving bicycle facilities or to provide guidance for bicyclists at intersections where they may have different needs from other road users. 

Wheels and Bird e-scooters have been deployed along the corridors for enhanced micro-mobility. 

Culver City will also be introducing a new e-bike share with Bird in early 2022. All micro-mobility services operate under Culver City’s CityShare system, offering shared mobility services. 

A bike box is a designated area at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized intersection that provides bicyclists with a safe and visible way to get ahead of queuing traffic during the red signal phase. 

Bike boxes provide priority for bicyclists at signalized bicycle boulevard crossings of major streets and helps prevent ‘right-hook’ conflicts with turning vehicles at the start of the green indication. 

These new spaces are street directories for transportation options whether on foot, bike or transit.