Community Activists Contest Project Modifications and CEQA Exemptions
By Dolores Quintana
On Thursday, the City of Culver City was served with legal action as “Friends and Families for MOVE Culver City” filed a lawsuit questioning the legality of the City’s recent adjustments to the MOVE Culver City pilot project.
During its meeting on Monday, September 11th, 2023, the City Council voted 3-2 in favor of adopting amendments to the MOVE Culver City pilot project, which included California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemptions. MOVE Culver City is an initiative spearheaded by the City aimed at reimagining and enhancing the efficiency and safety of people’s movement in street design. The primary objective of the pilot program is to revamp infrastructure and services for alternative mobility choices, thereby providing the community with accessible, sustainable, and equitable mobility options.
Following the initial Downtown Corridor pilot in November 2021, a comprehensive year-long pilot evaluation phase was conducted, incorporating extensive data analysis and soliciting public input. Based on this evaluation, the City Council instructed staff to adapt the project’s design to include a shared bus/bike lane in both directions and to reinstate a second lane for vehicle traffic where necessary to alleviate traffic congestion. The enhancements encompass the addition of bike boxes at seven strategic locations along the corridor designated areas at signalized intersections, affording bicyclists a secure and visible means to advance beyond halted traffic.
The project also introduces human-scale “bike buddy” traffic lights to enhance visibility, along with continental crosswalks to facilitate pedestrian crossings in key areas, particularly downtown. Furthermore, the pilot project expansion extends 0.6 miles to the east along Washington Boulevard, between La Cienega Avenue and Fairfax Avenue, and on Adams Boulevard, between Washington Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.
To facilitate alignment with the City’s annual street resurfacing program, the project has been divided into two segments. The western segment, encompassing Culver Boulevard between Duquesne Avenue and Canfield Avenue and Washington Boulevard between Canfield Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard, is slated to commence construction in the coming months. The eastern segment, spanning Washington Boulevard from La Cienega Boulevard to Fairfax Avenue and Adams Boulevard from Washington Boulevard to Fairfax Avenue, is scheduled for a 2024 commencement, with an anticipated completion date of August 2024.
The lawsuit, filed on October 17th, challenges the authority of the City of Culver City and its City Council to modify the existing pilot project, contesting the legal basis for deeming these modifications exempt from CEQA. The City is presently reviewing the lawsuit and its implications.
